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EDU 3263 – Diversity and Inclusion

Days: MW from
10:00 am to 11:15 am in Falvey Curriculum Library

Credit Hours: 3

Diversity Credit 1

Professor: Dr. Edward Garcia Fierros

Phone: 610 519-6969

Office: St. Augustine Center for the Liberal Arts Room 353

Office Hours: by appointment – please email me at Edward.fierros@villanova.edu or leave me a phone message

URL: http://www.homepage.villanova.edu/Edward.Fierros

The continuing challenge for all teachers is to create a classroom environment that is responsive to and supportive and nurturing of all kinds of diversity.

Required Texts:

o Cushner, McClelland, and Safford. (2005). Human Diversity in Education (5^th Edition). McGraw-Hill. [a.k.a. CUSHNER]

o Readings as assigned.

Course Description: Introduction to the physical and social characteristics of diverse and exceptional students between ages 3 and 21. Issues of diversity, inclusion and main streaming in light of recent legislation and court decisions. Problem cases, with an emphasis on the underprivileged, antisocial, and delinquent.

Course Objectives:

The students will develop a well-grounded framework for understanding cultural and community diversity and special education and know how to learn about and incorporate students’ experiences, cultures, and community resources into instruction (INTASC Core Principles, 2002).

1. To exercise academic and intellectual judgment in response to issues of cultural difference, gender, racial and ethnic diversity

2. To be able to describe and affirm diversity

3. To engage in critical reflection on learning differences across culture, ethnicity, gender, and individual development.

4. To examine the history and purpose of special education in the U.S.

5. To identify services and resources to meet diverse learning needs.

6. To understand services and resources to meet diverse learning needs.

7. To enhance your writing skills.

8. To view education as a life long process.

These goals reflect Villanova University’s strategic goals of cultural diversification.

Pennsylvania Teacher Standards: Planning instruction which promotes problem analysis, critical thinking, creativity, leadership development and decision making based upon: subject matter, organization and integration of content and the relationship of content to educational, career and life goals, students and their learning, motivation, supervision and guidance with emphasis on human behavior and development, individual differences, diversity and the special needs of the exceptional student, the community and community resources, current educational standards and practices.

INTASC STANDARD: Standard 3, Diverse Learners.

1. The teacher understands how learners differ in their approaches to learning and creates instructional opportunities that are adapted to learners from diverse cultural backgrounds and with exceptionalities.

INTRODUCTION

Students will be asked to conduct thoughtful discussion of the material assigned for the day’s reading. The course experience will be cooperative in nature, with students working in small groups on discussion themes, toward resolution of issues and debates raised in class and in the readings. These are not intended to exhaust the potential themes in the course, only to suggest some possible directions for exploration.

COURSE FORMAT

The course will include multiple instructional approaches including: lecture, discussion, small group activities, presentation, and critical reflection activities.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

Demonstrate understanding of the material in the text during class discussions; In-class participation, attendance, and professionalism (i.e., in-class activities)	10%
Reading Quizzes	10%
Lesson Plans	10%
Mid-Term Examination	10%
Research Paper – Writing Project	15%
Field Placement Project	20%
Oral Presentation	5%
Take-Home Final	20%
Total	=SUM(ABOVE)*100 \# "0.00%" 100.00%

Tentative Calendar – The professor reserves the right to change the syllabus at any time during the semester. The professor will inform you of updates however it is your responsibility to note these changes.

Dates

Topic

Readings (to be read before class)

¿ Available via electronic readings via WebCT

8/23

Syllabus Review Questions? Questions? Questions?

8/28

FILM Equity in Schools

Discussion

8/30

Class Matters

hooks (2000). Where We Stand. Preface – p. 23.

9/4

No Class – Labor Day

9/6

Class Matters

hooks (2000). Where We Stand. 24-49.

