Appalachian State University
CI 5045-375: Advanced Topics in Diversity
Surry Community College Cohort
Fall 2007
Instructor:
Dr. Eric C. Groce
310 D Edwin Duncan Hall; 828-262-7315
Office Hours: Mon 4:00-5:00
Course Meetings: Mon 5:00-7:40
Credit: 3 semester hours
Catalog Description: CI 5045. Advanced Topics in Diversity
A framework of theories on diversity and multicultural issues is constructed in this course. From these theories, practical applications will be derived. Research focusing on creating productive and equitable learning environments, on best practices collaboration, and on instructional accommodations and modifications will be examined.
Required Texts
Kohl, H. (1995). Should we burn Babar?:Essays on children’s literature and the power of stories.
New York, NY: The New Press. ISBN 1-56584-259-6
Kottak, C. P. & Kozaitis, K. A. (2003). On being different (2nd ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
ISBN 0-07-241716-1
Lowry, L. (1993). The giver. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 0-440-82440-0
Attendance Policy
All students are required to attend all class meetings. Students are granted one absence for serious personal illness, funeral attendance, and other situations that require the student to be somewhere else during assigned course hours. Students who are absent from this course beyond the initial time will lose 50 points (for each unexcused absence) from their course total for the current semester. Additionally, all students should be punctual in regard to class meetings. Students entering the class after the assigned start time will have twenty-five points (25) deducted from their final course point total. In the event of inclement weather, students should check their ASU e-mail account for information regarding classes. Any missed classes due to weather will be rescheduled.
Grading
Multicultural Literature Lesson Presentation 100 points
Culture Report 100 points
Diversity Autobiography 300 points
500 total points x 2 = course point total
Grading Scale
A “C” reflects work that is adequate. In most cases, this represents work that is complete, but not supported by links or connections to research, theory, critical thinking, or evidence of creativity and independent thought. A “B” reflects good, strong work. In most cases, this represents work that is complete and supported by one or two references and some attempt has been made to connect ideas to critical thinking, creativity and independent thought. An “A” will only be given for work that is excellent. This work is represented by appropriate references, evidence of a strong attempt at creativity, evidence of critical thinking and relevant links of independent thought and theory. This work is well synthesized and not a regurgitation of another’s findings or a repetition of the problem at hand. The numerical grading scale for this course is below. Please be aware that a grade of “C” (at least 825 points) must be earned in this course in order to advance to student teaching.
· 975-1000 points A
· 950-975 points A-
· 925-949 points B+
· 900-924 points B
· 875-899 points B-
· 850-874 points C+
· 825-849 points C
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· 800-824 points C-
· 775-799 points D+
· 750-774 points D
· 725-749 points D-
· 000-724 points F
Late Assignments
Assignments are expected to be submitted by the assigned deadline. One late assignment will be accepted at a maximum of 50% credit under the following conditions: 1) the assignment is submitted within 24 hours of the original deadline; and 2) the assignment is of high quality. After the first late assignment has been accepted at a maximum of half credit, no other late assignments will be accepted for the duration of the course and, subsequently, will be assigned a grade of zero.
Academic Misconduct
All work completed for this class must be original. Each individual is expected to think, write, reflect, and question concepts presented in class. Students who commit academic misconduct, including plagiarizing work (copying or borrowing heavily from published materials) or copying or borrowing heavily from another student’s work will fail this class. The university holds Academic Misconduct as a serious and punishable infraction. A complete list of academic integrity code violations and additional explanations are listed on the Appalachian State University website. The web address is: www.judicialaffairs.appstate.edu .
Class Etiquette
Students attending this course must be enrolled in this course and a student of Appalachian State University. Do not bring children to class. This creates a disruption for me as well as your classmates. Also, please leave all cellular phones and pagers in the car or turn them off during class. Finally, please avoid discussions and disruptions during class presentations or lectures. As a classroom teacher, you will expect your students to listen attentively during lessons and directions, I expect you to do the same as students in this class. It is very disruptive to talk or pass notes while others are presenting. Students who are unable to follow these guidelines will lose 25 points from their final course grade for each occurrence.
Course Assignments
All written course assignments must be prepared according to the Elementary Education Paper Formatting Guide or they will not be scored.
