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Home > Diversity of Learners

Diversity of Learners

Violin Eye

The teacher understands and respects the differences between students based upon ethnicity, culture, language, disabilities, exceptionalities, health, gender, and sexual orientation. Further, s/he presents an attitude of acceptance, teaching and caring for all students with no discrimination.

Respectable teachers must foster an environment where discrimination of any kind in neither instigated nor tolerated. In some cases, the teacher must go beyond treating students with tolerance and go out of their way to provide opportunities for equal success.

“We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color.” ~Maya Angelou

Standard: 1. Case Teacher Licensure Mission: The mission of the Case educator preparation unit is to prepare Proactive Scholar-Practitioners who demonstrate thorough content and pedagogical knowledge; skill in instructional planning, delivery, and assessment; and dispositions consistent with the principles of commitment, collaboration, and creativity. We define Proactive Scholar-Practitioners as educators who, upon entering the teaching profession, demonstrate through their performance in instructional contexts:
Indicator: thorough understanding of content in their field, of child and adolescent development and diversity, of principles of learning and teaching, and of evidence-based teaching practices specific to their field (Scholar)
Standard: 2. Case Teacher Licensure Vision: We envision the preparation of Proactive Scholar-Practitioners characterized not only by superior content and pedagogical knowledge, superior performance as practitioners of their respective disciplines and in the instructional application of that discipline, but also by dispositions consistent with the shared mission of Case and the educator preparation unit. These dispositions include:
Indicator: valuing diversity and respecting and appreciating the different perspectives and talents of all people
Standard: 3. Case Teacher Licensure Philosophy and Belief System: Case prepares educators to be Proactive Scholar-Practitioners. A shared set of core beliefs about teachers, learners, and the learning process unifies the educator preparation programs at Case, and can be summarized as follows:
Indicator: Effective educators value and respond positively to diversity among their students.
Standard: 4. Case Western Reserve University Mission and Values: Case Western Reserve University strives to be the most powerful learning environment in the world. We constantly challenge ourselves to create a culture of transformation so engaging that students, faculty, staff, alumni, trustees, and even visitors to campus become passionate about moving beyond themselves to express creativity, to pursue innovation and discovery, and to serve humanity.
Indicator: As a university guided in all of its labors by values defined and sustained by constant moral discourse, we hold ourselves accountable at every level of the institution for practicing our values of integrity and respect, excellence and innovation, mentorship and diversity, academic freedom and entrepreneurship, partnership and social responsibility, efficiency and effectiveness, and continuous personal and institutional improvement.
OH- Ohio Standards for the Teaching Professions
Standard: Standard #1: Students Teachers understand student learning and development, and respect the diversity of the students they teach.
USA- INTASC: Model Standards for Beginning Teacher Licensing and Development (1992)
Knowledge, Disposition and Performance Indicators
Principle 3: Diverse Learners: The teacher understands how students differ in their approaches to learning and creates instructional opportunities that are adapted to diverse learners.
Area 3.10: Knowledge
Standard 3.11: The teacher understands and can identify differences in approaches to learning and performance, including different learning styles, multiple intelligences, and performance modes, and can design instruction that helps use students’ strengths as the basis for growth.
Standard 3.12: The teacher knows about areas of exceptionality in learning--including learning disabilities, visual and perceptual difficulties, and special physical or mental challenges.
Standard 3.13: The teacher knows about the process of second language acquisition and about strategies to support the learning of students whose first language is not English.
Standard 3.14: The teacher understands how students’ learning is influenced by individual experiences, talents, and prior learning, as well as language, culture, family and community values.
Standard 3.15: The teacher has a well-grounded framework for understanding cultural and community diversity and knows how to learn about and incorporate students’ experiences, cultures, and community resources into instruction.
Area 3.20: Dispositions
Standard 3.21: The teacher believes that all children can learn at high levels and persists in helping all children achieve success.
Standard 3.22: The teacher appreciates and values human diversity, shows respect for students’ varied talents and perspectives, and is committed to the pursuit of "individually configured excellence."
Standard 3.23: The teacher respects students as individuals with differing personal and family backgrounds and various skills, talents, and interests.
Standard 3.24: The teacher is sensitive to community and cultural norms.
Standard 3.25: The teacher makes students feel valued for their potential as people, and helps them learn to value each other.
Area 3.30 : Performances
Standard 3.31: The teacher identifies and designs instruction appropriate to students’ stages of development, learning styles, strengths, and needs.
Standard 3.32: The teacher uses teaching approaches that are sensitive to the multiple experiences of learners and that address different learning and performance modes.
Standard 3.33: The teacher makes appropriate provisions (in terms of time and circumstances for work, tasks assigned, communication and response modes) for individual students who have particular learning differences or needs.
Standard 3.34: The teacher can identify when and how to access appropriate services or resources to meet exceptional learning needs.
Standard 3.35: The teacher seeks to understand students’ families, cultures, and communities, and uses this information as a basis for connecting instruction to students’ experiences (e.g. drawing explicit connections between subject matter and community matters, making assignments that can be related to students’ experiences and cultures).
Standard 3.36: The teacher brings multiple perspectives to the discussion of subject matter, including attention to students’ personal, family, and community experiences and cultural norms.
Standard 3.37: The teacher creates a learning community in which individual differences are respected.
USA- Praxis II
Test Names: Test Names
Licensure Area: Music K-12
Test 0113: Music: Content Knowledge (contains listening section)
Content Category IV: Music Learning, K-12
USA- Praxis II Principles of Learning
Test: Principles of Learning & Teaching: Grades 7-12
Category: I. Students as Learners
Topic: B. Students as Diverse Learners
Detail: 1. Differences in the ways students learn and perform
Detail: 2. Areas of exceptionality in students’ learning
Detail: 3. Legislation and institutional responsibilities relating to exceptional students
Detail: 4. Approaches for accommodating various learning styles, intelligences, or exceptionalities
Detail: 5. Process of second-language acquisition and strategies to support the learning of students for whom English is not a fi rst language
Detail: 6. Understanding the infl uence of individual experiences, talents, and prior learning, as well as language, culture, family, and community values on students’ learning
USA-Praxis III/Pathwise Teacher Performance Criteria
Copyright ©2003 Educational Testing Service. Used with permission of ETS. Also see Danielson, Charlotte (1996) "Enhancing Professional Practice: A Framework for Teaching" Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Domain: Domain A - Organizing Content Knowledge for Student Learning
Criterion A1: Becoming familiar with relevant aspects of students' background knowledge and experiences
Criterion A4: Creating or selecting teaching methods, learning activities, and instructional materials or other resource that are appropriate for the students and that are aligned with the goals of the lesson
Domain: Domain B- Creating an Environment for Student Learning
Criterion B3: Communicating challenging learning expectations to each student

