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DIVERSITY STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS

Diversity Statement of Informed Beliefs

Kristi Young

LueLinda Egbert, PhD

EDUC 204 Families, Community, and Culture

Online Spring 2011

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I am a special education major. I was excited to write an essay entitled “diversity

statement of informed beliefs” and including such subtitles as “all students can learn” and

“curriculum for all learners” purely for the opportunity to explore how these things apply

not only to general education students but also the special education population as well. It

is my goal in this paper to present my informed beliefs about education and how they

specifically apply to special education.

Students Can Learn

As a special ed teacher it is my job to tailor my lessons to my students. The goal

of special education is to empower each student to contribute to society to the best of

their ability. We as special educators battle against negative handicapism which are

assumptions and practices that promote the differential treatment of people because they

are differently abled and strive to empower our students to advocate for themselves.

(Berns 209) Using an IEP we can target specific goals for each student based on their

specific needs. An IEP is and individualized education plan; a form of communication

between school and family, developed by team of people who serve each student. (Berns

211)

All students can learn something but that “something” might not be what the

general population would expect or value. An interesting idea to chew on is the

developmental appropriateness of all of the requirements set upon the exceptional

population by the No Child Left Behind Act. (Burns 148) The standards set by this act

simply are not realistic for many students who receive special education services. The

standardized testing which is supposed to measure progress really does not measure the

progress made by these students. They may fail the tests that their peers take but have just

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learned to wipe off tables in preparation for a job at a restaurant. The act of wiping off a

table requires skills which include but are not limited to self control, attention to detail,

and fine motor. That is a big achievement for the student but is lost on a set of

government regulations which dictates how a person should be able to contribute to

society.

Teacher Expectations

As a teacher it can be easy to see a student who struggles and set too low of a bar

for a student. Education and goals need to be realistic but not too short sighted. One of

the reasons that the exceptional population is not schooled separately or shut away in

institutions is that these students can achieve a lot more than people would think and you

really don’t know how far they will go until you set those expectations and give them a

boost. Children learn from what they see and these students are no different.

Should I expect them to take on traits from the general population which allows

them to better adapt? Yes! This is why inclusion is so important. (Burns 211) Consider

please Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development. This is a term for what a learner can

do independently and what they can do while participating with more capable others.

(Burns 493) Acts of apprenticeship are not only beneficial to the general population but

vital to the exceptional population. (Burns 283) Mimicry and apprenticeship are used

often and successfully in early childhood stages where many individuals with

developmental differences operate from.

An accurate assessment of a child is an invaluable tool but the practice of labeling

is not helpful and can be very harmful. As teachers we must be careful not to let a

student’s diagnosis set our expectations of them. Doing so would be called discrimination

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and it isn’t good for anyone. We can use the opportunities of having an exceptional child

in the classroom for modeling. If we model the behavior we want to see we can promote

growth on all parts and that is when you will truly see a child’s full potential. (Burns 61)

Students’ Social Ecology Theory

If students learn from what they see then the next question I tend to think of is

“what do students see?” Students see their families. Students see their role models.

Students see their peers and students see the world around them. The students’ family,

communities, and peers, all play an important role and within those there is a unique

macro-system for each child. (Burns 23-24)

Family and community often enable learned helplessness in the exceptional

population. They [family and community] are your biggest assets and have given you a

base from which to work from but they can also set limits either intentionally or

unintentionally on how much you can do with a child. Learning where a child comes

from is vital to understand where they are going and how to better serve them.

Cultural Diversity Instruction

In order to promote a conducive learning environment we must encourage a

melting pot in our classrooms. (Burns 203) In order to facilitate our melting pots we need

to learn about and respect each unique culture keeping in mind that our students will

return from where they came. We can’t just take a student and think that their culture is

only skin deep so let’s accept them. This is who they are and understanding the fabric

from what a person is made of will help you to better empower your student regardless of

whether they are a part of the general or exceptional population.

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Taking into account that we as educators are important part of our students’

“fabric” and that we have the power to shape them as much as any macrosystem it is

important to practice cultural pluralism. (Burns 203) Regardless of our own beliefs we

can’t change what has been taught at home or how a parent chooses to raise their child

(with the exception of intervention for really bad homes). If we are tolerant, the children

will also be tolerant and they will be more open and willing to learn not only academic

lessons but also social lessons as well.

Curriculum For All Learners

Piaget stressed the importance of learning based on current knowledge and

assessing where a child is coming from. (Burns 279) As teachers we can take this and use

it to asses and evaluate each student individually. In special education we take all sorts of

tests and assessments and roll them into and IEP which really isn’t too different from and

definitely utilizes some form of developmental interaction curriculum. (Burns 181)

Taking these tools and an individualized goal structure you can help each child

individually. (Burns 260) As previously stated it isn’t productive many times to hold this

population to standards that compare them to others. In the long run we want them to

assimilate and be accepted into society but that’s why it’s called special education;

assimilation from square one isn’t the route to take to achieve these long term goals.

You can’t teach a three month old how to add or subtract. You might be able to

teach a twelve year old student who operates on a three month old level how to push

buttons for cause and effect which in turn could turn into differentiation and eventually

communication. For some it may never be attained. If the student leaves your classroom

with even a little bit more progress than they showed previous knowledge of when they

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came then you have done your part in helping that student toward contributing to society

to the best of their ability.

