STATE
UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK COLLEGE AT OSWEGO
Oswego,
New York
Dr.
Barbara Beyerbach
255 Wilber Office hrs. Monday 3-4 and by appt. Phone: 312-2650
www.oswego.edu/~beyerbac
To all students: We at the Lanigan PDS are committed to meeting your needs as a learner. If you have a disabling condition that may interfere with your ability to successfully complete this course, please contact the Disability Services Office (226 Hewit Union, 315-312-3358, www.oswego.edu/student/services/disabilities/). (Note that this URL has an underline in the space between "/dis_svc.") Please also discuss your needs with your instructors and let us know how we can support your learning in our courses.
I would like to acknowledge the support of Dr. R. Deborah Davis and Dr. Arcenia London in preparing this syllabi. They have shared resources, assignments, wording, and teaching strategies that have greatly contributed to the development of this course.
Description:
Culturally relevant teaching combines knowledge of the influence
of the socio-cultural context in education with a commitment to teaching for
social justice. In this course students develop pedagogical content knowledge
and curriculum that reflect culturally relevant teaching theories.
Culturally relevant teaching combines an
examination of the cultural and socioeconomic influences on teaching and learning
(KNOWLEDGE) with a commitment to challenging social (and educational) injustice
(SOCIAL JUSTICE). In this course we
will make use of common experiences (AUTHENTIC LEARNING) to examine the
social/cultural, political and economic characteristics of educational
settings. We will also examine social
structures of race, class, gender, (dis)ability, and sexuality, which create
dominant and subordinate groups, privileging some and denying opportunity to
others. Candidates will identify
obvious and subtle individual, institutional, and cultural actions (REFLECTION)
that perpetuate social structures.
Curriculum
and pedagogical practice that is not culturally relevant tends to ignore or
misrepresent the contribution and worth of people from subordinate or marginalized
groups, while falsely inflating the contribution and worth of people from
dominant or centralized groups. It is
important for educators to use curriculum and teaching strategies that reflect
the needs and interests of all children and to present the world as
truthfully and completely as they can. It is also essential that educators
understand how the social cultural context of the school and the learners
mediate learning and teaching.
Candidates will collaboratively generate ideas (COLLABORATION) for
challenging social structuring in the classroom (PRACTICE) and developing
culturally relevant practice and curriculum.
Course Objectives: As a result of completing this course,
candidates will:
A. Develop an analysis of how the social and cultural context
mediates teaching and learning.
B. Explain how social structures of race, class, gender,
(dis)ability, and sexuality work to create relations that privilege some and
deny opportunity to others.
C. Explain and provide examples of anti-bias teaching strategies.
D. Describe culturally relevant teaching in terms of teacher
characteristics, teaching strategies, and assumptions about teaching, learning,
and knowing.
E. Define culturally relevant teaching and provide examples of this
approach.
F. Develop curriculum and teaching strategies that challenge unjust
social structures and allow all children to learn and grow into citizens who
will be actively involved in this democracy.
Course Outline:
A. The relationship between teaching, learning, and the social
cultural context of the learners
B. Social structural relationships in the United States
C. Anti-bias teaching within the context of multicultural education
D. Culturally relevant teaching theoretical framework
E. Culturally relevant teaching practice
F. Teaching for social justice
G. Rethinking
Globalization, Sustainability, and Teaching for Social Justice
Required Texts:
1.
Schniedewind,
N. & Davidson, E. (2006). Opening Minds to Equality. Milwaukee, WI:
Rethinking Schools.
2.
Grayson,
D. (2003). GESA participant Book. Graymill.
3.
Derman-Sparks,
L. & Ramsey, P. (2006). What if all the kids are white? NY: Teachers
College Press.
4.
Book
of Choice:
You will choose one of the following selections and participate in a
presentation and dialogue relating to this selection:
·
Bigelow,
B. & Peterson, B. (2002).Rethinking Globalization: Teaching for Justice
in an Unjust World. Milwaukee, WI:
Rethinking Schools.
·
Bigelow,
B. The line between us. Teaching about the Border and Mexican Immigration.
Milwaukee, WI: Rethinking Schools.
·
Menkart,
D., Murray, A. &, View, J. (2004). Putting the movement back into civil
rights teaching: A resource guide for k-12 teachers. Teaching for Change
and the Poverty & Race Research Action Council.
