EDUC 660
Dimensions of Diversity for Education:
Students, Families, Cultures, and Communities
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Recommended Texts
Gollnick, D. M. & Chinn, P.C. (2009). (8th Ed). Multicultural education in a pluralistic society. New Jersey:
Merrill Prentice Hall (rental).
Cone, J. H. (2012). The Cross and the Lynching Tree. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis (Purchase)
Ravitch, D. (2010a). The Death and Life of the Great American School System New York, NY: Basic Books.
(Purchase)
Griffin, J. H. (2010) Black Like Me (order 50th Anniversary Edition) New York: Signet
(Purchase).
Course Description (3 credit hours): This is a core course for persons pursuing a master’s degree in
education. This course focuses on meeting the cultural, linguistic, and educational needs of diverse learners
in schools through differentiated instruction and assessment. It also focuses on positive partnerships that can
be developed between schools, students, their families, and their communities to foster cross cultural
interactions, cultural understanding, social and economic development, and academic achievement.
Graduate students enrolled in this course will be required to participate in a three hour class and complete 10
hours of field experiences which include fieldtrips to culturally and/or linguistically different sites or
communities to interact with residents and students.
Conceptual Framework
In order to successfully plan, develop, and implement curricula to meet the needs of diverse
learners in today’s world and to prepare candidates for the future, the College of Education
(COE) has identified four critical components of The Effective Educator: Professional
Standards (PS), Knowledge of Learner (KL), Strategies and Methods (SM), and Content
Knowledge (CK). Diversity is an integral part of each component, and Technology is
emphasized throughout all programs in the educational unit. The Conceptual Framework
provides direction for the development of effective professionals.
Course Objectives to be achieved upon completion of this course are to
1. to define culture and value/promote diversity;
2. to promote equity and equality in education by becoming familiar with the laws and policies on the
education of diverse learners on the basis of national origin, gender, exceptionality, age, and
ethnicity;
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3. to explore cultural, social, linguistic, economic, and familial pluralism in communities and their
influence on student achievement.;
4. to examine effective partnerships and resources between schools, students, families, and
communities;
5. to experience direct interactions with culturally different community members or students;
6. to use differentiated instructional and assessment techniques that address the educational needs of
diverse students; and
7. to infuse technology and multicultural activities in lessons to enhance students’ learning.
Bibliography
Banks, J. (2001). Suggested methods for teaching about racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity
and public policies. Cultural Diversity and Education. Foundations, Curriculum and
Teaching. Needham Heights, MA 02494: Allyn and Bacon.
Banks, J.A., & Banks, C.A.M.(Eds). (1995). Handbook of research on multicultural education.
New York: Macmillian.
Cummins, J. (2002). Rights and responsibilities of educators of bilingualbicultural children. In L. D. Soto (Ed.), Making a difference in the lives of
bilingual-bicultural learners. New York: Peter Lang Publishers.
Chamberlain, S., Guerra, P., & Garcia, S. (1999). Intercultural communication in the
classroom. Austin, TX: Southwest Educational Development Laboratory.
Davis, C., Kea, C., & Trent, S. (2002). African American student teachers’ perceptions about
preparedness to teach students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Multicultural
Perspectives, 4 (1), 18-25.
Epstein, J. L. (2001). School, family, and community partnerships: Preparing educators and
improving schools. Boulder, CO: Westview.
Fishman, J. (1989). Language and ethnicity in minority sociolinguistic perspective. Clevedon,
England: Multilingual Matters.
Gay, G. (2000). Culturally responsive teaching: Theory, research, and practice. New York:
Teachers College Press.
Gollnick, D. M. & Chinn, P.C. (2004). (6th Ed). Multicultural education in a pluralistic society.
New Jersey: Merrill Prentice Hall
Kenneth M. Johns and Nena Torrez, Helping ESL Learners Succeed (Phi Delta Kappa
Educational Foundation, Bloomington, Indiana, 2001).
Kirylo, J. (2006). Working with a diverse student population: The mission is not to save, but to
reflectively teach. NCPEA Connexions. Retrieved October 23, 2006 from
http://cnx.org/content/m14073/latest/
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Kirylo, J. D., & Nauman, A. (2006). The depersonalization of education and the language of
accountability: A view from a local newspaper. Journal of Curriculum and Pedagogy, (3)1,
187-206.
Kirylo, J. (2006). Preferential Option for the Poor: Making a Pedagogical Choice. Childhood
Education,82(5), 266-270 (Annual Theme Issue).
Kirylo, J (Winter 2005/2006). Lessons: Katrina and Beginning Anew. Childhood Education,82(2),
95-97.
Kirylo, J. (2005). The Seduction of Being Entrenched in the Circuit of Our Own Truth and the
Antidote of Humility Journal of Curriculum and Pedagogy, (2)2, 28-30.
Kirylo, J. (2005). Separation of Church and State and Public Schools: A Guide for Parents.
Association for Childhood International (ACEI SPEAKS Brochure).
Kirylo, J.D. (2001, Spring). A historical overview of liberation theology: Some implications for the
Christian educator. Journal of Research on Christian Education, 10(1), 53-86.
Kirylo, J. (1999). The discourse of the spirituality of liberation theology in curriculum theory. Journal
of Curriculum Theorizing, 15(1), 77-87.
Lindsey, R., Robins, K., Terrell, R. (2003). Overcoming the barrier to cultural proficiency.
Cultural Proficiency. A manual for school leaders. California: Corwin Press, Inc.
Nieto, S. (1999). In the light of their eyes: Creating multicultural learning communities. New
York: Teachers College Press.
Pang, V. (2001). How can I make the curriculum culturally meaningful?. Multicultural
Education. New York: McGraw-Hill.