Guided Response: Respond to at least two peers. Ask questions of your peers about their responses to encourage further conversation. In your responses, consider including a question about the inclusion of 21st-century skills in a diverse classroom. 

Anthony Bonner Sr

Analyze how you can maintain high standards and demonstrate high expectations for all ethnically, culturally, and linguistically diverse students in the classroom.

     Taking an interest in all your students when it comes to knowing about their background, is a way that I can analyze in keeping high standards and while demonstrating high expectations for all ethnically, culturally, and linguistically diverse students in the classroom. I can inspire my students by having them do exploration and provide their findings about their cultural/ethnic settings as a way of nurturing a credible link between teacher and peers. Also, through studying and hailing differences via customs and learning how to properly announce names of the students can lead to the positive engagement to all parties concerned when it come to learning in the classroom.
And lastly, as an educator I have to be able to change my role from within the classroom from a teacher to at times to a facilitator. This helps change the mood and environment between the student and educator from and adversarial point of view that calms the waters of a potential power struggle between the learners and the educator. Granting learners the chance to bring in reading information from home and giving them the chance to present to the class gives them the feeling of the importance their culture brings to the learning environment gives them the added motivation to engage more within the overall learning arena because they feel they are contributing positively to other learners.

Reflect on ways in which you will choose culturally relevant curriculum and instructional materials that recognize, incorporate, and reflect students’ heritage and the contributions of various ethnic groups.

     A major way for me choose culturally relevant curriculum and instructional materials that recognize, incorporate, and reflect students’ heritage and the contributions of various ethnic groups is to establish an inclusive curriculum that always promotes the practice of being respectful of the various differences of individual cultures. And by that I mean, understanding the importance of what culturally responsive curriculum brings to the classroom is equally inclusive that it embraces all students throughout the institution and recognizes the distinctive differences each individual may share. This instruction also emboldens educator’s awareness and appreciation of each learner’s external cultural setting and upbringing, while delivering a method for them to combine material into the instruction thus fostering inclusion. Teaching learners how to blend their culturalistic differences into their learning foundation, in order to assist individual learners personal and career achievement within a different world. Once again, a culturally responsive instruction aids learners that come from a different ethnicity group an opportunity to grow as learners while letting them share in the pride of how they identify within their specific culture.

Discuss how you would differentiate instruction for the inclusion of various learning styles.

     First, I think you would need to look at differentiating content to see if the information within the subject matter compromises the level of learning, ideas, and abilities learners need to comprehend centered on the course. It is all about the delivery arrangement in the differentiating content whether it is using all types of strategies such as video concepts, speeches, or auditoria tools for learners, With this in mind, I have also been taught by some veteran educators that utilizing graphic organizers as well as chunking information leaves the door open various methods that learners can choose from based on their desired interest. These methods are proven to help bolster educator’s confidence that differentiation happens in student learning and doing this gives individuals a multiple array of means to grasp content as students are apt to find increased ways of connecting to curriculum.

     Second, looking at the differentiating process is a way that I can check with my learners to ensure that the curriculum is meaningful to them. Because I know of the importance students need in relation to the time they will need in order for them to process the information prior to progressing on to the next portion of the curriculum. This in turn assist learners in acquiring things they can or cannot comprehend, while helping afford me as an educator to formatively assess the learners development. For instance, coming up with one or two managing strategies for every 20 minutes of teaching eases the learners emotional state of content satiety (i.e., think-pair-share, partner talk, etc.).

References:

Gay, G. (2010). Culturally responsive teaching, 2nd Ed. New York, New York: Teachers College Press. (Page 31).

Diller, J., & Moule, J. (2005). Cultural competence: A primer for educators, Thomson Wadsorth: Belmont, California.

Ashley Jones

• Analyze how you can maintain high standards and demonstrate high expectations for all ethnically, culturally, and linguistically diverse students in the classroom.

I believe the world we live in has lowered its standards significantly in order to not hurt anyone’s feelings and to accommodate all. In some ways this shift might be good. However, I believe that this “everybody wins” mentality has helped concrete the belief that mediocrity is ok and that we do not have to try our best. We demand less of our children and expect less of them instead of preparing them for the future.

I believe that the best way to maintain high standards for all students is to set high standards for all students. If we set the bar low for our students then we are just ensuring that they are able to meet that standard and that they won’t even have to work hard to do so. As educators I believe that we need to strive to challenge all of our students no matter their ethnicity, cultural background, or language abilities.

 I believe that one great way to demonstrate high expectations is to provide students with a safe environment to learn. Students should feel safe to make mistakes and mess up while they strive to meet the high expectations. If students don’t feel safe and feel like they are expected to get it perfect the first time every time they will stop trying. Excellence should be something students are striving for….not something they feel like they are supposed to operate out of on a daily basis. 

• Discuss how you would differentiate instruction for the inclusion of various learning styles.

As educators it is important that we are aware of each student’s ability level. I believe that this level of awareness is achieved through formative and summative assessments. By assessing our students we can learn a lot about their abilities/disabilities and can modify our teaching accordingly. We can then design lessons intentionally to meet each students individual needs and learning styles. 

I would differentiate instruction by providing lessons in multiple formats. For example, I wouldn’t JUST utilized a lectured based teaching style. I would provide lessons in print so that students can read through the lesson at their own pace and can review back to the print out as needed. I would differentiate by ensuring that ELL students have the material in their native language as well as in English. I would differentiate by allowing students more time to finish assignments if needed. Basically I would consider doing whatever each student needs to be successfully. 

• Reflect on ways in which you would modify instruction for students in your area of specialization. 

The area of specialization I’ve been focusing on throughout this course is autism. Through my research these past 3 weeks I’ve found that students with ASD (autism sensory disorder) are often overwhelmed by noise or distractions. I would accommodate this by allowing students with autism to wear noise cancelling headphones while they work. I have also learned that students with ASD thrive best in an environment where there is a set routine. I would plan and stick to a daily schedule so that students knew what to expect and what to plan for. Lastly, one of the biggest things I’ve learned about students with ASD is that they struggle in situations of social interactions. I would be intentional about utilizing curriculum and lessons that teach social skills. 

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