Teaching for Inclusion: Participation and Engagement for All Students

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Teaching for Inclusion Participation and
Engagement for All Students

• A.T. Miller, Ph.D.
• Coordinator of Multicultural Teaching and
  Learning
• University of Michigan

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Introductions

• Introduce yourself to the people around you with
  two pieces of information
• How are you a typical or expected faculty member
  or instructor in your field?
• In what way are you a surprising or
  unconventional faculty member or instructor in
  your field?

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Making Differences Important

• Address the stereotypes or standard expectations
  of your field/college
• Make variety and many contributions known and
  important
• Be sure to rotate roles among students and open
  procedures and participation

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What is the link between cultural diversity,
community, and academic improvement for all
students?
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Effective participation by members of all groups
in the civic life of our Nation is essential if
the dream of one Nation, indivisible, is to be
realized.All members of our heterogeneous
society must have confidence in the openness and
integrity of the educational institutions. --
U.S. Supreme Court, June 2003
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The Educational Benefits of Diversity
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Students who experienced the most racial and
ethnic diversity in classroom settings and in
informal interactions with peers showed the
greatest engagement in active thinking processes,
growth in intellectual engagement and motivation,
and growth in intellectual and academic skills.
--Michigan Student Study, Gurin, Gurin, Wade, et.
al.
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Classroom Guidelines
Make the rules clear, and agree how they apply to
all in the classroom, including you. Be aware
and intentional about the effects of your own
identity on students and the classroom atmosphere.
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Social Identity Profile

• Take time to fill in the way you would define
  your own group memberships under the various
  categories listed
• Check off those group memberships that are
  relevant under each heading
• Take time for a brief timed discussion according
  to directions

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Using Classroom Diversity to Enhance Learning

• Recognize variations among student preferences
  and strengths
• Help students understand and value the
  differences between each other
• Make sure that student assignments and
  participation are open to all equally
• Dont make spokespeople or examples of any
  particular students.

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Some Principles for Teaching Inclusively

• Use dynamics of group work
• Avoid gate keeping/tracking
• Concept-based AND problem-based
• Study groups outside of class
• Avoid under-teaching
• Relevant and varied modeling, topics, examples,
  and projects

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Dynamics of Group Work

• Teacher chooses groups and teams
• Change groups at least once
• Provide roles, structures, procedures
• Heterogeneous ability within groups
• Grade the group
• Varied learning styles
• http//www.ncsu.edu/felderpublic/ILSpage.html

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Avoid Gate Keeping

• Be the coach, not the judge
• Dont set up students in competition with each
  other (never grade on a curve, avoid winners
  and losers)
• Grade to clear standards and expectations
• Use exams as group goals

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Problem vs. Concept-based

• Balance these approaches
• Recognize the biases of the material and field
  you teach and compensate
• Allow for varied methods that achieve correct
  results
• Include plenty of examples and applications

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Study Groups

• Encourage students to work together outside of
  class in regular study groups
• Provide structure, roles, and guidance to such
  groups
• Assign and change groups at least once a semester

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Under-teaching

• Monitor your own behavior, or ask a colleague to
  observe you
• Be sure to rotate classroom roles and
  expectations in a regular pattern throughout all
  students
• Be aware of those students you identify with and
  those who put you off

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Constant Relevant Variation

• Draw on variety of resources for problems,
  examples, procedures.
• Make room for student contributions, especially
  in areas unfamiliar to you
• Exchange ideas with colleagues of varied
  backgrounds
• Take students into the community

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General Climate

• Open and challenging atmosphere
• Use differences constructively
• Give students shared responsibility
• Encourage full participation
• Provide a variety of modalities
• Guide and support students to apply learning to
  their individual experiences
• Reframe to take heat off surprising or
  unpopular individual contributions

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Questions and Comments
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Contact Information
A.T. Miller Coordinator of Multicultural Teaching
and Learning University of Michigan 1327 Geddes
Avenue Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1632 atmiller_at_umi
ch.edu