Multicultural Literature Lesson Presentation: Each student will work in a small group to plan and deliver a multicultural literature based lesson that incorporates a competency (grades K-6) from the NC Standard Course of Study for their grade. Students will be evaluated based on their lesson plan, classroom management, organization, teaching procedures, and classroom interactions as well as the integration of the literature and related multicultural concepts.
Diversity Autobiography
Each student will create an autobiography that contains the following attributes related to diversity:
a) personal history – stories/anecdotes from childhood; recollections of issues dealing with diversity; moments that built your views on diversity (previous & currently held views); books/movies that influenced you; synopsis of currently held views
b) teaching history - stories/anecdotes from classroom experience; recollections of issues dealing with diversity; curriculum choices
c) synthesis of research – What has influenced your views regarding diversity in your classroom?; annotated review of books/articles
d) current classroom practices –
· creating & maintaining a productive learning environment
· modeling – collaboration, curriculum, etc.
· accommodations/modifications
Culture Report: Each student will prepare a comprehensive report detailing current research and appropriate classroom practices for an ethnic group. The cultures will be assigned by the instructor. Possible groups for study may include African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Arab-Americans, European-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, and Native-Americans. Students will be allowed to work in small groups on this assignment. The report will contain several sections including:
· current research regarding the population (census data, educational research synthesis, standardized test data, social behavior data, etc.)
· common assumptions & stereotypes attributed to the culture
· recommended best classroom practices for facilitating the educational development of the group
· a collection of children’s & young adult literature titles relevant to the culture (The books should represent a variety of genres) Each title should include a 1-2 page detailed synopsis of the selection as well as discussion questions and a suitable classroom activity.
· A succinct list of the accomplishments/historical contributions of various members from the selected group
· A resource bank of sources including printed materials, internet sites, and agencies designed to facilitate understanding of the culture
Class Meeting: Tentative Course Outline
8/27 Introductions, course materials, assignments
9/3 Labor Day holiday
9/10 Kottak (Ch. 1&2)
9/17 Kottak (Ch. 3&4)
9/24 Kohl (Babar) & The Giver
10/1 research/preparation day
10/8 Kottak (Ch. 5, 6, & 7); lesson presentations
10/15 Kottak (Ch. 8, 9, 10); lesson presentations
10/22 presentation of cultural reports
10/29 research/preparation day
11/5 Kottak (Ch. 11 12); lesson presentations
11/12 Kohl (Rosa Parks); lesson presentations
11/19 Kottak (Ch. 13 14); lesson presentations
11/26 diversity autobiographies due; course synthesis & evaluation
Elementary Education Paper Formatting Guide
While the content of your writing is the most important consideration, proper formatting can make it easier for your instructors to read and understand your writing. Please follow these formatting guidelines, unless otherwise directed by your instructor:
1. Papers should be word processed and printed on a clear, legible printer.
2. Your name, the course title/number, and the date should be written in the upper right hand corner, single-spaced. Do not add an additional title page.
3. Center the title two lines below the date. (A title may be optional.)
4. The body of the paper should be double-spaced.
5. The top and bottom margins should be 1 inch, and the right and left can be 1.25 inches. These are the default margins in Microsoft Word.
6. Use a 12-point font that is clear and easy to read, such as Times New Roman or Arial. Script or cursive fonts are difficult to read and will not be accepted.
7. Insert the page number in the upper right hand corner, beginning on the second page.
8. Staple the paper in the upper left hand corner. (Please do not use paper clips, folders, or plastic binders as these make documents difficult to handle and read.)
9. If any of the content of the paper is taken from a source (textbook, website, journal article, etc.) properly site the source both in the text and in the bibliography using APA style. You may use a handbook (i.e. from Writing for Thinking) or this website: http://webster.commnet.edu/apa/apa_index.htm
10. Professional editing and proofreading are expected. Papers should be written in standard English and free of grammatical, punctuation, spelling and other editing issues. Papers with frequent mechanical issues may not pass, regardless of content.
11. If the assignment calls for you to write 2-4 pages, writing 1 1/2 pages will not be sufficient, and even a scant two pages may not suffice. A paper which does not meet minimum page length is likely to fail. Do not attempt to “increase” the length of your paper by altering margins, font size, etc.