Course Explorations: Detailed Descriptions and Criteria

Forum Questions:

These questions are designed to guide your research, your examination of students if you are in a field practicum, your dialog/discussion with your peers and the instructor. You will need to research these questions/topics using various resources. These include: Multicultural Education: A caring-centered, reflective approach, resources including web links, E-library resources, and any other appropriate resources you wish to use.  It is expected that your personal experiences will also guide you in forming your comments on the forum.

Glossaries

These glossaries may help you define terms used in the course.  One of them was created especially for use with ED 419/519.

 WEB Resources

Web Resources are sites on the web that I have found.  I am always interested in other useful sites and will add them if you share them with me.  The Sites are divided into three categories:  "Distance Education" leads to Oregon State University Valley Library tutorials on how to use the library from a distance and much more. "Hubs" lead to many web sites off campus or out-of-state. "Destinations" usually have specific useful material, but will probably also lead to other sites.

Journal Entries

Five (or more) journal entries, completed as an interactive journal with the
instructor through email.   Please title each entry. (Journal entries submitted approximately every other week).

• Related issues to own life or future classroom
• Authentic voice, perhaps out of comfort zone
• Organization (e.g. title, five entries well spaced)

Annotated Bibliography (2 contributions, one may be an extra book read from the list in syllabus)

Connect to the Librarian's assignment page for more detail.

• APA Format for Citation
• Short description and Reason why you chose this material
• Five questions you would have for the author or others

Observe with Fresh Eyes

This activity helps us to look at children, and adults for that matter, with "Fresh Eyes."  We can begin to see beyond our quickly formed stereotypes or assumptions.  We can also begin to value each child for some specific characteristics.

Multiple-Intelligent, Multicultural Ability Ranking

This activity may be connected to self-studies on learning styles, a lesson on
multiple intelligences, diversity among ethnic groups, and/or general appreciation of others.  It helps to level the playing field for it recognizes the value in multiple intelligences.  Verbal/Linguistic Intelligence is the form of intelligence that dominates most Western educational systems.  Focus on the other intelligences brings us closer to valuing ways of knowing valued by other cultures.

Racial Identity Development

These four stages andrelated schemas are carefully explained in Janet Helm's book Black and White Racial Identity. It is a natural process we seem to go through as we integrate new information and question our assumptions.  The racial identity models are based on research on the learning and development of many people.
 

Four Step Process that works

An article by Beatrice Fennimore describes a process for addressing stereotypical statements.  For this activity complete a sample dialogue with your discussant using this four-step process.

Choice Activity

•  Interview an educator about a multicultural activity, submit a short report.
•  Locate 3 relevant current events, share with others.
• Take the IAT (see below)
•  Design “Its OK” for use in your internship classroom (see examples).
•  Find the “Gifts in Each” in your internship classroom or adapt the activity.  (see Observe).
• Another activity you propose (If you are enrolled in ED 419 you may do a simpler version of an option for ED 519 listed on the syllabus

Implicit Association Test

It is well known that people don't always 'speak their minds', and it is suspected that people don't always 'know their minds'.  Understanding such divergences is important to scientific psychology.  This web site presents a new method that demonstrates public-private and conscious-unconscious divergences much more convincingly than has been possible with previous methods. It also displays the method in a do-it-yourself demonstration form.  This new method is called the Implicit Association Test, or IAT for short.

View scenario: The Teacher and the Parent

This skit was written and produced by a team for ED 419 in Summer 1996.  It has been revised for use on this web course.  Please complete the related forum question before linking to the skit.  Also, this skit may take a long time to load in your machine or it may be inaccessible from your computer.  It is important enough to find a system that will run it.

Synthesis Paper

This paper should be between one and two pages.  It should include material and insights generated from this course.  Excerpts from journals, other coursework, readings, etc., are encouraged. It is suggested that you write this with the idea of including it in your professional portfolio. Submit this paper to the instructor electronically or in hard copy.

• References to readings, journals, films, teamwork, etc.
• Multiple points of view and own perspective clear
• Examples of applications in your future classroom