EDU 4200

Multicultural Education
Credit

Instructor

4
Name:

Dr. James Davis

Office:

SOE 244

Telephone:

336-841-9237 (Office) 704-960-6418 (Cell)

Email:

jdavis@highpoint.edu

Office Hours:
Monday, Wednesday, Friday:
9:15-10:25
10:40-11:50

Course
Description

This course examines the diversity found in todays school community.

Students will explore the multicultural nature of contemporary classrooms and
will gain a better understanding of those learners behavior in relation to mores
of a public school education. Topics that will be discussed include common
beliefs related to diversity, strategies to engage students from diverse
backgrounds (i.e. disability, gender, ethnicity, race, and socioeconomic status)
and overcoming personal biases regarding diversity issues.

Conceptual
Framework

The teacher as leader for learners in a global

world reflects an intention to create a learning
environment in which teacher candidates become
reflective practitioners who collaborate and lead in
their classrooms and schools for the purpose of
preparing students to meet the challenges of a
global society. The teacher education programs at
High Point University seek to prepare teacher
candidates in the 21st century who possess
knowledge of the learner which in turn leads to the
facilitation of the 21st century skills needed by P-12
students to critically think, problem solve, utilize technology, communicate, and
collaborate.

Text and
Required
Readings

Gollnick, D. & Chinn, P. (2013). Multicultural Education in a Pluralistic

Society. Pearson
Education.
Additional required journal readings will be required. These will be provided.

Pre-Requisite Admission to Teacher Education

Co-Requisite

EDU 4230/40/50/60/70: Internship I Teachers as Leaders

From Program Objectives for All Programs
Teachers demonstrate leadership
To demonstrate leadership in a classroom, the school, and in the
profession.
To demonstrate high ethical standards.
Teachers establish a respectful environment for a diverse population of
students

Standards

To provide and environment which is positive and nurturing.

To embrace diversity in the school community.
To adapt teaching for the benefit of students with special needs.

Teachers facilitate learning for their students

Demonstrate knowledge of intellectual, physical, social, and emotional

development of students.
To demonstrate the capacity to use a variety of instructional methods.
To integrate and utilize technology in daily instruction.
To demonstrate the capacity to use a variety of methods to assess what
each student has learned.

Teachers reflect upon their practice

Demonstrate the ability to analyze student learning.
To participate in recommended activities for professional learning and
development.

Learning

Outcomes

Out of Class
Work

Attendance

By the end of the course, students

should be able to:

Method by which the Learning

Outcome will be assessed:

Understand and demonstrate an

awareness and impact of
multiculturalism in education.

Cultural Clinical assignment paper and

rubric
Minority experience paper and rubric

Identify current trends and impact of

multicultural education as it applies to
education and the community.

Reading and Daybook assignment

rubrics / Mid-Term Exam

Demonstrate Leadership in
Multicultural Education

Final Exam / Project presentations,

Cultural Clinical presentations

In addition to attending class and completing all course requirements, students are
expected to spend at least 2 hours each week engaged in out-of-class work (i.e.,
reading, studying, doing homework, working on projects, etc.) for every hour of
credit earned in this course.
Students are expected to attend all class meetings and complete all assigned
coursework by the set due dates. It is understood that emergencies may occur
that prevent attendance, therefore students who incur no more than 2 excused
absences will not be penalized, but will be expected to make arrangements with
the professor prior to the absence.
Students who miss more than 2 class meetings will be provided with a
probation notice.

Disabilities

Schedule

Students who require classroom accommodations due to a diagnosed disability

must submit the appropriate documentation to Disability Support in the Office
of Academic Development, 4th Floor Smith Library. A students need for
accommodations must be made at the beginning of a course. Accommodations
are not retroactive.

Class Schedule

Dates and Assignments are Subject to Change

Students will be notified of any changes via email and Edmodo.
Date
Topic
Assignment Due
Week 1
Syllabus review
Read chapter 1 of the
text prior to the first
Assignment Review
class.
Introductions
Guidelines / Dates:
Reflecting, Processing &
Planning
Introduction to DiversityFoundations of Multicultural
Education: What is Culture?
What is your Cultural Lens?
Week 2

Ethnicity and Race:

Are they the same thing?

Week 3

Class and SES

Week 4

Poverty as a Diversity Issue

What does Style have to do
with Learning?