9/11

Diversity

Cushner (2005) Human Diversity in Education p 3-71

9/13

Dimensions, History, and Goals of Multiculturalism

¿ Banks (2001) Cultural Diversity and Education, Foundations, Curriculum, and Teaching,
Banks, 1-39 Quiz

9/18

Culturally Responsive Teaching

¿ Gay (2000) Cultural Responsive Teaching
(pp. 1-20)

9/20

“Racism, Discrimination, and Expectations of Students’ Achievement”

¿ Gay (2000) Cultural Responsive Teaching (21-44)

9/25

“Racism, Discrimination, and Expectations of Students’ Achievement”

¿ Nieto, (2000) Affirming Diversity, The Sociopolitical Context of Multicultural Education

QUIZ

9/27

Classrooms and Schools as Cultural Crossroads

Cushner, (2005) Human Diversity in Education p. 73-116-207; and 174-202

10/2

Gender and Sexuality

Cushner, (2005) Human Diversity in Education
p. 271-301

10/4

Mid-Term Examination

10/9

Fall Break

10/11

Fall Break

10/16

Lesson Planning

Group Lesson Planning Workshop

Lesson Plan Due

10/18

Gender, Language, Inter-group Relations and Guidelines

¿Banks (2001) Cultural Diversity and Education, Foundations, Curriculum, and Teaching, 251-267

10/23

Stereotype Threat

Steele, C.M. (1997). A threat in the air: How stereotypes shape intellectual identity and performance. American Psychologist p. 613-629.

10/25

Diversity Wrap-Up

QUIZ

10/30

Creating Inclusive Classrooms

Film: Educating Peter

11/1

Creating Inclusive Classrooms

¿Couhtino and Repp, (1999) Inclusion, The Integration of Students with Disabilities

Lesson Plan Due

11/6

Creating Inclusive Classrooms

Cushner (2005) Human Diversity in Education p. 325-351

11/8

Individual Characteristics in Learning Styles

¿ Winzer and Mazurek (1994) Special Education in Multicultural Contexts

11/13

Individual Education Plans 

Stickland and Turnball, (1993). Developing and Implementing IEPs, 3-28

Field Placement Project Due

11/15

Field Trip

SEPTA TRIP – Field Placement

11/20

Individual Education Plans

¿Couhtino and Repp, (1999) Inclusion, The Integration of Students with Disabilities

QUIZ

11/22

No Class Thanksgiving Break

11/27

The Assessment Process

Spinelli (2002) Classroom Assessment for Students with Special Needs in Inclusive Settings, 3-45 (on Fierros Web Page)
Research Paper Due

11/29

Guest Speaker

12/4

Field Placement Presentations

12/6

Field Placement Presentations

12/11

Graduating Peter - Film

Take-Home Final Examination

Late Assignments: If you must turn in an assignment late, you are expected to notify me in advance or to be able to provide some proof of your trouble. If you do not satisfy these criteria, submit your assignment! Assignments/papers that are late will be docked 10% of their value for each day they are late.

Grading: Your course grade will be based upon a standard conversion of the total points you have earned into a corresponding letter grade, as follows:

A = 93% and above     B+ = 87-89%              C+ = 77-79%    D = 60-69%
A - = 90-92%               B    = 83-86                 C = 73-76          F = 59% and below
                                   B - = 80-82                  C - = 70-72

Writing Guidelines: The course reflection papers will be graded using the following guidelines:

Exceptional 10 -9

Thoughtful, accurate, and thorough discussion.

Answers include analysis or synthesis of the topic(s).

Adequate 8 –7

Limited but accurate discussion

Summary information from texts and resources with limited analysis.

Inadequate 7 and below

Lacks understanding and/or not accurate discussion

Limited summary and analysis from text and resources about the topic.

Cheating, Plagiarism: As a community committed to the Augustinian ideals of truth, unity and love, Villanova University prides itself on maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity and does not tolerate any form of academic dishonesty or misconduct. Dishonesty (including plagiarism) in any assignment, test or examination is punishable by the grade of F and is to be reported, through the deans, to the Vice President for Academic Affairs. A second offense will result in the dismissal of the student from Villanova University.

