Diversity can be conceptualized in different ways depending on the context.

When it
comes to our classrooms, we conceptualize diversity as understanding each student brings unique
experiences, strengths, and ideas to our classroom. These differences can be along dimensions of race,
ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, socio-economic status, age, ability, religious or political beliefs, or
other different ideologies. Diversity is the exploration and incorporation of these differences to enrich
learning and in our classrooms.

why does diversity matter in my classroom?

Our students come to URI with a wide range of experiences and educational backgrounds. As educators,
we have a responsibility to ensure our students are prepared to work in a diverse environment and
collaborate with others who bring new perspectives. When we incorporate a variety of perspectives into
our own teaching and offer students new ways of looking at their discipline we prepare our students for
the diverse workforce. See How Diversity Makes us Smarter from the Scientific American for more
information.

how do i incorporate diversity into my classroom?

There are a variety of ways you can incorporate diversity into your classroom and it depends on the
goals you have for your students. This is not a one-step process, but, whether you are incorporating
diverse perspectives into your course content or teaching students about cultural differences, you want
to ensure your classroom is welcoming and you’ve created a respectful, safe environment. Our inclusive
classroom section offers some resources on where to start.

what is an inclusive classroom

In an inclusive classroom, instructors are aware of the diversity of students and work with students to
create a safe and collaborative learning environment. Instructors use multiple methods to deliver course
content and provide students with a variety of opportunities to share what they know. Inclusive
classrooms recognize students learn in different ways and have valuable perspectives to bring to the
content being learned.

Howard Gardner claims that all human beings have multiple intelligences. These multiple intelligences
can be nurtured and strengthened, or ignored and weakened. He believes each individual has nine
intelligences which are as follows:
Verbal-Linguistic Intelligence Multiple Intelligence

Mathematical-Logical Intelligence

Musical Intelligence

Visual-Spatial Intelligence

Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence

Interpersonal Intelligence

Intrapersonal Intelligence

Naturalist Intelligence

Existential Intelligence

I agree with his theory. At some parts of my life, I can prove that I possessed each of these intelligences
in varying degrees. As time goes by, few of these intelligences predominate while some fade in relation
with the confronting circumstances.

When I was in my elementary to secondary years, I did excel in mathematics. I always make sure I am
one of the best three to compete for different competitions. However, since I started my nursing years
(a course that many students claim of having no or less math), I began to strengthen my intrapersonal,
interpersonal, and verbal-linguistic intelligences since these are the skills I need to master to win the
course. Then entrance examination for graduate school came in. Most of the questions are
mathematical in nature including statistics, algebra and general mathematics. I really had a hard time
completing this portion of my test which is my comfort zone way back in high school. To cut it short, I
know my mathematical intelligence gradually fades as I wasn’t given “continuous” chance of practicing
this.

Gardner’s multiple intelligences theory challenged traditional beliefs in the fields of education and
cognitive science. According to a traditional definition, intelligence is a uniform cognitive capacity people
are born with. This capacity can be easily measured by short-answer tests. According to Howard
Gardner, intelligence is:

The ability to create an effective product or offer a service that is valued in a culture;

A set of skills that make it possible for a person to solve problems in life; and

The potential for finding or creating solutions for problems, which involves gathering new knowledge.
To relate on this thought, I have to say that many schools really shifted their practice of evaluating
intelligence from mere multiple-choice tests to deeper forms like essays and situational analysis.
Personally, I encountered a lot way back in college. It’s really different from the approach being used in
high school. Likewise, I believe that one’s intelligence is far beyond his result in an IQ test. It may be a
good indicator of your academic success, but many factors need to be considered to holistically
understand an individual’s capacity of learning. For instance, the situations surrounding him while taking
the IQ test may play a big role. I was given an opportunity to answer an IQ test (though NOT the
standard one). The result was good but I didn’t regard it to “label” my learning abilities.

Everyone learns differently, that’s nothing new. However, over the years the
different styles of learning have usually been cut down to visual, physical
(learn-by-doing), or audible. Truth is, we could probably dissect each of these
learning three styles down even further and arrive at a handful of sub-levels.

Learning is a complicated concept as everyone is unique in their own way,

and learns in their own way as well. That said, it is still very much possible to
classify a learning style into one of seven categories. Perhaps you fall into one
of the following:

1. Visual: These people prefer to use pictures, images, diagrams, colors, and mind
maps.
2. Physical: These are the “learn by doing” people that use their body to assist in
their learning. Drawing diagrams, using physical objects, or role playing are all
strategies of the Physical learner.
3. Aural: People who prefer using sound (obviously), rhythms, music, recordings,
clever rhymes, and so on.
4. Verbal: The verbal learner is someone who prefers using words, both in speech
and in writing to assist in their learning. They make the most of word based
techniques, scripting, and reading content aloud.
5. Logical: The people who prefer using logic, reasoning, and “systems” to
explain or understand concepts. They aim to understand the reasons behind the
learning, and have a good ability to understand the bigger picture.
6. Social: These people are the ones who enjoy learning in groups or with other
people, and aim to work with others as much as possible.
7. Solitary: The solitary learner prefers to learn alone and through self-study.
In reality, we all probably fall into each category, depending on the learning
that is taking place. Some topics lend themselves better to select styles, and a
combination of multiple styles helps to solidify the learning that takes place.
When possible, you should always strive to create learning that engages a
variety of these styles. Not only will it be helpful for the learner, but it also will
go a long way in learning retention.

Using an online learning approach that includes videos, reading, audio,

exercises, social forums, and the like is a great way to hit on multiple learning
styles. If you create learning for a living as an instructional designer or
teacher, then blending your learning approaches is an effective way to make
your learning stick.