EDUF 7235 01F: Multicultural Education

Georgia Southern University

Summer 2014
Dr. Sabrina Ross
Phone: (912) 478-0008, Office: COE 3140
Email: sross@georgiasouthern.edu
Office Hours: by appointment
Multicultural education, like America itself, is about the expression of freedom, but
notions of freedom and liberation almost always involve contestation.
- Gloria Ladson-Billings, New Directions in Multicultural Education
Introduction:
This course provides an introduction to conceptual, theoretical, and philosophical issues in
multicultural education. These issues include, but are not limited to topics of race/ ethnicity,
language, religion, gender, sexual orientation, and nationalism.
Multiple and sometimes competing approaches to difference are included under the general
category of multicultural education or multiculturalism, but these approaches can result in a wide
range of educational outcomes. This course explores the socio-political correlates of diverse
approaches to multicultural education to empower candidates to make informed choices about
the approaches to multicultural education they will implement in their professional roles.
Course Objectives:
! Examine the nature and function of culture within and beyond school borders
!

Examine the role one's cultural identifications play in shaping opinions about cultural
diversity

Exercise professional reflective, planning, and research skills

Develop a working definition of multicultural education and identify arguments for

and against its implementation in school curricula

Identify contemporary multicultural issues in education

Articulate strategies for meeting the needs of culturally diverse students in schools

Conceptual Framework and Course Philosophy:

This course utilizes themes related to Georgia Southern Universitys College of Education
conceptual framework--Reflective Educators for Diverse Learners. This course is perceived as
a journey of exploration about contemporary theories of teaching and teaching practice and the
ways in which those practices are directly connected to students personal and professional
concerns, inquiries, and lives. Students will consider their present concerns and interests as part
of a continuum directly connected to contemporary debates on teaching and learning. Students
are expected to develop an overview of diverse perspectives; reflect upon their personal and
professional experiences; relate those experiences to the content of the course through large and
small group discussions, online posts, and presentations in the pursuit of learning experiences
that will be transformative in terms of the ways they teach in increasingly diverse classrooms
and the ways that they act both inside and outside of the classroom to work for social justice the creation of more equitable and humane living conditions for all members of society.
Academic Honesty:
Cheating includes any attempt to defraud, deceive, or mislead the instructor in arriving at an
honest grade assessment. Plagiarism is a form of cheating that involves presenting as one's own
the ideas or work of another. Academic honesty procedures have already been established by
this college to insure due process on cases of cheating or plagiarism.
All aspects of your coursework are covered by the GSU Student Conduct Code and
Regulations regarding academic integrity. Academic misconduct such as cheating and
plagiarism will be reported to the Office of Judicial Affairs and students engaging in academic
dishonesty will be
(at minimum) given a zero for the assignment in question and could possibly (at the discretion
of the instructor) fail the course.
Required Texts:
Sleeter, Christine E. and Grant, Carl A. (2009) Making Choices for Multicultural
Education: Five Approaches to Race, Class, and Gender. 6th edition. NY: John Wiley &
Sons.
Grant, Carl A. and Sleeter, Christine E. (2008). Turning on Learning: Five Approaches for
Multicultural Teaching Plans for Race, Class, Gender, and Disability. 5th edition. NY:
Wiley. *Note 4th edition of this text may also be used.
Course Requirements:
Chapter Reflective Questions (39%):
For three weeks of this course, you will read chapters from Making Choices for Multicultural
Education (MCME) and respond to the Questions for Reflection located at the end of each
chapter. Answer each question fully and submit your answers to Dr. Ross through the Folio
dropbox. The reflective questions are due on Sunday of each week before 11:59pm.
You are required to submit reflective questions for two chapters each week. The reflective
questions are worth 6.5 points for each chapter for a total of 13 points each week. Any
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reflective questions received after the due date will receive no more than half credit.
Discussion Board Posts (21%):
For three weeks of this course, you will post your thoughts on various lesson plans discussed in
Five Approaches for Multicultural Teaching Plans for Race, Class, Gender, and Disability
(FAMT). You will also respond to at least one post submitted by your classmates. There are seven
points possible for each discussion post. To receive maximum points you must submit one new
thread that discusses your thoughts about the lesson plans presented in the chapter (5 points) and
respond substantively to the post of one of your classmates (2 points) by the due date specified in
the syllabus.
Cultural Interview and Cultural Interview Presentation (40%):
Cultural Interview
The cultural interview consists of an in-depth interview you will conduct with a parent or
guardian identifying himself/ herself as part of a non-majority cultural group. You will engage the
interview participant in discussion about family traditions, background, values, etc., and how these
manifestations of cultural difference impact the family's experiences with the school/ school
system in which his/her child is enrolled. Information should be collected on the child's
educational experiences in school, the educational hopes/ dreams of the parent for the child, and
ways the school (i.e., teachers, counselors, administrators, etc.) can facilitate those dreams.
Cultural Interview Presentation
You will use information gained from your Cultural Interview to select an appropriate approach
to multicultural education (i.e., teaching the exceptional and the culturally different, human
relations, single-group studies, multicultural education, or multicultural social justice education)
to be used in a lesson plan designed to assist with the educational issues described by your
interview participant. The approach to multicultural education and the corresponding lesson plan
should be based on the needs and concerns of the parent or guardian interviewed. The lesson
plans that you read and discussed from Turning on Learning can be used as examples of
appropriate lesson plans.
The final presentation should be presented in PowerPoint format (approximately 15 - 20 slides)
and is worth 40 points. This presentation will be submitted to the discussion board forum titled
"Cultural Interview Presentations". The presentation should include the following information:

Background information about the interviewee and major findings related to the
educational issue discussed (fictionalize names and identifying information to
ensure anonymity)
Approach to multicultural education you believe to be most suitable for addressing the
educational issue discussed with a detailed explanation of why you think this approach
is suitable
A lesson plan that you feel will improve the situation based on your selected
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approach to multicultural education

Point Breakdown for Grades: A (90 or greater); B (80 - 89); C (70 - 79); D (60 - 69); F (59
or fewer)
Course Schedule for Multicultural Education
Week 1
May 27 June 1

Week 2
June 2 - 8

Topic
Course Overview

Assigned Readings
Syllabus

What's Due
Attendance
Verification/
Course
Introductions

- MCME
Ch. 1 and Ch. 2

Questions for
Reflection on
Chapters 1 and 2

Introduction

Teaching the
Exceptional
and the
Culturally
Different
Week 3
June 9 - 15

Week 4
June 16 - 22

- FAMT Ch. 1
and Ch. 2

Discussion posts
due by Sunday at
11:59pm.

Human
Relations

- MCME Ch. 3
and Ch. 4

Single-Group
Studies

Multicultural
Education

Multicultural
Social Justice
Education

- FAMT CH. 3 and

Ch. 4
Discussion posts
due by Sunday at
11:59pm.
- MCME
Questions for
Ch. 5 and Ch. 6
Reflection on
Chapters 5 and 6
- FAMT Ch. 5
and Ch. 6
Discussion posts
due by Sunday at
11:59pm.

Week 5
June 23 - 29

Questions for
Reflection on
Chapters 3 and 4

Work on Final
Presentations

Week 6
June 30 July 6

Work on Final
Presentations

Week 7
July 7 - 9

View Cultural
Interview
Presentations

Cultural Interview
Presentations must
be submitted by
July 7th at
11:59pm.

Note: You are responsible for reading and understanding additional College of Education and
University policies and requirements that are not listed in this syllabus. Use the following link to
access these policies and requirements: http://coe.georgiasouthern.edu/pdfs/PolicyLinks.pdf