Complete Reading
Reflection, Daybook
Reading Reflection 1
for Daybook:
Choose 1 of the 6
questions on page 33 of
your text to respond to.
You may use additional
resources if needed.
Read chapter 2 of the
text prior to the first
class.

Read chapter 3 of the

text prior to the first
class.

Leaning Styles and Multiple

Intelligences as a Diversity
Issue
Planning for content, process,
and product
Week 5

Name cultural activity, release

Gender and Sexual

Day Book Reading

Reflection #2 Due:

Orientation
Special Needs and AIG
Guest speaker

Respond to questions 2
& 3 on page 71 and
Choose 1 question from
page 105 in which to
respond.

Week 6

ELL
SIOP

Read chapters 4/5 of the

text prior to the first
class.
Read chapter 6 of the
text prior to the first
class.
Day book Reading
Reflection #3 Due:
Choose 1 question from
page 139 and 1 question
from page 169 in which
to respond.

Week 7

Bullying and Gangs

Guest Speaker

Week 8

Finding Forrestor
Mid term: Analysis
assignment

Read chapter 7 of the

text prior to the first
class.
Midterm Exam Due by
midnight on 10/16/14
on Edmodo.

Week 9
Week 10

No Class Fall Break

Religious Differences
Cultural Name release

Read chapters 8/9 of the

text prior to the first
class.
Day book Reading
Reflection #4 Due:
Respond to question #4
on page 204 and choose
2 questions in which to
respond on page 234.

Week 11

Book Study Presentations

Week 12

Case Studies

Book Study
Presentation Due
Reading Reflection #5
Due:
Respond to questions
7,8, or 9 on page 275

and questions 1,7 or 8

on page 314.
Week 13
Week 14

School Improvement Plans

Presentation Preparation Day
(11/24)

Week 15
Week 16

Thanksgiving Break (11/26)

Student presentations
Reflection, wrap-up, closure

TBD

Final Exam

Day book Due by 5pm

Students are expected to complete the following assignments:

1.

Cultural Clinical

2. Minority Experience
3. Book Study
4. Mid-Term / Final
5. Daybook
Requirements

*Each assignment is explained in detail on the following pages

All assignments should be word processed in 12 font, double spaced. If an
assignment is late 5 points will be deducted from the total points for each day it
is past due. Students are encouraged to review rubrics and scoring guides for
each assignment prior to beginning the assignment to ensure maximum point
value.
Cell phones should be silenced during class and no texting is permitted while
class is in progress.

Honor Code

Every student is honor-bound to refrain from conduct which is unbecoming of a

High Point University student and which brings discredit to the student and/or
the University. All students are expected to know and follow the University
Honor Code and Uniform Conduct Code. The Codes of Conduct can be found

on the High Point University website as well as in the Undergraduate and

Graduate Handbooks.
The Writing Center provides writing assistance for students at any level of
study from freshman to graduate at any stage in the writing process, from
invention through revision. The Writing Center staff will be available in a
variety of locations during various hours throughout the day, Sunday through
Thursday.
Writing
Center

Go to https://highpoint.mywconline.com/ to make an
appointment. Appointments can only be made through the online
portal. Appointments will be available starting September 2, 2013.
Writing consultants do not proofread or edit students papers for them, but they
do work with students to help them develop strategies for improving their
writing in light of their respective assignments, instructors, and writing
styles. For more information, contact the Writing Center Director, Dr. Leah
Schweitzer, at lschweit@highpoint.edu or (336) 841-9106.

SOE
Resource
Center

Evaluation
and Grading

The School of Education Resource Center located on the lower level of the SOE
Monday Friday 10 -4
Week-end hours TBD

Grading Scale (Using the University Cutoffs defined in

BlackBoard)
A+/A/AB+/B/BC+/C/CD+/D/DF
90-100
900-1000
points

80-89
725-899
points

70-79
510 724
points

60-69
310 509
points

0-59
< 310
points

ASSIGNMENT ONE: Cultural Clinical (200 points)

You wil spend a minimum of 8 hours in an educationally rich multicultural environment that
requires you to reflect upon the topics discussed in class. This could be satisfied in a current
clinical for your major if you are assigned to a school, but it can also be done elsewhere if you
choose to do so.

If integrated into another clinical, your focus must remain on culture.

You will write a refleciton paper that outlines how the experience culturally enriched you and
what you expereienced with regard to the topics discussed in class and in the text. Your clinical
will result in a 6-8 page paper.

