APPRECIATING DIVERSITY
Wylie G. Burgan, AP – Supervision - Humanities Department
High School for Math, Science, & Engineering @ CCNY
wburgan@hsmse.org
www.hsmse.org
Diversity
Defined
- the multiplicity of characteristics that make one individual or group
distinct from others.
- background influences individual style but people of similar background
are not all the same;
however,
individuals
with common
characteristics may share interests as they apply to a common
perspective.
- Four Layers of Diversity
 individual personality
 internal dimensions - race, age, gender, sexual orientation, ability, ethnicity.
 external dimensions - geographic location, income, habits, religion, education,
work experience, appearance, parental and/or marital status.
 organizational dimensions - classification, work content, division, department,
unit, group, seniority, work location, union affiliation, management status.
Traditional Practices
Diversified Practices
standardization
irrelevance
domination/ isolation
separation/exclusion
bias/prejudice/ethnocentrism
lowers self-worth, esteem, awareness
antidialogical
rote
social acquiescence
assimilation
promotes stereotypes
promotes conflict
variety
relevance
cooperation
collaboration/inclusion
cultural relativism
raises self-worth, esteem, awareness
cross-cultural communication
encourages critical thinking
social action
mutual respect/shared values
rejects stereotypes
promotes harmony
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APPRECIATING DIVERSITY
Wylie G. Burgan, AP – Supervision - Humanities Department
High School for Math, Science, & Engineering @ CCNY
wburgan@hsmse.org
www.hsmse.org
Needs Assessment Checklist:
In the classroom, do you ......
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
(8)
(9)
(10)
encourage variety?
encourage multiple perspective analysis?
encourage all to participate?
raise everyone's self-worth, esteem, and awareness?
promote development of critical thinking and
social action skills?
promote mutual respect for differences?
identify and promote shared values?
reject all stereotypes?
promote cross-cultural communication and
interaction?
promote equity instead of equality?
Hierarchy of Interpersonal/Intergroup Behaviors:
Is your pedagogy reactive or proactive?
Reactive
Proactive
(1) Prejudice
(2) Understanding
(3) Tolerance
(4) Acceptance
(5) Appreciation
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APPRECIATING DIVERSITY
Wylie G. Burgan, AP – Supervision - Humanities Department
High School for Math, Science, & Engineering @ CCNY
wburgan@hsmse.org
www.hsmse.org
Goals and Objectives for Diversity Program Participants:
Goal 1
Appreciation
Goal 2
Inclusion
Goal 3
Equity
Goal 4
Empowerment
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Everyone reaches his/her
highest level of intellectual
functioning and fullest
potential for social and
cultural
competence
through development and
promotion of inter-group
and inter-personal interaction skills and activities.
Create a comfortable, nonthreatening
environment,
wherein every member of
the community shares ideas
and great benefits of Diversity Education Reform as
they mutually practice and
promote it.
Development of various
techniques to meet the
needs of diverse populations
and promotion of equitable
opportunities for all individuals and groups to achieve
their highest potential.
Analysis of effects of all
forms of discrimination in
all programs. Recognition
of human and civil rights
violations within the local
and global communities.
Promotion of the sense of a
collective as well as
individual responsibility to
protect and preserve the
natural and social environments.
APPRECIATING DIVERSITY
Wylie G. Burgan, AP – Supervision - Humanities Department
High School for Math, Science, & Engineering @ CCNY
wburgan@hsmse.org
www.hsmse.org
Implementation
Things to Remember:
(1)
Appreciation for difference enhances academic success.
(2)
Develop clear goals that are amenable to all and promote a
shared vision and shared values
(3)
Every individual has a unique perspective to contribute.
(4)
All participants share responsibilities to insure success,
productivity, and achievement.
(5)
Cultural differences influence values, perspectives, individual
behaviors as well as interpersonal and inter-group
relationships; wherein false assumptions create barriers
between individuals and groups. So, identify those values,
perspectives, and behaviors that promote harmony as well as
those that cause conflict.
(6)
Increased knowledge visa vie multiple perspectives requires
that all participants teach as well as learn.
(7)
Insure that all processes, criteria, goals, statements, activities,
and methodologies remain in alignment with overall mission -appreciation, inclusion, equity, and empowerment.
(8)
Reach for the highest level of socio-cultural interaction.