It is vital that teachers of all levels be open and willing to cooperate with each

other. Mainstreaming is common and there are lessons to be learned from all sides. If I

understand how a general education student learns and develops then I will gain greater

insight into the differences that my students hold. If a general education teacher

understands and accepts limitations without sacrificing expectations then they can better

serve as a valuable part of an exceptional student’s team if and when they are given the

opportunity.

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Works Cited

Berns, Roberta. Child, Family, School, Community: Socialization and Support. 8th ed.

Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning, 2010. Print.

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EDUC 204 Families, Communities, and Culture
Diversity Statement of Informed Beliefs Scoring Rubric
Name: ___Kristi Young_____________

Course: EDUC 204 Section: __C02W___ Year: __spring 2011_
Instructor: _Dr. Egbert___________

ICTS 3: The teacher understands how students differ in their approaches to learning
and creates instructional opportunities that are adapted to students with diverse needs.
Indicators Score Indicator Not Indicator Indicator At
Met Acceptable Target
(0 Points) (2 Points) (4 Points)
Acknowledges his or Displays no Displays adequate The acknowledgement
her responsibility to evidence of understanding of of his or her
ensure that all students acknowledging a the teachers’ responsibility to ensure
learn. responsibility for all responsibility for that all students learn
students’ learning. ensuring that all is fully and clearly
students learn. addressed and
supported by
convincing evidence.
Recognizes that teacher Displays no Recognition that Displays recognition
expectations influence evidence of teacher expectation that teacher
student learning. understanding that influence student expectations influence
teacher expectation learning is student learning fully
influence student adequately and clearly and is
learning. addressed. supported by
convincing evidence.
Understands the Displays no Displays adequate Displays clear and
importance of using evidence of evidence of compelling evidence of
information about understanding the understanding the understanding the
students’ families, importance of using importance of using importance of using
cultures, and information about information about information about
communities as a basis students’ families, student’s families, students’ families,
for connecting cultures, and cultures, and cultures, and
instruction. communities as a communities as a communities as a basis
basis for connecting basis for connecting for connecting
instruction. instruction. instruction.
Recognizes the Displays no Displays adequate Displays clear and
importance of evidence of evidence of convincing evidence of
students’ experiences recognizing the recognizing the recognizing the
to foster diversity. importance of using importance of using importance of using
students’ students’ students’ experiences
experiences in experiences in in teaching and
teaching and teaching and learning.
learning. learning.
Acknowledges Displays no Displays adequate Displays thorough and
adjustment in planning, evidence of evidence of compelling evidence of
delivery, and acknowledging understanding the all three: planning,
assessment. planning, delivery, importance of using delivery, and
and assessment. effective planning, assessment.
delivery, and

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assessment.
Throughout the essay Displays no Displays adequate Displays compelling
student explains and examples to examples of how examples, which
gives examples of how illustrate the teacher can thorough explain ideas
to ensure that all information influence learning. mentioned within the
students can learn. mentioned. essay.

Points for /24 0 –16 17 – 22 21 – 24
Grading
Rating of Standard Not Standard Standard At Target
Standard /2 Met Acceptable 2
ICTS 3 0 1

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ICTS 9: The teacher uses alternative theoretical perspectives and research to guide
instructional decision-making and reflection on practice.
Indicators Score Indicator Not Met Indicator Indicator at
(0 Points) Acceptable Target
(2 Point) (4 Points)
Integrates learning Does not interpret Displays evidence of Interprets and
theories presented in textbook information textbook thoroughly
class discussion and and class discussion, information, class describes textbook
readings and and/or apply theories discussion, and information, class
incorporates student of human human development discussion, and
development and development. using 15 terms and human development
learning abilities. two theorists, which through the
are bold and integration of two
underlined. theoretical
perspectives.
Total /4 0-2 3 4
Rating of /2 Standard Not Met Standard Standard at Target
Standard 0 Acceptable 2
ICTS 9 1

ICTS 6: The teacher uses a variety of communication techniques to foster inquiry, collaboration, and
supportive interaction in and beyond the classroom.
Indicators Score Indicator Not Met Indicator Indicator at Target
0 points Acceptable (4 points)
(2 points)
Writes effectively in Writing is unclear Writing is generally Writing is especially
communicating ideas and difficult to clear and clear and
understand. understandable. understandable; ideas
are presented in a
convincing manner,
using cover sheet,
introduction, and
conclusion.
Writes with clarity Writing contains Writing has a few Writing has no errors
many grammar, grammar, in grammar,
punctuation, word punctuation, word punctuation, word
usage, and/or usage, or spelling usage, and/or spelling
spelling errors. errors. errors.
Follows designated Student does not use Generally follows Completely follows
format designated format. designated APA designated format
format using including proper title
subtitles, and subtitles
indentations, and
proper spacing
References and Does not have a Student uses Citation(s) and
citations proper citation quotation and/or Reference(s) are in
and/or reference summarizes APA format with no
page another’s ideas with errors within paper or
few errors. on Reference page.
TOTAL /16 0-10 11-14 15-16
Rating of Standard Not Standard Standard at
Standard Met Acceptable Target

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ICTS 6 0 1 2
Diversity Statement of Informed Not Met Acceptable At Target
Beliefs Essays
Score 0-30 31-39 40-44

Total Points for Grading: /44

ICTS 3 Standard Rating: /2



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