·
Gutstein,
E. & Peterson, B. (2005). Rethinking Mathematics. Milwaukee, WI: Rethinking Schools.
Recommended: Grant, C. & Sleeter, C. (2007). Turning on
Learning. NY: John Wiley & Sons.
Assignments and % of Grade
1.
Class
attendance, participation, reflective journal, and facilitation. (15%) You are expected to be
present, participate actively, and will have responsibility for directing some
class discussions and presentations.
This is a discussion class, dealing with sensitive issues, and
all discussions are considered confidential. Students are responsible for
contributing their analyses, thoughts, feelings and opinions on issues
throughout the semester. You will keep a weekly journal reflecting on the
required readings in which you summarize main points in one column, and reflect
on these in the second column. You will bring this journal to each class to
prepare for discussing the readings. When you sign up to co-facilitate
discussions of the readings, be sure to jot down the emails and phone numbers
of co-facilitators. Your facilitation of the readings should include presenting
one model lesson from Opening Minds to Equality, along with ideas on
grade level it could be used with, and how it could be integrated into the
existing curriculum. Where possible, try out ideas from the selection you read
and report back during discussions.
2.
Cultural
Autobiography. (15%) You
will bring an artifact to class that reflects your cultural practices, values,
history, or beliefs. You will explain to the class how this artifact can
be used to tell who you are. Later in the semester, you will turn in a 3-5-page
essay where you identify your cultural heritage followed by a discussion of
your culture. In the paper you will explore questions such as: What cultural
groups do you identify with? What are some verbal and non-verbal communication
skills you have learned from your family? How has your cultural background
affected your present beliefs about yourself and others? How has your culture
helped or hindered you in your schooling/teaching? You will discuss your family
culture in terms of values, beliefs, and goals about life success/failure that
you have learned. You will talk about how your cultural background has shaped
your views about race, class, gender, ability, and sexuality.
3.
Context
Study. (15%) With
your practicum partner you will complete a context study of the school
community, the school and your classroom, as described in the Teacher Work
Sample Assignment for Methods and CRT. In this assignment you will collect data
on and describe the community in which the school is located (demographics,
history, business and industry, shifts in socioeconomic conditions, culture),
the school culture (how the school is organized, programs implemented, history,
culture), and classroom context (describing the range of individual students,
the structure of the classroom, rules and routines, programs implemented). You
will use this to plan your lessons you implement for methods.
4.
Book
of Choice Presentation. (10%). You will choose a book from the above list, read
the book, and with your group plan to present a sequence of lessons from the
book. Discuss implications for your culturally relevant teaching, including how
you could modify the lessons presented and infuse them into the elementary
curriculum. You will be given class time to discuss your book with your peers.
5.
Multicultural
Encounter. (5%).
You will participate in a hands-on multicultural experience that takes you out
of your own culture to learn about another culture. You will complete a
cross-cultural experience and describe the experience in a 2 page, typed paper.
The paper should describe the experience and explain how it expanded your
cultural awareness, knowledge about a cultural perspective, or growth towards
greater understanding and tolerance for a cultural group different from your
own. Examples might include attending ORI events, religious services, fine arts
and dramatic performances or exhibitions, a gay community event if you are
straight, speeches with cultural themes, and ethnic festivals and performances.
The best cross-cultural experiences are those that explore deep culture rather
than surface culture and those that involve personal social interaction rather
than observation from a distance.
6.
GESA
Observation and Reflection. (5%). As part of ongoing class
activities you will learn about the equity program, Generating Expectations for
Student Achievement, studying five areas of disparity linking teacher behaviors
to differential learning outcomes for students. You will choose one area of
disparity to work on in your own emerging teaching practice, and will have your
practicum partner observe your teaching recording data on that area. You will
reflect on the data and what you have learned about your teaching, and
formulate goals to move towards a more equitable practice, in a 2-3 page typed
paper.
7.
Popular
Culture Study and Social Action Project. (20%) With your practicum partner
you will survey and/or interview students in your class to get an understanding
of what they are reading, viewing, engaging in via video games, etc. You will
use this survey and interview data to analyze how individuals are represented
or misrepresented in this media with regards to gender, race, or class, or
ability. You will develop a social action plan that suggests culturally relevant
media appropriate for that grade level, and that includes a lesson plan in
which you have your students critically analyze reading/viewing/gaming
materials they are using with regards to how a particular group (gender, class,
race, ability) is represented. The lesson must focus on awareness of bias and
include a social justice focus.
8.
Single
Group Study-- Group Investigation. (15%) You will participate in a group
investigation researching a particular ethnic group in our country (e.g.
African-Americans, Euro-Americans…). Your group will
·
Research
the history and current issues relating to this group including issues of
power, privilege, and oppression.
·
Examine
curricular materials in your classroom to see how this group is (mis)
represented in children’s literature, visual materials, texts. . . and suggest
more inclusive, authentic curriculum resources that could be used.
·
Research
religious and cultural holidays and plan appropriate holiday diversity
activities and implement these at Lanigan Elementary’s Holiday Diversity Night
Nov. 29
·
You
will present this history, resource list, and holiday diversity night activity
summaries to the class, including a descriptive handout with major findings and
resources used.
Evaluation and Grades: assigning points for each
assignment to a possible total of 100 will determine a course grade. A=95-100,
A- = 90-94, B+=87-89, B=83-86, B-=80-82, C+=77-79, C=73-76, C-=70-72, D=65-69,
E= below 65
Daily Outline and DUE
DATES:
|
Date |
Topic |
Readings Due |
Assignment Due |
|
Sept 10 |
·
Culturally Relevant
Teaching ·
Multicultural Education
and Teaching For Social Justice Intro to Cultural
Autobiography Assignment |
|
Begin reading, record
notes and reflections in journal and continue all semester. |
|
Sept. 17 |
·
Sharing
Cultural Artifacts ·
Race and CRT Intro. Context Study
Assignment |
Derman Sparks p. 1-21,
Sch. Ch. 1 |
Bring Cultural Artifact
and Introduce self. |
|
Sept. 24 |
·
Anti-Racist Teaching Intro Pop Culture and
Social Action Project Assignment |
Derman Sparks Ch 2, Sch.
Ch 2 |
|
|
Oct 8 |
·
Gender and Culturally Relevant
Teaching ·
GESA
Unit 1 |
Derman Sparks Ch 3 and
4, Sch Ch. 3 GESA unit 1 |
|
|
Oct 15 |
·
Sustainability and
Global Issues |
Derman Sparks Ch 5 and A tale of 2 Centers, Sch Ch. 4 Rethinking Globalization
Group presents |
|
|
Oct. 22 |
·
Gender-fair teaching ·
GESA
Unit 2 |
Derman Sparks Chapter 6
and 7, Sch. Ch 5 GESA 2 The Line Between Us
group presents |
|
|
Oct. 29 AT 7:30-9 Waterman Theater Men Fake Foreplay |
·
Class and CRT ·
GESA
Unit 3 ·
Intro
Single group study |
Derman Sparks Chapter 8-9, Sch. Ch. 6 GESA 3 Rethinking Mathematics
Group presents |
|
|
Nov. 5 |
·
Class-conscious teaching ·
(Dis)ability and Culturally Relevant
Teaching ·
GESA
Unit 4 |
Derman Sparks p.
142-179, Sch. Ch. 7 GESA 4 Putting the Movement
Back…group presents |
Context Study Due |
|
Nov 12 |
·
Sexuality and Culturally
Relevant Teaching ·
GESA
Unit 5 |
Reading for your single
group study, Sch. Ch 8, 9 GESA 5 |
Pop Culture and Social
Action Project Due |
|
Nov 19 |
·
Ethnicity and Culturally
Relevant Teaching
: The Color of Fear film |
Sch. Chapter 10,11 |
Cultural Autobiography
Due |
|
Thurs, Nov. 29 |
Holiday Diversity Night at Lanigan Elementary (no class Monday Nov. 26) |
Research for single
group study |
GESA reflection due |
|
Dec 3 |
European Americans: European
Ethnic Groups, Jewish Americans Hispanic Americans: Mexican
Americans, Puerto Ricans in the US, and Cuban Americans Asian Americans and Arab Americans The First
Americans and African Americans: American
Indians, Native Hawai’ians, African Americans |
Research relating to
group |
Group presentation and
written report on single group study Multicultural Encounter
Due |
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