Your paper should address the following:

What were your initial thoughts from the clinical experience, based upon diversity, how it
impacts the classroom, teacher, planning, and student achievement?

How is your clinical linked to your reading, other assignments, and in-class discussions?
What surprised you, if anything?

Was your clinical setting highly diverse, or no? In what ways? Explain your answer.

When it comes to diversity, what kind of school do you hope to teach in? Explain your
answer.

Your paper should be personal, content-based, and following a natural, smooth progression. You
should focus on expanding your knowledge and also focus on real-world application.

REMINDER: Keep a log of the dates and times you participated.

ASSIGNMENT TWO: Minority Experience (200 points)

Title: EXPERIENCING THE MINORITY PAPER (8 DOUBLE-SPACED PAGES)
In conjunction with your experience for this assignment, you may also reference past
experiences, the Internet, textbooks, and online sources to complete your paper.
The purpose of this exercise is to:
a) Understand other cultures
b) Experience, as closely as possible, what minority students experience and feel in your class or
other teachers classes, and what you can do about it.
c) Take your experiences from this assignment into account as you teach minority students and
build meaningful relationships with them.
The Task:
Visit a congregation (or any race-based formal gathering place, such as synagogue, mosque, or
festival, church) of a race other than your own (no exceptions), and this must be done at the time
of this course. It can not be a past experience and you must provide an artifact. The artifact may
be a program, contact information for someone confirming your attendance, a bulletin, or
something else that is pre-approved by the professor.
If you would like for me to consider an alternative event for your paper, that closely resembles
the task outlined here, please contact me within the next 7 days. Your ARTICAT will be KEY
for a passing grade on this submission.
Example:
If you are a White teacher in a predominantly minority school, visit a church for the ethnic group
most represented in your school (e.g. Latino or Black.) On the other hand, if you are minority
teacher in a predominantly white school, although you somewhat understand the feelings
involved, still visit a white congregationjust to be more conscious of this phenomenon.
It is recommended that you go alone, and to a smaller congregationwhich more closely
approximates the feelings minority kids experienced in a normal classroom. While there, if
possible, attempt to engage with the membersand note the experience and associated feelings.
The Paper:
Clearly divide your paper into three, sub-titled sections (Parts A, B, and C). You should have
clear heading in the paper that you submit.
PART A: 2-3 pages

As soon as the experience is over, answer the following questions:

In a paragraph or less, describe what experience you chose.

What was your first impression?
What thoughts went through your mind?
How did you feel being the minority in the room?
How did it impact your actions?
How successful were you in engaging the members of the experience?
Were there any surprises?

PART B: 2-3 pages

Think about another time when YOU felt that you were the "minority" in a situation (not only
racial, but gender, or even religious, etc.)

Tell us about the experience.

What was going on? How did you feel?
How were your actions or words impacted?
Identify similarities between this experience and the experience you completed for this
course.
Were there any notable differences?

PART C: 2-3 pages

Think about what you experienced. Be completely honest with yourself. Reflect for a moment
on your level of comfort, your honest thoughts, what you liked, what you did not like, and how
things impacted you. After your reflection is finished, answer the following questions / prompts:

Based upon the experience, what are 2-3 things that you learned or 2-3 things that you
believe about cultural diversity and / or minority populations?
How will this impact your classroom? How will this impact your interactions with all
students? With minority students?
Based upon the experience what you will do differently with instruction / planning?
Why is it important to experience the life of a minority, prior to teaching minority
students, or is it important at all?
What are your final thoughts about this experience and what are the most important
things that you will take away form this action research?
Do not forget the objective of this paper: making connections with the minority effect
in the classroom. Make the appropriate connections and identify the connections across
your paper.

ASSIGNMENT THREE: Book Study (200 points)

Choose a book from the list for your group. Read and create a summary of your book including:
Background information
-Author
-Character synopsis
-Setting
-Educational Issue
-Intended audience
Authors purpose in writing the book
-Be specific
-Make it personal
Theme of the book
Summary / Reader Reaction
Personal reflection of the story and the educational issues importance
*You will present the book to the class in an engaging format / A rubric will be provided.

ASSIGNMENT FOUR: Day book (200 points)

You will keep a daybook (or journal) for our class. This should be kept in an online format
which can be submitted at the end of our time together (it is suggested that you simply use a
WORD document, add entries as directed / needed, and then email the WORD document to me
by the designated deadline).

