Ensuring that print materials reflect a spirit of cultural plurality is important to supporting learning in diverse classrooms.
Using Dictionaries and Other Aids
Electronic dictionaries are a great multimedia support for children with writing challenges. They come in multiple formats, and students can experiment with different versions until they find one that fits their needs. Electronic dictionaries are easier for most students to use than the traditional print version. For diverse students, electronic dictionaries provide helpful features such as auditory assistance for pronunciation or verifying words that students are seeking.
Electronic dictionaries come in formats that are appropriate for young children and mature learners. Many talking dictionaries for young children are illustrated and give them additional learning support3.
Embedding Content-Rich Experiences into the Classroom
Virtual field trips and tours are great opportunities for students to have content-rich experiences.
Skype and iChat are software applications that allow you to explore virtual opportunities such as bringing guest speakers to classes. These programs open up endless opportunities for students to communicate with experts or children from many countries and cultures. You can link to these services from anywhere in the world. For example, by using virtual docent programs, you can pre-arrange a meeting and connect to wonderful tours, lectures, and question-and-answer sessions. These content-rich experiences give students engaging and valuable opportunities for learning. Let's take a look at how Mr. Hogan uses content-rich experiences in his classroom.
Mr. Hogan is a 5th grade teacher at a school in a low socioeconomic neighborhood. Eighty five percent of the students in the school qualify for free or reduced-priced lunches. Ninety percent of his students are minorities and three students are ELLs. Mr. Hogan is certified in elementary and special education and 45 percent of his students have disabilities, the maximum allowed within education laws and mandates. Mr. Hogan is proud of his students. They have worked well in collaborative learning groups throughout the year with great success.
At the end of the year, Mr. Hogan and his class are completing a unit on ecology in jungle environments, and he decides to schedule a trip for his students to visit the local museum of natural history and meet with the educational team and docent. He is aware that most of his students have never visited the museum due to financial and transportation barriers. Mr. Hogan believes that this trip will be beneficial to his students' life experiences. Unfortunately, the trip was denied due to the school's limited funding.
Mr. Hogan decides to explore the possibility of a virtual field trip. He has heard other teachers talking about these types of trips, and he wonders how it will work in his very diverse classroom. When he contacts the museum, they inform him that they would be glad to help with this project. They tell him that the museum has a Web site with a virtual tour as well as a listing of museums around the country that have virtual habitat exhibits. Mr. Hogan is delighted and proceeds with planning.
The class is divided into five collaborative learning teams for this project. Each collaborative group is a heterogeneous mix of students that is representative of Mr. Hogan's class. Each student is assigned a lead role within his or her group. Each group will make a 10-minute presentation about life in a jungle habitat that includes related study and support materials to be shared with the class. Each group has a film director, a recorder, a wiki director, a spokesperson, and a trip coordinator. Based on each member's strengths and challenges, the following roles are developed, negotiated, and agreed upon:
The film director is responsible for capturing images for the group presentation. Videos can be downloaded from YouTube, TeacherTube, Google and still images can be downloaded from a museum's or zoo's Web site. The director will load these videos and images to the wiki for review. After all group members give feedback on their preferences, the film director edits the media resources on the wiki. This role would be a good choice for a child with disabilities because these students typically thrive in a technological environment.
The recorder is in charge of recording the dialogue that will be used to narrate the presentation and compiling all contributed material. The recorder will create a wiki page that lists all the contributions that are expected from all group members. This role is a great role for a student with strong writing skills.
The wiki director will develop the group's Web presence. This responsibility includes creating an engaging appearance and working closely with the recorder to include accurate information. The recorder will provide most of the written work to support the wiki director. This would be another good role for a child with a disability.
The spokesperson will be the primary presenter for the group. This role includes making arrangements with Mr. Hogan for the group's interaction with the museum personnel, gathering questions from each group member, recording and archiving audio files of the conferences and the group's presentation, and posting files to the wiki in collaboration with the wiki director.
The trip coordinator works closely with Mr. Hogan to ensure that the group is tuned in when they need to be. This person is responsible for posting directions on the wiki for all needed resources. The trip coordinator will also coordinate with the ESL teacher to make sure that all information is presented in other languages as necessary. This role will require organizational skills and can be filled by an ELL student.
With technology, there is a place and role for everyone!
Using Auditory Materials in the Classroom
Auditory materials come in an increasing number of formats and can be classified in multiple ways. MP3 players are very popular, pocket-sized devices that play music and other types of audio recordings. Students can use them to play podcasts such as archived recordings from their classes or information transferred from other sites. MP3 players provide flexible access and give students the ability to repeat recordings for clarification and additional information. Many electronic books are available as free downloads in MP3 formats for pleasure or extended learning opportunities.
