Diversity Synthesized

Abstract: This article focuses on the importance of diversity, the need to teach tolerance for diversity, and the fact that as educators, we will face it everyday in the classroom; it expresses the theory that culture may influence a student’s learning style. The article expressed these ideas through research done to examine the similarities and differences between cultures and learning styles. The research was done in three ways: through observation, data and discussion. This information was then simplified and presented to make educators aware of these findings and how this information impacts students in our classrooms. Some of the diversity issues and research are controversial, due to stereotyping or other “achievement differences” that have been presented in the past. There are several connections between culture and the way that a student learns, included how they were taught the basics by their parents, language, and their preferred method to learning something new. However, whether the culture and learning style connection theory is accepted or not, teachers from all backgrounds and cultures will have to work consistently to provide equal opportunities to learn for all students.
Reflection: One useful piece of this article was the reminder that it is important to understand our students and their learning styles if we want them to succeed in school and life; by getting to know our students and their learning styles, we understand that not everyone learns the same way, so it is our job as teachers to figure out how to help our students learn. The fact that most researchers believe that learning styles are a function of BOTH nature and nurture reminds us that steps to accommodate must be taken; as educators, if we do not take diversity and culture into mind, certain students outside of the dominant culture may be left behind, feel left out, and their grades will suffer because of it. It is the educator’s responsibility to take every student into account. However, we must be careful because the information could be useful in some cases, but it may allow stereotypes (even unnoticed ones) to enter the classroom.