Location: Educ. 171 and Online

Syllabus

Syllabus BBE 5000

Fall 2004

Location: Educ. 171 and online Time: Monday, 530-7:20 Instructor: Cynthia Alvarado Email: [email protected] Phone: 313-655-0641

Course Description This course prepares education professionals to understand, appreciate, evaluate and apply the cultural, social, political and economic realities of our complex pluralistic society. The emphasis of the course is on enabling education professionals to acquire the analytical and evaluative tools that will enable them to deal with the problems of racism, sexism and power relationships in the educational environment.

Course Objectives 1. Recognize social and cultural changes that have led to the emergence of multicultural educational programs. 2. Understand culture and the culture learning process. 3. Improve intergroup and intragroup interactions through cross-cultural understanding and interaction. 4. Learn to transmit cross-cultural understanding to students by becoming proactive teachers and reflective practitioners who prepare reflective citizens in an interdependent world.

Class Policies Online discussion will be based around assigned readings and websites. Please come to class prepared to offer your thoughts. This class requires both regular attendance in chat and reflection on assigned readings. This class requires a variety of perspectives on each issue. Come prepared to present yours!

Assignments and Grading 1. Weekly Blackboard response to readings and assigned websites (pending site setup)- 25% 2. Attendance and professional behavior-25% 3. Group Power point and online presentation -25% 4. Final paper-25%

Classroom Etiquette Please give your undivided attention to classmates and the instructor. An atmosphere of mutual respect is required to explore the subject matter. Please use appropriate netiquette.

Required Texts Cushner, K., McClelland, A., and Safford, P. Human Diversity in Education: an Integrative Approach. Boston: McGraw Hill. ISBN 0-07-248669-4

Cushner, K. Human Diversity in Action(workbook) ISBN 0-07-24881-6 Group Presentation Sign up for presentations the first class, 2 or 3 per group. Please arrange to meet at Tappedin.org or email to develop you group work. Face to face is OK, too. Group is responsible to lead chat on their chapter.

Final Project Using the Culture-General Framework presented in chapter 3 and in the workbook pp.93-105, choose either a Critical Incident Review from the workbook (pp.107-136) or alternately, a work of fiction depicting a cultural group not your own. Write a 3-5 page paper using APA format describing the cultural forces at work in the situation and how you, as a teacher could respond to them. Examples of appropriate books include Dirty Girls Social Club and Joey Pigza Loses Control. The teacher should approve other books.

Class Assignments

9/20 Read ch. 1 What are some examples of social change? How do schools reflect social change?

9/27 Read ch. 2 Culture and the Culture Learning Process Workbook activity 4 (p.15-24)

10/4 Read ch. 3 Classroom and Schools as Cultural Crossroads. The Culture General Model (needed for final paper) Workbook activity 8 (pp.41-49)

10/11 Read ch.5 Group presentation- Classroom as a Global Community.

10/18 Read ch.6 Group presentation- Creating Classrooms That Address Race and Ethnicity

10/25 Read ch.7 Group presentation- Developing Learning Communities

11/1 Read ch.8 Group presentation- Religious Pluralism in a Secular Society

11/8 Read ch.9 Group presentation- Gender and Sexual Orientation

11/15 Read ch.10 Group presentation-Creating Developmentally Appropriate Classrooms

11/22 Read Ch. 11 Group presentation- The Ability/Disability Continuum

11/29 Read Ch. 12 Group presentation- Social Class and Social Status

12/7, 12/14 Project Presentations meet in Education 171