Reflections on the Learning Outcome

The fourth outcome of the Case Western Reserve University Proactive Scholar Practitioner Program is the Diversity of Learners. This outcome states that “the teacher understands and respects the differences between students based upon ethnicity, culture, language, disabilities, exceptionalities, health, gender, and sexual orientation. Further, s/he presents an attitude of acceptance, teaching and caring for all students with no discrimination.” In other words, this outcome mandates that teachers treat all students with equality and promote an atmosphere of tolerance inside the classroom. This includes that the teacher be ready to adjust to the many needs of his or her students. The outcome, Diversity of Learners, ensures that all students are treated with equality.

Discrimination of any type, whether it be on the basis of racism, mental or physical exceptionalities, or any other human quality, has no place in a classroom and should be neither instigated nor tolerated by a respectable teacher. This not only requires teachers to treat all students with tolerance and acceptance, but also requires that they go out of their way, if necessary to give all students an equal chance at success in the classroom. One example that comes to mind is the experience of a family friend, whose daughter suffered a stroke after a horseback-riding accident and not only lost mobility in the left side of her body, but also acquired mental difficulties. Although still brilliant, she had trouble concentrating for long spans of time. To accommodate her, her teacher allowed her to take exams in short blocks of time rather than in an hours-long exam session. This is a perfect example of the Diversity of Learners, where the value of student success is placed above discrimination.

There is no better way to improve in Diversity of Learners than to go out and experience all the wonderful races and and cultures the human race has to offer. Volunteering and doing community outreach are great ways to sample the diversity of people. It is also a good idea to travel both around the country and around the world, if possible, to get an idea of other musical and educational methods used by other cultures. Furthermore, a good teacher should try to promote global diversity in her classroom by educating her students in world music. For artifacts, proof of community outreach projects and volunteer work can be exampled, along with any essays or projects done in class that celebrate Diversity of Learners.

Author: Natasha Marsalli
Last modified: 4/28/2009 8:30 PM (EST)