Week 3 Assignment - Create a Training PresentationSelect one of the following articles: Read the attached article As you read, imagine you are asked by the Principal to serve as a champion for issues

Diversity and Inclusion at School

Diversity and Inclusion at School

Diversity and inclusion are essential elements to schooling, as we need to respect students and staff regardless of race, gender, or sexual preference. We should always be mindful of how we may better include those who suffer discrimination in society and large and adopt policies that encourage integration. These policies are paramount to the school’s success as an open, accepting, and tolerant place that engages with people of all backgrounds.

Diversity and inclusion mean we should make resources accessible to all students, including those who cannot attend school. It is why we need a policy on making resources available to students to self-access so that if they do need to take time off school, they do not miss out on learning (Jerrems & Asami, 2019). Additionally, some students may not have the same ability to utilize resources in general, and we should ensure that all students, regardless of their background, have the same access to resources.

We need to be mindful of the messages our textbooks give to children and staff. Over time, many of the images we see in textbooks changed to reflect better our student body and society as a whole (Romney, 2019). We should always be careful not to teach using outdated textbooks containing offensive imagery due to the changing culture. If we need to, we should change the textbooks to incorporate more inclusive to all students. Textbooks that show the school's current makeup will be more successful in teaching to students of every background.

Psychology forms an essential part of diversity and inclusion, and we should focus on having a school psychologist to help students struggling with mental health issues (Bartolo, 2010). As we better understand the damaging impact of these health issues, we should put more resources into giving the care necessary to students. We should not discriminate against those who have these issues and support them as much as we can with psychological assistance.

References

Bartolo, P. A. (2010). Why school psychology for diversity? School Psychology International, 31(6), 567–580. https://doi.org/10.1177/0143034310386532

Jerrems, M., & Asami, L. S. (2019). Diversity and motivation in a small school: Positioning Self-Access learning. JALT2018—Diversity and Inclusion, 2018(1), 67. https://doi.org/10.37546/jaltpcp2018-09

Romney, C. (2019). Changes in diversity and inclusion in textbook images over time. JALT2018—Diversity and Inclusion, 2018(1), 189. https://doi.org/10.37546/jaltpcp2018-26