Often times in education teachers, administrators, and various other specialists use the term diverse to categorize learners with different needs. This is partially true, but it does not encompass everything that diversity can refer to. The problem is that most teachers, when they use the word, are only talking about where kids are in their learning. However, to me diversity means every way a human being is different from another. This is a broad category, but in education there are several categories that can be diverse when talking about a student population.
Some different areas of diversity are:
Socio-economic status Cultural traditions, norms, and mores Background and experiences Education levels
Innate abilities and talents
Learning styles
Technology is a great tool in general for reaching, motivating, and teaching students with various diversities and diverse needs. Whatever the technology is, most students, no matter their background, culture, economic level, or any other quality, want to work with it. It is rare to find a student who is not really interested in using a new technological tool in school. Technology also often reaches kids where they are. Typically students can make use of technology in some format no matter where they are or what their background is. The use of technology is just extremely adaptable. Since the media center is typically a hub of novel technology, kids of all different needs and levels can find benefits to experience and learning there. The fact that many media centers have a plethora of multimedia is also beneficial in reaching students no matter where they are or what they need. Unlike the stricter curriculum of a classroom, the media center can provide materials, technology, and experiences in what the students are interested in. If technology and media are constantly being expanded in the media center, it can be a place of growth and learning for all students.
Technology can also serve to teach teachers about diversity. For instance, we seek to find information in many different formats to meet many different needs. We need to take the same approach for our students. They need different things and so there is no one magic technology, software, skill, or strategy. We need to realize that, like technology, our students are growing and changing, and we must be looking for cutting edge ways to meet the diversity that exists within all people.
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How fortunate we are to have this technology available to meet the needs of the diverse student population. Since in education one size does not fit all, the teaching of the curriculum must be presented through various mediums. Most students are already well acquainted with the various types of technology and love to use it. So, why not take advantage of this by using technology in the educational world as well. Since the media center is the hub of the school's technology, it would serve as the most logical area for diversified learning to take place.
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