Culturally Responsive Directors Course

*Last day to register: Fri Feb 4, 2022 4:00PM.*

Registration Info:

This self paced is available for PQAS and Act 48 professional development hours.

If you only need 30 hours of PQAS credit: select the $25 ticket and submit your PA Keys Registry ID #.

If you also need 30 hours of Act 48 credit: select the $35 ticket and also submit your PPDI # (this option will give you both PQAS and Act 48 credits.)

Course Overview:

This self paced course begins February 7 2022 with online modules that open weekly for 10 weeks. There are no regularly scheduled meetings for this course. However, the instructor, Dr. Laura McLaughlin, is available to answer questions and provide one-on-one assistance as is needed.

Course Description:

One of the greatest professional challenges facing educators today is teaching diversity. Diversity is not new to the United States of America; however, our commitment to respond to increasing diversity with a proactive response must be a priority as we help all students succeed, both academically and socially. The question: What does teaching to diversity really mean? American society is diverse in race, ethnicity, religion, social class, culture, and exceptionality. Thus, promoting diversity in the classroom is no easy task; diversity is an idea that is filled with difficulties and complexities. These difficulties that confront educators as they strive to teach to diversity must be overcome with an understanding about the diverse peoples and lifestyles, which embraces diversity in the classroom. Consequently, teaching to diversity needs to be more than just awareness; teaching to diversity must be handled with care, sensitivity, and knowledge within the educational arena.

This course will include an assortment of topics that reflects cultural diversity in education, including an historical overview of programs for students from linguistically and culturally diverse backgrounds, contemporary multicultural and bilingual education, and education for social justice and equity. This course, through the use of varied literature, relating to issues of diversity will focus on strategies that will ensure all students are achieving their fullest potential. Gaining insights into the interconnection between the diversity of students and process of teaching will be critical to your continued success as a teacher in the contemporary classroom.