Students with Special Needs

The Office of Learning Support Services, in conjunction with faculty, provides reasonable accommodations for students with various special needs. Often students are hesitant to request support since they have done so well through high school and are now part of a competitive university. However, disabilities are not something that you outgrow - it is something that you learn to master.

In order to obtain accommodations, students must register with the Learning Support Office by submitting current documentation. To ensure confidentiality, students must complete a Request for Accommodation Form each semester at Villanova in order to receive accommodations during that semester. Nothing can be shared with your professors without your permission. Call or email the office for an appointment.
Phone: 610-519-5636 E-mail: nancy.mott@villanova.edu

Lesson Planning (200 points – 10%)

Planning and Teaching a Multicultural Lesson – In Class 10/16

Students are required to develop a lesson plan and collect instructional resources for the education of elementary students from different cultural, racial, ethnic, and language groups.

Planning and Teaching an Inclusion Lesson – Due 11/1

Students are required to develop a lesson plan and collect instructional resources for the education of elementary students from different cultural, racial, ethnic, and language groups.

Field-Service Project (20%) – Due 11/13

Cross-Cultural Field Experience in the Community

This course requires a field experience component in order to help candidates meet the State of Pennsylvania’s teacher education requirements. There are many opportunities to experience cultural diversity of the Delaware Valley. Students are required to investigate the cross-cultural events in the community, to participate in at least one of the events, and to reflect on what they experience in that event. Here are some possibilities

a) Visit a school setting where children interact in a naturalistic environment. Pay attention to what children do with one another that they find most fun and satisfying. Notice the ways they get one another’s attention, the ways they try to win approval, and the ways they are marginalized. Observe as well their communication patterns. Consider your future role as a group leader and think about what you could do to organize their experiences so they would learn. Beyond techniques, what would you hope to facilitate?

b) Identify several types of groups that you might like to lead with relatively homogenous groups that have been marginalized. Read articles written by group leaders who have specialized in work with these populations. This is a good way to get some preliminary background on the populations with which you intend to work. Secondly, go to original sources. Talk to members of the target culture. Find out what their previous experiences in groups have been like, what they liked best and least. If they had negative outcomes, what could have been done differently? What advice do they have for you in reaching out to this population? Finally, interview group leaders who already work with your identified populations. Pick their brains about the mistakes they have made and the things they have learned over the years.

c) Ask a number of experienced group leaders, faculty, or teachers how they handle a situation when someone is talking too much, or taking up more than his or her fair share of time. When the situation can’t wait until the session is over, how do they intervene in a way that gets the point across, but in a way that is not offensive?

Research Paper - Writing Project- (100 points – 15% of your grade) – Due 11/27

The Demands and Opportunities of Diversity for Teaching – What does diversity or multiculturalism require of you as a teacher? On what grounds do you make these claims; i.e., what theoretical and conceptual position are you taking on the concepts of diversity and multiculturalism (you may treat the two as equivalent for purposes of this project)? What authorities can you cite in defense of your position(s)? What arguments can be made against the position you are taking? Is the position you are taking here different from the position you would have taken three months ago? Why or why not?

Your paper should be in American Psychological Association (APA) style, 7-10 pages long, typed and double-spaced.

Presentation (100 points - 5%) – 12/4 & 12/6

The descriptive and critical presentation should include a summary of the main points of one of your field placement experience. The presentation should be no more than 7 minutes in length. You will be required to prepare a lesson plan for submission with oral presentation. PowerPoint, overheads, or some form of media is recommended, but not required.

Oral Presentation Rubric

Your Name: ____________Topic:__________________________

	Possible Points	Actual Points
Provided depth in coverage of topic(s).	45
Presentation was well planned (i.e., lesson plan) and coherent.	30
Presenter was a model of thoughtfulness. Personal experience integrated where relevant and appropriate. Explanations and reasons given for conclusions.	15
Communication aids were clear and useful.	10
Total Possible Points	100

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