Month: January 2020

Student choice and interest should be reexamined for its potential in reaching diverse students, but also because it seems to be misunderstood. Student choice means students determine, in part, the shape of the curriculum. For instance, students can choose when to take assessments, the presentation style they prefer to use for a project, or a style of notes they like to take. Allowing for student interest means students can choose subjects and topics to study. …

The Problems, and some solutions, To Teaching Towards Diversity (Part III) Read More »

A method that will allow educators to teach towards diversity is allowing students to shape the curriculum based on their cultural knowledge and experiences (Carter, 595). According to Prudence Carter and Linda Darling-Hammond, who wrote a handbook chapter called “Teaching Diverse Learners” (2016), examining the power of student’s cultural knowledge in curriculum and pedagogical development is a major line of research, although academics do not take it seriously (Carter, 595).  In their chapter, Carter and …

The Problems, and some solutions, To Teaching Towards Diversity (Part II) Read More »

Recently, my colleague was leading a class where they asked preservice social studies teachers how they could shape their practice with regard to diversity. The soon to be teachers gave typical answers, like respecting cultures and working with special education staff. One student, who believed in the benefits of diversity, said it was difficult to prepare curriculum for diverse classrooms as preservice teachers. The student continued and described how as a preservice teacher that he …

The Problems, and some solutions, To Teaching Towards Diversity (Part I) Read More »