Amber Genzink

Diversity Statement
During my program, I acquired a variety of knowledge, skills, and dispositions that equip me in
using technology to promote the diverse needs of all learners. I have gained a wealth of knowledge
about a variety of instructional technologies, and I have applied them to various learning experiences for
students K-12. During this program, I have also had the opportunity to integrate technology into
learning experiences with students, teachers, and parents from a variety of cultural and language
backgrounds, socioeconomic statuses, and learning styles. I have seen how the right technology,
integrated in a tailor-made way, can open doors to a diverse population of students that previously had
not known success in the classroom.
Two field experiences were especially helpful in gaining these skills, knowledge, and
dispositions. First, the Assistive Technology field experience challenged me to apply and synthesize the
knowledge and skills of meeting the needs of diverse learners. I met with a mother to examine her sons
Individual Education Plan (IEP) and choose some assistive technology (AT) to help her son meet his
goals. This required me to refine my listening skills as I actively listened to her greatest concerns to
determine which types of assistive technology would most benefit her child. I researched several
assistive technologies to broaden my knowledge of the AT available that would best fit her sons needs.
I then had the son try several of the ATs, and we selected a few iPad applications to assist him in
improving in the area of reading. I trained the son and mother, developed a detailed implementation
plan, and set dates for reevaluation. When the mother and I later discussed her sons progress, she was
thrilled at the progress her son was making with the help of the assistive technology. Through this
experience, my disposition that all children can learn when provided with a supportive learning
environment was strengthened.
The second experience which improved my knowledge, skills, and dispositions that equipped me
in using technology to promote the diverse needs of all learners was the writing and implementation of
the English Learner Lesson Plan. During this lesson, I worked with a small group of English Learners (ELs)
to master the reading standards related to text structure. I differentiated my lesson to best fit the
needs of my ELs through the use of instructional technology and modified assessments. Using
technology, I was able to incorporate many forms of visual and auditory support in the form of
instructional videos, images, and interactive games. I provided language support through sentence
frames and allowed the students to refer back to these support structures as they worked. This
experience strengthened my skills in differentiating instruction, skills in meeting the unique needs of
ELs, and my disposition that instruction should never be one size fits all. To meet the needs of the
diverse students in the classroom, the instruction should be tailored to their interests, cultural
backgrounds, language, prior knowledge, and experiences.

Activities demonstrating my ability to successfully address diversity issues in todays schools:
Determined goals, researched assistive technology, and trained a mother and son to use the
technology for my Assistive Technology Plan
Utilized variety of technologies to support English Language Learners (ELLs) during my ELL
Lesson Field Experience
Taught teachers how to more effectively use the ActivBoard to engage and differentiate for
various ability levels during my 1-Hour Technology Training
Presented technology tools to promote higher order thinking skills during a staff development
Promoted digital equity by providing additional time for students without home access to
technology access technology during the school day
Promoted cultural awareness through my Engaged Learning Heroes Project
Researched the characteristics which 5
th
grade boys find most motivating and engaging to better
meet their needs and improve instruction
Allowed students the option to work in pairs and groups for additional technology, language,
and content support
Provided students with multiple options for the Autobiography Webquest I created
Opened up the computer lab to the community during the summer