This course is designed to acquaint pre-service teachers with diversity issues in today’s classrooms. In addition to investigating the needs of students with disabilities and health issues, the roles such factors as race, class, gender, language proficiency, and cultural background play in the educational process will be explored. Methods of instruction and evaluation designed to meet the needs of a diverse student population will be addressed. The main goal of the course is to help future teachers discover their own attitudes and values as they pertain to diversity and develop the knowledge and skills that will enable them to create inclusive classroom environments and to provide equal educational opportunities for all students. This course involves a 15-hour experiential learning experience.
