I have
always thought the term diversity has been used in schools to describe students
of various ethnic or racial backgrounds, but the real meaning of the word diversity
is differences. Differences can mean several things. It can mean students who
have special needs or behavior disorders. It can also mean students who have
economic needs, or who have unique living situations.
The media
center has the privilege of serving each of these populations. As the
population changes in a school, the collection, materials, and technologies
should change to best reflect and educate all students. Technology is a great
way to teach and motivate students of diverse backgrounds. I have yet to meet a student who does not
enjoy using technology. It has the capability to reach students no matter what
their background is and almost every student can make use of it no matter where
they are starting. Media centers give students a break from the structure of a
classroom by offering materials, technology, and experiences in what students are
interested in. If technology is constantly expanded in the media center, it has
the potential be a place of growth and learning for all students.
Technology is a great equalizer. I too used to look at diversity as black, white, hispanic and so forth but soon realized that it is more than that. Our students come from all walks of life and are not exposed to the same advantages. I teach students who have every technical gadget you can think of and also students who do not have computers in their home. However, when you sit these same students down in front of a technology tool, they seem to pick up on it faster than most adults. It's our responsibility as teachers and future librarians to make sure that our students have equal assess when they are under our charge.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the media center gives students a break from structure by offering materials and breaks allowing students to spend time doing something they're interested in. Diversity does also pertain to differences and we see a very diverse population in our schools. The media center is a central location in the school and is used by that diverse population. Therefore, the media center needs to cater to the needs of the school by providing a vast amount of appropriate resources. Students truly love the use of technology and are adept at it no matter how diverse the population is. Some students are even more skilled than the teachers at times. We need to implement it since it is such a valuable tool.
ReplyDeleteI think technology is a great way to address diversity and meet each student at their own level. Because the media center often houses many different forms of technology, media specialists have a unique opportunity to meet the diverse educational needs of many different types of students. This may be through adaptive technology, traditional classroom technology, or advanced technology that is unique to the media center. One library I worked in provided adaptive technology to help students with vision problems. One of our computers had an extra-large computer monitor that displayed everything at two to three times the normal size. Visually impaired students were able to come to the library to search the web or type papers on this computer. The media center where I do field study has a SmartBoard that students and teachers can use, or the media specialist can use it to present lessons. This technology is also available in many other classrooms in the school, but the media center is a place where teachers or students can come to get help or training using this tool. Most media centers have television production software that is not available anywhere else in the school. The scenario about Ashley that Dr. Cooper shared with us demonstrates how we can use this technology to meet the needs of a wide variety of students. If we look hard enough, we can probably find a technology out there to help or engage just about every type of student that walks through the media center doors.
ReplyDeleteTerese Scheiderich
I appreciate the point you make about diversity encompassing more than people usually associate with the term. In particular, I found your inclusion of “economic needs” and “unique living situations” enriching. Just a day or two ago, a teacher I know shared that one of her 5th grade students is being forced to move because her family is losing their house. How could the media center help the student with her educational and emotional needs during such a time? I suppose providing a laptop computer for the student to complete homework and perform research at her new/transitional housing could help, but would she have free internet service in a hotel? Usually hotels charge for this now. What if she stays at a shelter? Would she worry about the laptop getting stolen? Before pursuing my masters degree at UWG, I was naïve about what teachers dealt with as far as the real-life problems their students are experiencing. I have found it very eye-opening learning from teachers like you. Thank you for your post.
ReplyDeleteVirginia,
ReplyDeleteYour post is to the point and effective in getting educators to think about the true definition of diversity in the classroom!
Technology has that effect to teach and bring many different types of students and backgrounds. It will certainly change the way we educate in the future. I have always thought of diversity as the ethnic and background of the school population and demographics but it is much more than that.
Even though most of my students all look the same they certainly learn differently and are coming from backgrounds that have shaped their learning differently.
Thank you for sharing your views!
Barry
It is interesting how the word ‘diversity’ can have so many meanings in the school setting. There are so many different demographics and sub-groups that we look at as educators. We always look to find niches where students fit. I teach special education in a Title 1 School which means that (like most teachers) I see students from a large number of demographics. As a media specialist, we have an obligation to make sure that the needs of these students are met. We learn quickly how to differentiate lessons so that all learners acquire the information and can manipulate it to produce some kind of learning product. One of the amazing things about technology is that it is so adaptable to the different needs of students. It also captures their attention. Children now are very technology driven and they understand how to work it so much more than we did at their age. As a media specialist it now becomes our job to teach them how to use it effectively and ethically.
ReplyDeleteVirginia-Very good post about diversity! The media center has the opportunity to reach every student and their background or where they come from does not matter. There are so many various resources, that everyone can find something that they enjoy or need. You are right, every student loves using technology and incorporating more in the media center would only make the experience better for each student.
ReplyDelete