In Embracing Diversity: Managing Diverse Schools and Classrooms, you will explore the importance of promoting diversity and tolerance at both the classroom and school level. You will learn about many of the challenges that diverse schools face. In addition, you will have the opportunity to study classroom activities, procedures, and schoolwide initiatives that focus on tolerance and diversity, including ways to involve parents of all types in the school community. Through video examples and in-depth readings, you’ll learn practical ways to manage diverse classrooms and schools for the benefit of all students.

Course Objectives

• Explore the challenges faced by schools and classrooms that are created by changing school demographics.
• Examine a demographic profile of a specific school, identifying current trends.
• Describe strategies that foster respect and appreciation of diversity in the classroom.
• Design activities that promote cultural respect and are appropriate for a specific teaching context.
• Explore the connection between student needs and academic achievement.
• Create a mechanism for assessing students’ diverse needs.
• Examine the value of building a collaborative classroom community in managing a diverse classroom.
• Select a grouping strategy for a specific teaching context.
• Create collaborative activities appropriate for a specific classroom situation.
• Explore the effects parent involvement in a diverse school can have on students’ academic achievement and on the school culture.
• Devise strategies for improving parent participation in a diverse school.
• Argue the importance of school staff modeling respect and collaboration.
• Plan steps necessary for creating a culture of collaboration and respect on the school level.

Syllabus

(ASCD PD Online course, 2011) Self-paced asynchronous online course. Upon completion, learners will be awarded an ASCD Certificate worth up to 20 Clock Hours.