What does diversity mean to me?

Diversity is a broad term that encompasses a variety of meanings. I believe that diversity is important in many aspects of life, especially in education. One interpretation of diversity is ethnic. This involves the different cultures across the globe which are all unique and make the world a diverse place. Without diversity, our world would be a very boring place because everyone would be the same.

            Diversity can also be explained in the educational setting. It does not only include ones racial background and their heritage, but also includes ones learning style in the classroom. There are many different types of learners including visual, auditory, and bodily kinesthetic. Thus as a future physical educator it is important that I recognize all of the diverse styles of learning so I can reach out to my students and give them a worth-while experience in physical education. I think that this past semester working with the kindergartener through third graders at the Cortland Christian Academy showed me how diverse learning really is. It was easy to see that not all of the students learned the same way. I found out that visual aids are extremely important. Some students really liked the visual aids with cues on them, while others preferred to stand up and go through the steps of the skills as we were demonstrating. I think that a good physical educator is one that finds ways to reach out to all students.

            Physical activity and sports can be defined as the way a person expresses themselves physically and/or athletically. Artistic and performing arts are related to physical activity and sports because they are another way that one can express him/herself. One way that the arts are taught in physical education is through dance. There are many, many different forms of dance that range from the traditional folk dances from around the world to the use of exergaming technology for dance.

            Some teachers are fortunate enough to have exergames such as Dance Central, Just Dance and DDR in the schools they teach in. These games are an excellent way to work on fitness while having a blast at the same time. They are a great way to meet the needs of all diverse learners because the games include several different levels. Students get to decide individually how much they want to challenge themselves. I personally believe that students really take a lot out of their experience of using exergaming equipment. Every time that I have played wii dance or iDance I have such a great time and end up so sweaty without realizing how much physical activity I am actually doing. Thus I believe that using these different dance exergaming systems gives students an opportunity to express themselves artistically as well as get a great amount of MVPA in.