Workshop4:BuildingFamilySchoolRelationshipsinDiverseCommunities

Lectures

Aspectsofdiversity:gender,race,ethnicity,socioeconomic,language,religion,customs,sexuality,

ability/disability.

White/male/wealthprivilege.Sociologicalcategoriesmediatedthroughrelationsofpower.

Genderandclasssociallyconstructedrolesi.e.constructedinequalitiesthatleadtoinequities.

Avoidessentialising(biasescausedbystereotypesinyourteaching).Treatallstudentsequallywith

thesameexpectations.Donotteachequitably:tailorteachingtoindividualneedsensuringthesame
opportunitiesforall.

Secondarystudentshardertobuildrelationswithduetotheiridentitydevelopmentstage.

Muststrivetobuildpositiverelationstoeffectimprovedlearningoutcomes,increasedretentionrates,

increasedsocialskills,enhancedwellbeingandreducedabsenteeism,abusivebehaviourandsubstance
abuse.

Needtoengage,collaborateandcommunicatewithparents,professionalteachingnetworksand

extracurricularcommunitygroups..
Readings

Teachersresponsibilitytoaccommodatediversestudentneedsandvaluetheirabilities.

Differentiatedinstruction,individuallearningplans.

Learningpreferences:psychological,physiological,sociological,emotional,environmental.

Multipleintelligences:verballinguistic,logicalmathematical,spatial,bodilykinaesthetic,musical,

interpersonal,naturalistic,intrapersonal.

Workshop

TEDChimamandaNgoziAdichie
,tropesofdesignatedgroupsofpeoplethatperpetuatestereotypes

andshallowinterpretationsoftheircommunities.Thesingleperspectivestoryofotherculturesiscommonin
Westernliterature,mediaandhistory:itignoresthemultidimensionaldepthinherenttoallcultures.

Buildrelationswithstudentsandfamiliestoensureyoudonotasateacherfallvictimtothesingle

perspectivestory.Beinclusiveandpracticeempathy.

Reflections&StudyQuestions
Thelecturesandworkshopremindedusofthewealthy,white,maleprivilegethatexistsinoursociety
andtobeawarethatallstudentsandtheirfamiliesshouldbetreatedwithequalityi.e.their
race/ethnicity,gender,religion,ability,sexuality,socialclassetcshouldnotbeusedasabasisfor
discrimination.Howeverbecauseoftheprivilegethatexistsinoursocietystudentsneedtobetaught
equitablytoensurethesameopportunitiesarereceivedbyall.
TheworkshopfeaturedanexcellentTEDtalkfrom
ChimamandaNgoziAdichie
wheresheexplained
thenarrowandshallowviewpresentedofotherculturesinWesternliteratureandmediareinforces
culturalstereotypesandprejudice,anddevaluesotherculturescontributiontohumanculturewhilst
celebratingadiverse,deepWesterncultureandoveremphasisingitscontributiontohumanculture.As
arecentAsianStudiesstudent,Iamawareofthehistoricallynarrow,colonialandWesternperspective
ofOrientalismwhilstfortunateenoughtostudyAsianhistory,cultureandpoliticsfrombothAsianand
Westernscholars.Asafeminist,Iamawareoftheincreasingrecognitionoftheoverrepresentationof
whitemaleauthorsinthefieldsofhistoryandliterature.Whenpresentingmedia,readingsand
perspectivestostudents,teachersmustconsiderifadiversityofperspectiveshasbeenpresentedto
students.Toconnectthistothemotivationinlearning,Iwouldsuggestthatadiversityofperspectives
wouldbeengagingto
all
studentsandmaybemorerelevantorhavegreatervalueifstudentscan
identifywithaparticularperspective.
TheClarke&Pittawayreadinginformedmethatlearningstylesandintelligencetypesareaformof
diversityteachersshouldcaterforintheirlearningactivities(p248249).Learningstylescanvaryin
environmental,emotional,sociological,physiologicalandpsychologicalways(Ibid).Intelligenceswere
definedasverballinguistic,logicalmathematical,spatial,bodilykinaesthetic,musical,interpersonal,
naturalisticandintrapersonal(Ibid).Teachersshouldplanlessonsandactivitiesutilisingarangeof
methodssuitedtothesedifferentlearningstylesandintelligences.Differentiatedclassroomscaterto
thedifferentlearningstylesandintelligencesofdifferentstudentsthroughindividualisedlearningplans
withexplicitobjectives(p251252),thismethodandtherecognitionofdiverselearningstylesand
intelligenceisofparticularinteresttomealthoughIrealiseitwouldbechallengingtoimplementina
traditionalschoolthatmaylackappropriateresourcesneverthelessIwillendeavourtoconsidera
varietyoflearningactivitiesinlessonplanning.