Standard 4.3 - Diversity, Cultural Understanding & Global Awareness
Candidates model and facilitate the use of digital tools and resources to support diverse student needs, enhance cultural understanding, and increase global awareness. (PSC 4.3/ISTE 5c)
Artifact - Blog Posting: Diversity Dividends
Reflection
My Blog posting, “Diversity Dividends: how technology unites us,” offers an example of how I believe technology can be used to enhance cultural understanding. As I wrote this blog, I was struck by all the different ways that using the Internet removes barriers between groups while promoting worldwide information sharing.
Writing a blog post is an exercise in research and analysis as well as the opportunity to express deeply held views. I believe that technology offers many opportunities to give our children broad exposure to information and culture far outside their daily experience. By taking to the public arena of blog posting I am modeling and facilitating the use of digital tools that supports student needs while encouraging global awareness. In my teaching, I regularly use a website maintained by a media specialist at an elementary school in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. My students see that children at the African school are not very different from them – they even wear similar uniforms.
In my blog post I describe several different technology tools for teachers to use that support diverse student needs through offering different modes of communication. I included Speak Text to Me as one example of a technology tool for iPads that can translate speech and text in the classroom, facilitating communications for English language learners.
Writing the blog posting offered me the opportunity to explore in greater depth the different connections between technology, communication, and global understanding. It also prompted me to consider different descriptions of diversity. At my current school most of the students look the same, but they don’t all speak the same languages at home. They come from disparate economic and family backgrounds, yet it becomes more apparent that technology offers tremendous opportunities to find common ground while celebrating their diversity.
The act of writing this blog entry has already begun to impact student learning and school improvement. Over this past school year I have used what I learned about blogging and diversity to create a blog for students to join. At the same time they practice writing skills, we use discussions about blogging to reinforce the importance of respectful, courteous netiquette when commenting in public forums. As I’ve shared the blog site, other teachers have joined the conversation, which inspires students as they realize their thoughts and comments are being heard and taken seriously.
My Blog posting, “Diversity Dividends: how technology unites us,” offers an example of how I believe technology can be used to enhance cultural understanding. As I wrote this blog, I was struck by all the different ways that using the Internet removes barriers between groups while promoting worldwide information sharing.
Writing a blog post is an exercise in research and analysis as well as the opportunity to express deeply held views. I believe that technology offers many opportunities to give our children broad exposure to information and culture far outside their daily experience. By taking to the public arena of blog posting I am modeling and facilitating the use of digital tools that supports student needs while encouraging global awareness. In my teaching, I regularly use a website maintained by a media specialist at an elementary school in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. My students see that children at the African school are not very different from them – they even wear similar uniforms.
In my blog post I describe several different technology tools for teachers to use that support diverse student needs through offering different modes of communication. I included Speak Text to Me as one example of a technology tool for iPads that can translate speech and text in the classroom, facilitating communications for English language learners.
Writing the blog posting offered me the opportunity to explore in greater depth the different connections between technology, communication, and global understanding. It also prompted me to consider different descriptions of diversity. At my current school most of the students look the same, but they don’t all speak the same languages at home. They come from disparate economic and family backgrounds, yet it becomes more apparent that technology offers tremendous opportunities to find common ground while celebrating their diversity.
The act of writing this blog entry has already begun to impact student learning and school improvement. Over this past school year I have used what I learned about blogging and diversity to create a blog for students to join. At the same time they practice writing skills, we use discussions about blogging to reinforce the importance of respectful, courteous netiquette when commenting in public forums. As I’ve shared the blog site, other teachers have joined the conversation, which inspires students as they realize their thoughts and comments are being heard and taken seriously.