Meeting Diverse Needs of Learners Through Learner-Centered Strategies and Equitable Access

Equitable access is about addressing social and economic imbalances when developing policy and rolling out ICTs (information and communication technologies), so that people from diverse backgrounds have more or less similar opportunities when it comes to accessing and using technology (Association for Progressive Communications). Each student is different and unique from the other and so we need to meet their cultural and background needs whatever they may be. Providing any accommodations for students that can help benefit them makes it easier for them to work in a universally-designed classroom. These accommodations can be provided based on a physical, mental, or learning disability or even by where they come from. Making sure that all students have the right amount of access to materials that are used in class is essential. 

Student-centered instruction [SCI] is an instructional approach in which students influence the content, activities, materials, and pace of learning. This learning model places the student (learner) in the center of the learning process (Texas A&M University). In this style of learning, the teacher guides the students into their own path of knowledge. The instructor provides the materials to the students but the students control what is done in the classroom. It has been studied numerous times that children learn most effectively through discovery. If a teacher merely tells them the answer, it's unlikely that it will stick for very long if at all. Giving students the proper tools is the best way to guide them into the discovery of their own knowledge.

Global Awareness and Digital-Age Communication

Global awareness in education is defined as teaching all of the content areas in a way that pertains to the interconnected world. Global awareness enhances students' abilities to work collaboratively with persons of diverse backgrounds, to understand and seek solutions to global issues, and to acquire 21st century skills, such as learning non-English languages (Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2004), all of which are vital to participation in society and the future workforce. The world is constantly changing and the backgrounds of populations are becoming more and more diverse over the years. It's important to teach children about all of the differences of people and how we connect over technology and socially as a whole. Integrating the social aspects of subjects with various cultures will help students to understand the world and its inner workings.

Ways of communicating with each other have expanded immensely in the 21st century. The methods include e-mail, texting, and instant messaging. It's great to be able to contact anyone anywhere at anytime by talking, messaging, or even sharing pictures and/or information with whoever you choose. The problems arise with so many options, though, because some people may not understand the responsibility that goes along with such opportunity. It is vital that we teach our students what is okay to share and what isn't in order to keep them safe from harm. Sharing information with someone that isn't trustworthy can have dire consequences since it can be forwarded all around the world. In cautious format, it is a very useful tool to have access to.