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Diversity Statement of Informed BeliefsJamie SaldivarInstructor: Dr. EgbertEDUC 204: Families, Communities, and CulturesDiversity Statement of Informed Beliefs As times change, so do the children of the generation. With so many factors like ethnic background and socioeconomic status, it’s no surprise that each student is an individual. Personalities, behaviors, and interest will ultimately be different. All individualities and characteristics play a major role in their educational development. Regardless of what the differences are, it is important for each student to be given an opportunity to learn and be educated.How all Students can LearnThere are many determining factors to a student’s educational development and how he/she will learn. These factors include learning styles, which are consistent patterns of behavior and performance by which an individual approaches educational experiences, interests, needs, abilities and even environments. As a teacher, it is our job to ensure that the student learns above all the factors. As an educator, I will ensure that all students learn by including framework for all learning styles in my lesson plans, keeping in mind that every student is unique. Using Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development, which according to Roberta M. Berns is a theory based on space between what a learner can do independently and what he or she can do while participating with more capable others, I will accommodate to their individual learning needs. I will also create a comforting and warm environment through a democratic method of teaching, creating an opportunity for students to have input into their class assignments and projects. At the same time I will keep an authoritative classroom environment, in which a democratic classroom environment authority is based on competence and/or expertise, through the creation of rules and projects. Teacher expectations can be the difference between success and failure. When a teacher shows a student that they believe in them not only through the successes but also through the failures, they help the students gain a confidence in themselves. When educators label and stereotype, students tend to believe what they are being categorized into. Avoiding labeling and reinsuring a student’s full potential can be the succeeding factor in a child’s educational success. Educational goals are an important part of expectations. Personal, academic, social, and vocational goals can all be developed and achieved through the guidance and support of teachers, family and self. Hard work that comes with all this can also be succeeding factor. Students’ Socio Ecology TheoryConnecting learning to a student’s social ecology is vital, especially because their microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, and macrosystem play such a pivotal role in their lives. All these systems are part of Urie Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory of Human Development, which is a theory that essentially divides a person’s environment into five different systems, all of which were stated above (Roundy). In this theory, the five systems interconnect, helping create and develop a child into their ultimate person. Their microsystem, which is comprised of a child’s immediate family, teachers, peers, child care, and neighborhood play area, as well as their mesosystem, which includes child care, schools, home, neighborhoods, local industry, and religious or spiritual groups, are the most directly influencing socio ecological factors. Students effectively learning can be affected by how competent or incompetent their families, culture, and communities are. Competent environments can nurture a student into a healthy macrosystem, which are the factors that help develop values and ideologies as well as customs, while the opposite will occur with an incompetent environment.According to Bronfenbrenner’s Theory, mesosystems are the environmental factors that affect a student (Roundy). If a student has a home in which the parents are constantly fighting, the child will become aggressive and thus take his aggression out at school, leading to less time in the learning environment. With less time in the actual learning environment the student’s chances of succeeding decrease. Students with healthy interactions between all systems have a higher chance of success. However, students with unhealthy interactions can have long lasting effects that affect their learning and distract them from educational goals.Discrimination and Learning In order to create a successful class environment, teachers must be inviting to all cultures and backgrounds. This can be done through several methods including projects, pictures, and even including fun facts that pertain to the class in lesson plans. For a very long period in time, Cultural Pluralism, the acceptance of all cultures, religions, beliefs, and languages, was not accepted and instead Cultural Assimilation, the molding of many minorities into a majority culture, was a common practice. With time acceptance has allowed for programs multicultural program, to come into the schools and help be a succeeding factor in a student’s education. These programs include the bilingual education program that teaches students English as well as keeps their native language involved in their educational career. Here locally, the Newcomer Center provides services to student brought in through CSI’s Refugee Program, from all parts of the world, and slowly emerges them into the regular school district through specific language and speech development. Authoritative teaching styles lend themselves to be accommodating environments for all learning styles. Using projects that allow for independent learning, students from individualistic cultures to can complete more work in a more comfortable setting. Doing group projects helps students whose culture encourages group effort. Also including a few variations of the same lesson plan allow for students who are gifted and advanced as well as students with disabilities to effectively comprehend the class material. For example, giving a student with disabilities a modified test allows for a higher success rate. Another example would be requiring a gifted or advanced student to turn in an essay in addition to their test, to show comprehension of the material. Equitable Education for all StudentsThere are various environmental factors that can and will impact social, behavioral, emotional, and cognitive learning outcomes. Low Socioeconomic Status, meaning a socioeconomic status resulting in less educated parents, basic needs aren’t met and language being less elaborate, restricts a student’s ability to learn due to lack of supplies and sometimes even lack of educational support at home. Often times work and the “now”, meaning the present and what is affecting the family at the current time, are emphasized over education and the future. Students with divorced parent or dual income families see one or both parents less time, creating a stress in the family that affects their learning in school. By using words such as parent and guardian, we can eliminate the alienation that students who live with only one or neither parent feel. Using various methods of teaching and assignments can also help accommodate all students. Allowing for time in class to work on assignments and projects can also accommodate for those students who don’t have the resources or support at home that they need, by providing the personal help that is shown through in class work. Through Bronfenbrenner’s Theory, we are able to understand how all the interpersonal systems of a student’s individual life interact within each other (Berns). We are able to understand the importance of every system in the success of a student. With better understanding of how each system interconnects, it becomes easier to understand what it is that affects an individual student and where it is that an educator can help mediate if an issue ensues. Every student deserves the opportunity to have a great education. Regardless of what the factors in each student’s life are, it is our job as educators to provide the best that we have to offer. With the changing times, a teacher who accommodates all students will ultimately be a more successful and competent teacher. In the end, our interaction with students will leave a lasting effect throughout their lives and educational careers. ReferencesBerns, Roberta M. (2013). Child, Family, Community Socializing and Support. United States: CengageRoundy, Lisa. Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory of Development: Definition & Examples. ................
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