You will be asked to respond to certain questions in your daybook (or journal) along the way. I
will make you aware of the questions during class and online.

Aside from the entries I assign, you should also include the following items in your daybook (or
journal) as needed and without prompting, throughout the course:

-instructional strategies
-tips for planning
-assessment strategies
-the names of books
-useful web sites
-questions to be answered
-ways to increase student engagement
-goals
-action steps
-anything at all (it is yours to own!!).

Your daybook will be collected at the end of our time together.

ASSIGNMENT FIVE: Midterm and final exams: (100 Points each)

The Midterm will be a choice board exam format. The final will be a presentation of the Cultural
Project. Additional details will be shared throughout our time together.

Daybook Journal Rubric:

Daybook
Organization and
Completeness

Accomplished (50)

Proficient (40)

Emerging (30)

Journal is typed in 12- font

double- spaced.

Format is missing some

requirement such as font,
or lacks organization in
correct manner.

Not in format
specified.

Spelling, punctuation,
grammar and all general
mechanics are acceptable
with not more than 5 errors.

More than 5, but less than

8 errors.

Writing lacks correct

grammar and include
more than 8 errors in
mechanics.

Journal is organized by
weekly topic with
questions/Topics listed.
Content

Answers to questions are

thorough, thoughtful, and
insightful.
Proves that the reader can
read and analyze research in
the field and articulate its
importance to others.
Includes connections
between authors opinions
within the research and
personal opinions on the
topic. Personal connections
are substantiated with
research-based thoughts.

References

On time
Total Points

Answers to questions are

complete, but lack detail
and/or thoroughness.
Connections are not
evident to prove that the
reader fully understood
the topic presented and is
able to articulate its
importance.
Personal connections are
not evident, but could be
inferred.

All references within the

writing are in APA format.
It is evident that sources
were utilized in the
development of the
responses.

APA is used, but not

totally correct.

On time

1 to 2 days late

References were
mentioned, though not
completely referenced.

Answers to questions
are lacking in both
completeness and
detail. Connections
are weak and lack
substantiation.
It is not evident that
the reader understands
the topic presented.
No personal
connections are
evident.

APA is lacking in the

entry.

No references were
noted.
More than 2 days late

Cultural Experience Log

Date

Location

Total Hours Spent:

Email of Witness(es) listed above:

Name:

Amount of time
spent at location

Signature of Witness

Minority Experience Rubric/Score Sheet

Task

Writing

Accomplished (40)

Proficient (30)

Emerging (20)

The task chosen clearly

represents a minority
experience and
documentation is
provided that the event
occurred.

The task chosen

supports the premise
of minority experiences
but the student did not
place themselves in the
experience as a
minority.
Documentation is
provided that the event
occurred.

The task does not

represent a minority
experience or was not
approved by the
instructor

Mechanics and
grammar indicate that
the student has
adequate writing skills.
(No more than 7 errors
occur)

Writing is weak in
terms of mechanics and
grammar indicating the
need for editing. (More
than 7 errors)

Mechanics and
grammar indicate that
the paper was edited
and that sound writing
ability is present. (No
more than 5 errors)
Development of the
topic and flow of
writing are present.

Paper Part A

Paper Part B

Development of the
topic and flow of
writing are present.

Or
Documentation of the
event was not
provided.

Or
Development of the
topic and flow of
writing is present.

All questions are

addressed in the paper
using detailed
descriptions that allow
the reader to get a full
understanding of the
task.

Questions are
addressed though
lacking in detail to the
extent that it leaves
the reader wondering
about the experience in
terms of value.

Not all questions are

addressed

Personal comparison to
other minority
events/situations is
detailed and addresses

Personal comparison to
other minority
events/situations is
discussed though it is
lacking in detail or does

Personal connections
are weak and do not
address required areas.

Detail is lacking
Reader is not able to
discern what the
experience entailed.

Paper Part C

Total Points:

all required areas.

not address required

areas.

Summary and Personal

reflection is very
detailed/addresses all
relevant questions, and
discusses the minority
effect in the classroom.

Summary and Personal

reflection addresses all
relevant questions, and
discusses the minority
effect in the classroom

Summary and Personal

reflection lacks
detailed or does not
address all relevant
questions, or fails to
discusses the minority
effect in the classroom