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 Flaws of Diversity Education 
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Being an Education major as well as a Teaching Fellow has meant that since the beginning of my college career, Diversity Training and Education has been a constant thing. I have gone to countless seminars on Diversity, spent three full days at a Diversity Conference and have taken several classes focused on Diversity. I definitely believe that there is a need for Diversity Education, it is very important to be knowledgeable about all of the students you may one day have and all of their backgrounds.

I do have several issues with some of the Diversity Training I've encountered. First off, the majority of the Diversity education I've recieved has been geared towards race. I understand that it is so important to realize racism still exists today and that we as educators have the power to help combat this. But is coming up with as many stereotypes for people of a particular race really a reasonable way to combat racism? Not to mention, those racial stereotypes often turn into racial slurrs.... and I don't think there is any reason to share with eachother a new name to call the hispanic child in your classroom.

Unfortunately, race is not the only type of Diversity there is. Financial backgrounds, Single-Parent homes, Divorcing families, Physical disabilities, Learning Disablities-- all of these are types of Diversity which will be affecting many of our students. How are we supposed to deal with a child who's parents are divorcing, or a child who doesn't have a mom or a dad? I've been told I will encounter this, but how do I really deal with it as a teacher? I don't know.

Everyone knows inclusion will bring more and more students with disabilities into the classroom. How am I supposed to modify my lessons to fit the needs of an autistic student? or a student with a learning disability? How am I supposed to allow this child to be fully integrated with the rest of my class when I have pretty much no education on Special Needs children?

If these are students we have been told over and over again that we are going to see in our classrooms then why are we not being taught what to do with them? I know as an Elementary Ed. major I have learned how to teach children to play with ribbon dancers, how to wash your hands while singing the birthday song, and how to play "Hot Cross Buns" on the recorder. As much as I enjoyed my instructors and as fun as it was to dance around a gym with other college students twirling ribbons in the air, I'm not sure how often I will be implementing these things into my classroom. Especially since most schools have PE/Health teachers and Music teachers for that very purpose.

There are some definite flaws in our curriculum and I think these things need to be addressed. I guess I don't really have a question here... pretty much just venting about my dislike for much of the Diversity Education I've recieved. I will say I have had many lessons and discussions which were helpful... just not enough. I feel like I am somewhat unprepared for many of these situations... especially in regards to Special Needs students... WHICH WE WILL HAVE!

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Chelsie Alfaro


Wed Apr 11, 2007 5:33 pm
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I agree whole-heartedly that the education curriculum is flawed and lacking in several areas. Until recently (the last couple of classes in the department) I thought I was going to go crazy if I heard another instructor tell me to be creative with lessons. Ok, I get it; I will try not to lecture. Meanwhile no one had told me anything about the actual day to day work that I could and should expect to do as a teacher. I guess there is the attitude that when we cross certain bridges we will learn by doing. But if that is the case then I really wonder where a lot of my time and money has gone in these past two years. I don’t understand why instructors refuse to tell us more about the actual job, and insist instead on trying to help us come up with endless cute and/or creative things to do. We either are or are not creative and innovative at this point in our lives. And if we’re not, it’s not like we haven’t thought about how useful such a skill would be. We need to be told more about specifics. Like how do we really include a student with special needs? Don’t ask us to think of nifty ways we think might work, tell us some ways that DO work. We promise, our brains won’t automatically shut down because you offer suggestions. We will still work toward finding other ways that our more our own, but we need some kind of starting point.

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Matthew Pickard


Wed Apr 11, 2007 9:53 pm
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