Inclusion and diversity are core values that have always been at the forefront of my thinking throughout my professional career, academic research, and community service. I have always believed in the role of education and technology in conveying these values, building inclusive societies that embrace all individuals, and empowering people with the skills to engage in intercultural dialogue. These objectives align with the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by the United Nations. According to UNESCO, technology has significant potential to support the inclusive education of minority groups (Hersh, 2020). My commitment to diversity and inclusion is demonstrated in my teaching philosophy, research interests, and community services.

I have always believed that teaching should engage with diversity to include all learners and seek equity, which is essential for preparing civically engaged adults who will play a vital role in creating an inclusive society that recognizes the contributions of all people. My teaching approach draws heavily on Banks' Multiculturalism's Five Dimensions: content integration, the knowledge construction process, prejudice reduction, equity pedagogy, and empowering school culture and social structure (Banks, 1995). By integrating multicultural content, I include topics and assign class readings from authors of diverse cultural backgrounds. This exposure to different perspectives encourages students to reflect critically, helping them question their preconceptions and potentially reduce unintentional biases and microaggressions, fostering an empowering school culture.

These dimensions are closely connected to my educational philosophy, combining Constructivism, Progressivism, and Humanism. I aim to provide students with a learning experience that acknowledges and embraces their differences through these three aspects. Constructivism offers teachers instructional approaches aligned with current research on learning at a pedagogical level. Students will celebrate their differences, whether related to their abilities, ethnocultural backgrounds, or gender and craft their understanding of reality through exploratory methods such as environmental interaction and reflection on actions. Constructivism, a learner-centered theory, promotes knowledge and learning through conflicts.

My commitment to Progressivism is realized through creating an experimental learning environment where students actively experiment with new instructional methods. Humanism, where learners have the freedom to choose and take responsibility for their learning, allows students to control their learning destiny (Cohen & Gelbrich, 1999). In my class, students will have autonomy and ownership, creating their own educational materials that reflect their personalities and selecting the materials they will work on for their final projects. This approach ensures that students are engaged and invested in their learning journey.

My research interests have always focused on using technology to build an inclusive society and support marginalized groups, as illustrated in Sylvia Duckworth's Wheel of Power. For example, my current research involves using immersive technology to improve faculty's intercultural competence. Additionally, I am working on using augmented reality (AR) books to address students' reading comprehension difficulties and exploring the experiences of international doctoral students' mothers during the pandemic. To reduce ableism and promote inclusion among deaf and hearing students (DHH), my previous research focused on developing and improving language acquisition for deaf and hard-of-hearing students through media accessibility. This method can be used to teach hearing students alongside DHH students.

During my professional and academic career, I have contributed to many community-based projects aimed at using technology for education, building knowledge and awareness for different individuals and communities, and increasing multicultural awareness in society. For example, I have been volunteering as a Diversity Peer Educator at the Center for Multicultural Student Leadership and Engagement at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Additionally, during my time in Qatar, I conducted a research project on teaching literacy to deaf and hard-of-hearing students through enriched subtitling. I also worked on creating inclusive cinema screenings at the Ajyal Festival Film, a film festival designed to empower young people in the Middle East region, where films were subtitled and audio-described for audiences with hearing and visual impairments. Furthermore, I collaborated with educational programs in several museums to provide visually impaired visitors with inclusive learning experiences, such as tactile sessions and audio descriptions of selected paintings. Additionally, I participated in a project to assess museums' accessibility, including access to print and digital materials like brochures, object labels, and films.

To conclude, I am proud that my commitment to diversity and inclusion has been an integral part of my life and consistently demonstrated throughout my teaching, research, and community service. I will continue using technology to create equal opportunities for all individuals.

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References

Cohen, L., & Gelbrich, J. (1999). Philosophy and Education Continuum Chart. Oregon State University. http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/ed416/chart3.html

Technology for inclusion—UNESCO Digital Library. (n.d.). Retrieved April 6, 2022, from https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000373655