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APPRECIATING DIVERSITY
Wylie G. Burgan, AP – Supervision - Humanities Department
High School for Math, Science, & Engineering @ CCNY
wburgan@hsmse.org
www.hsmse.org
Hierarchy of
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4
Activities:
Contributions
Traditional values, beliefs,
programs, activities, structures, themes, and perspectives remain in tact with
focus on only the lowest
levels of culture such as
heroes, holidays, celebrations, and other simple
cultural elements.
Tokenism
Traditional values, beliefs,
programs, activities, structures, themes, and perspectives remain in tact but
culturally specific representations are made.
Multiple
Perspective
Analysis
Participants gain knowledge
of others' values, perspectives,
and
experiences
through
direct,
crosscultural communication and
inter-action.
Social Action
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Participants analyze important social issues and adjust
their behavior to reduce
cross-cultural conflicts.
APPRECIATING DIVERSITY
Wylie G. Burgan, AP – Supervision - Humanities Department
High School for Math, Science, & Engineering @ CCNY
wburgan@hsmse.org
www.hsmse.org
General
Practices:
(1) Share responsibilities.
(2) Promote mutual cooperation.
(3) Include everyone's ideas and suggestions and
attribute ideas to originators.
(4) Utilize all available positive methods of
communication.
(5) Use "we" not "them", wherever possible.
(6) Request and honor individual preferences,
wherever possible.
(7) Request individuals to describe his/her duties,
responsibilities, and priorities often.
(8) Request and honor others’ identifications of how
to have greater impacts.
(9) Do more active listening than talking - listen
without interrupting.
(10) Use compassionate language.
(11) Encourage
cross-cultural
interaction
and
communication.
(12) Encourage multiple perspective analysis.
(13) Model appropriate behaviors and admonish
inappropriate conduct.
(14) Act consistently in similar situations.
(15) Maintain appropriate eye contact.
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APPRECIATING DIVERSITY
Wylie G. Burgan, AP – Supervision - Humanities Department
High School for Math, Science, & Engineering @ CCNY
wburgan@hsmse.org
www.hsmse.org
Classroom
Considerations
(1) Recognize each student as a unique individual and the
complexities of diversity. Encourage acceptance of multiple
perspectives. Be sure to value all contributions. Consider
students’ needs, when assigning evening, weekend, and
vacation work.
(2) Avoid singling-out students as spokespersons.
(3) Learn about your students’ backgrounds, interests, and
learning styles. Permit students time to learn about each
other.
(4) Do not assume that all students will recognize the same
literary or cultural references familiar to you.
(5) Get a sense of how students feel about the cultural climate in
your classroom. Convey the same level of respect and
confidence in the abilities of and equal opportunities to all
students.
(6) Do not try to “protect” any group of students. Be evenhanded in how you acknowledge students’ good work and
chastise students’ misbehaviors.
(7) Never tolerate bullying, teasing, put-downs, or stereotypes.
Recognize stereotypes you have absorbed. Select texts and
readings whose language is gender-neutral and free of
stereotypes.
(8) Rectify any language patterns that may exclude or demean
groups. Be sensitive with your terminology.
(9) Balance practical problem-solving methods with fact-based
knowledge construction.
(10) Applaud creative solutions, even incorrect ones.
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APPRECIATING DIVERSITY
Wylie G. Burgan, AP – Supervision - Humanities Department
High School for Math, Science, & Engineering @ CCNY
wburgan@hsmse.org
www.hsmse.org
Instructional Practices
Include student experiences to validate every student, afford all the
opportunity to participate as well as internalize knowledge
construction, and encourage increased future participation.
 include the word “you” or “your” in the motivation question to relate
lesson content to the students’ personal experiences.
 place student responses to the “Do Now” on the blackboard to focus
and encourage student discussion.
 be sure to include all responses on the board to value all
contributions.
 have students write their names along side any board work that they
do.
 recognize each student as a unique individual.
 recognize the complexities of diversity.
 consider students’ needs, when assigning evening, weekend, and
vacation work.
 learn about your students’ backgrounds, interests, and learning styles.
 permit students time to learn about each other.
 do not assume that all students will recognize the same literary or
cultural references familiar to you.
 get a sense of how students feel about the cultural climate in your
classroom.
 never tolerate bullying, teasing, put-downs, or stereotypes.
 recognize stereotypes that you have absorbed.
 select texts and readings, whose language is gender-neutral and free
of stereotypes.
 convey the same level of respect and confidence in the abilities of and
equal opportunities to all students.
 rectify any language patterns that may exclude or demean groups.
 be sensitive with your terminology.
 differentiate instruction.
