UW/CC- College of Education
Developing Competent and Democratic Professionals
COURSE SYLLABUS
EDCI 4450/5440 - Issues in Multicultural Education
Spring 2010
Instructor:
Dr. John Kambutu
Tate Museum 124
(307) 268-2584
kambutu@uwyo.edu
www.uwyo.edu/kambutu
Office Hrs:
Monday & Wednesday 10:00 am– 12:00p.m. or by appointment
Class time:
Monday 4:00 – 6:50 p.m. (TM 108)
Credits:
3
Course outline:
This course provides teachers and other interested learners with a better understanding of current issues
and social foundations of multicultural America. In this course, multicultural topics, including class,
gender, race and other constructs of differences are explored. The historical, sociological, cultural,
political, philosophical and pedagogical foundations of multicultural education are examined. While
various practical aspects of implementing multicultural education are addressed, the primary focus is on
the theoretical and conceptual aspects of multicultural education such as: 1) Elements of a quality
classroom, 2) Inclusive classroom, 3) Assessment, 4) Hidden versus overt curriculum, 5) Trends towards
an impartial pedagogy, and 6) Development of an affirming learning culture.
Objectives:
1. Describe, compare and contrast major issues in diversity and equity literature and their
implications for teaching and learning.
2. Increase awareness of one’s own cultural biases, values and beliefs.
3. Explore the impact of cultural biases, values and beliefs on the “other.”
4. Expand the options available to educators to respond to cultural diversity in instructional settings.
5. Develop conceptual models and frameworks to guide educational practice.
Required Text:
Gollnic , D.M. & Chinn, P.C. (2009). Multicultural education in a pluralistic society. Upper Saddle
River, New Jersey & Columbus, Ohio: Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall.
Recommended text:
 Chartock, R.K. (2010). Strategies for culturally responsive teaching: A primer for K-12 teachers.
New York: Pearson.
 Obiakor, F.E. (2001). It even happens in good schools: Responding to Cultural diversity in
today’s classrooms. Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin Press
 Robins, K. N., Lindsey, R.B., Lindsey, D.B., Terrell R.D. (2002). Culturally proficient
instruction: A guide for people who teach. Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin Press
 Smith, P. G. (1998). Common sense about uncommon knowledge: The knowledge bases for
diversity. Washington D.C.: AACTE.
 Loewen, J. W. (1995). Lies my teacher told me. New York: Simon & