ed-blesl 200

Idaho Standards and Assessments

Standards/Indicators Addressed

Assessment Method

Standard 1:

The teacher understands the role of the discipline in preparing students for the global community of the future.

The teacher understands the relationship of disciplinary knowledge to other subject areas and to real-life situations.

Disposition:

1. The teacher realizes that subject knowledge is not a fixed body of facts but is complex and ever evolving.

Focused academic dialogue journals/ learner's log; attendance & participation; class presentations; final academic synthesis paper

Performance:

2. The teacher presents information that is accurate and relevant.

3. The teacher effectively links discipline concepts to students’ prior learning and makes connections to everyday life and the global community.

4. The teacher presents differing viewpoints, theories, ways of knowing, and methods of inquiry in his or her teaching of subject matter.

Conducting balanced research for debate topics.

Service learning, journaling.

Focused academic dialogue journal/ learner's log; attendance & participation; class presentations; final academic synthesis paper

Overview:

Welcome! This course is for students interested in gaining a broader understanding of Cultural diversity. This course is designed to help you deepen your knowledge base of culturally diverse populations. Over the course we will engage critical perspectives on supporting culturally diverse students. Moreover, we will engage in discussions that challenge our understandings of persons from ethno-linguistically and culturally diverse backgrounds. We will also investigate issues that involve multicultural and bilingual education, and creating a more socially just society.

Course Learning Outcomes

By the end of the semester, you should have:

§ A broader understanding of multicultural and bilingual education.

§ A deeper understanding of the lives of minoritized and marginalized communities.

§ Connected curriculum to the understandings, perspectives, identities, and cultures of our students

§ An understanding of theories of language and literacy acquisition

§ Knowledge of education for a pluralistic, democratic and socially just society

§ An understanding of the ways age, disability, national origin, military status, gender, race, social & economic class, or sexual orientation are used to discriminate against individuals or groups

Course Materials:

You will be reading from a combination of sources, including texts, on-line readings, and electronic readings and material you select for your own project. Below is a description of two recommended books.

Gabbard, D. (Ed.) (2000). Knowledge and power in the global economy: Politics and

rhetoric of school reform. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Earlbaum Associates

Hayes, C. W., Bahruth, R., & Kessler, C. (1991). Literacy con carino. Portsmouth, NH:

Heinemann

Electronic reserve

To access electronic readings (ER) away from off campus you need to go to the Bronco Web site. The direct link is http://eres.boisestate.edu/ Click on the first link “Electronic Reserves” and then search by class number, or the professor’s last name, Lopez (Please make sure it’s Viviana).

Calendar: A complete calendar will be posted via blackboard

ADA: Students who require accommodations/support other than what is written into the syllabus please see me as soon as possible or make an appointment to speak with me. We will work together to ensure that you receive a rigorous academic experience while being responsive to your particular situation/condition.

GRADING: Grading Scale: A+ to A=Outstanding A- to B=Good B- to C=Acceptable

A-Reserved for exemplary work. Your work shows deep thought, analysis, and synthesis of the readings and activities. You made connections among the readings and with your learning experience. You shared with your classmates; examined your biases and prejudices and were willing to make changes based on new information. You attended class in both body and spirit.

B-Distinguished work. You fulfilled all the assignments according to specifications. You were present most of the time. You did the readings, but didn’t really get into them or make personal connections, either to our own life or to your service learning experience. Sometimes you shared in class. You were able to embrace some new ideas and information.

C-Average work. You fulfilled the assignments minimally. If you did all the readings, you didn’t really get below the surface to the deeper issues. You made few connections among the readings, activities or service learning experience. You rarely entered into the discussions in class. You have made few changes in your thinking about diversity, democracy, equity and social justice.

D-Below average work. Attendance and participation were sporadic. You didn’t really enter into the learning opportunities presented to you. Assignments were completed in a haphazard, slipshod manner that shows lack of planning, commitment, and deep thought.

F-You put nothing into this class.

Assignments:

Percentage of Grade	Description of Assignment	Due Date
30	Weekly Journal writing/attendance participation Critical self reflection: what are you learning?	Sept 2-Nov 18, 2008
30	Weekly electronic discussion Share and respond to the weekly discussions posted via Blackboard. Remember that we are considering important questions that arise from our electronic discussion, service-learning project and or class.	Sept 2-Nov 18 2008
30	Research Paper: Topic of choice but using the following added focus: Conduct research on Bilingual education policy and practice at the local state or federal level. .	Nov 20, 2008
10	Community service project: See products.	Dec 2, 2008

POLICIES:

ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION (on going)

You are expected to attend class and to be well prepared to participate. This means that you have read and reflected on the assigned readings and are clearly involved in group discussions and activities. Early departure from class, excessive tardiness, or not respecting the length of break time will negatively affect your grade. Missing class or turning in late work may result in the loss of a letter grade, you may be dropped from the course or receive an incomplete.

The only exceptions to this rule are true family emergencies or serious illness that you have discussed with me in advance.

Papers: Papers should be typed using APA style. All papers should be carefully proof read (use spell-check and an outside editor; a friend or colleague), and turned in as clean and clear of form as possible. Computers are available at the County Canyon Center.

Academic honesty

Cheating or plagiarism in any form is unacceptable. The University functions to promote the cognitive and psychosocial development of all students. Therefore, all work submitted by a student must represent her/his own ideas, concepts, and current understanding. Academic dishonesty also includes submitting substantial portions of the same academic course work to more than one course for credit without prior permission of the instructor(s).

Products

Personal Journal

Keep a weekly journal that covers your experiences during this component of your education; one entry per week. Each entry in your journal should be one page, typed using APA style. Bring the journal to class as we may be using it during our sessions. You will provide me a final hard copy at the end of the semester.

Notes on writing the paper:

For this product it is important that you write at length given the subject. Several items are essential when you write for this course: use APA style, your knowledge/perspective and a developed theoretical framework. A research paper may contain a: a clear topic, concise thesis statement and or research question/s. But, write until you have covered the subject with enough depth to reflect your knowledge as an educator and a scholar. The final copy, what we will share in class, is your/our analysis of the world; we may agree or disagree, however, it is most important that we challenge each other. Finally revise, revise and proofread.

Community Service/Field Experience:

As part of this class you will participate in a community service research project with a member of the class. You must complete a minimum of twenty-five hours of community service at a local non-profit community support based agency these might include but are not limited to: a homeless shelter, food pantry, soup kitchen, hospice or medical support for indigent families. Your field experience will be based primarily on getting to know socio-cultural groups whose living experiences are different from your own.

Supplementary References (not required but helpful)

Apple, M. (1990). Ideology and the curriculum. New York: Routledge.

Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the oppressed. New York: Continuum.

* Syllabus collaboratively adopted by Bilingual Faculty

** I reserve the right to change, add to or subtract from, the content of the syllabus, due dates, assignments, schedule and calendar as necessary throughout the semester.