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APPRECIATING DIVERSITY
Wylie G. Burgan, AP – Supervision - Humanities Department
High School for Math, Science, & Engineering @ CCNY
wburgan@hsmse.org
www.hsmse.org
Recognize multiple and non-volunteers by name to increase student
desire to participate in class discussion, pay closer attention to the
lesson, and improve your rapport with them.
 direct students to move forward to fill empty desks and/or seat
students in a learning circle. Be sure everyone is in the circle – allow
no outsiders.
 direct students to look at and address one another not only the
instructor, especially when responding to a peer’s comments.
 ask if students agree or disagree with peers’ comments/perspective.
 encourage non-participants to contribute by asking for “student who
has not had a chance to participate.”
 establish the standing rule that no one speaks twice before someone
who has not yet spoken.
 encourage acceptance of multiple perspectives.
 avoid singling-out students as spokespersons.
 do not try to “protect” any group of students.
 be even-handed in how you acknowledge students’ good work and
chastise students’ misbehaviors.
 use wait time.
 shuffle index cards to call upon students to participate but remember
to pose question before calling upon the non-volunteer, which will
force all students to listen carefully not just the student whom you
call.
Re-Direct Student Posed Questions to class to increase overall student
participation as well as encourage students to pay attention to each
other and the lesson.
 respond to a student’s question with “Can anyone answer that question?”
 when a student responds incorrectly to a question that you pose, call upon
other students to ask, “Do you agree with your classmate’s response?
Why/Why not?” With this method, you will empower students to correct
each other.
 applaud creative solutions, even incorrect ones.
 balance practical problem-solving methods with fact-based knowledge
construction.
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APPRECIATING DIVERSITY
Wylie G. Burgan, AP – Supervision - Humanities Department
High School for Math, Science, & Engineering @ CCNY
wburgan@hsmse.org
www.hsmse.org
Use Peer Facilitators to increase overall student participation,
encourage students to pay attention to one another and the lesson
development as well as develop both cognitive as well as affective skills.
 appoint students to recognize multiple other students to participate in
the lesson.
 engage students in peer review for constructive analysis of each
others’ work but do not include your comments prior to the peer
review, which may cause students to hesitate to criticize a peer in
contradiction to your comments or cause students simply to endorse
your comments. Without your initial input, you will force the
students to originate thoughts, comments, and constructive praise and
criticisms on their own.
Classroom
Activities Resources
Circles of My Multicultural Self
http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/activityarch.html
Purpose: The Circles activity engages participants in a
process of identifying what they consider to be the most
important dimensions of their own identities. Stereotypes
are examined as participants share stories about when they
were proud to be part of a particular group and when it was
especially hurtful to be associated with a particular group.
Cultural B-I-N-G-O
http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/activityarch.html
Purpose:
The Cultural B-I-N-G-O activity engages
participants in a process of identifying distinguishing
cultural characteristics about their fellow classmates.
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APPRECIATING DIVERSITY
Wylie G. Burgan, AP – Supervision - Humanities Department
High School for Math, Science, & Engineering @ CCNY
wburgan@hsmse.org
www.hsmse.org
Knowing the Community: Sharing Activity
http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/activityarch.html
Purpose: Participants will learn the names of each person
in the class, group, or community as well as
something about each person's background. Participants
will have a
greater understanding and appreciation for the diversity
within the group, while realizing that they have
things
in common with some of the people from whom they might
have felt most distant.
Sharing Stories: Prejudice Activity
http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/activityarch.html
Purpose: The Sharing Activity helps individuals explore
how they first became conscious of prejudice and
discrimination and the feelings associated with this
consciousness. Also, is makes participants aware that
everyone has experienced prejudice and discrimination and
that it comes in a variety of forms (not just racial). Lastly,
it helps participants understand the different between
individual experiences of bias and systemic oppression.
Diversity Activities for Youth and Adults
http://www.extension.org/sites/default/files/w/5/53/Diversi
ty_Activities_for_Adults_and_Youths.pdf
More Diversity Activities for Youth and Adults
http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/freepubs/pdfs/ui378.pdf
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APPRECIATING DIVERSITY
Wylie G. Burgan, AP – Supervision - Humanities Department
High School for Math, Science, & Engineering @ CCNY
wburgan@hsmse.org
www.hsmse.org
Recommended Texts:
James A. Banks
An Introduction to Multicultural Education
M. Lee Manning and Leroy Baruth
Multicultural Education of Children and Adolescents
(5th Edition)
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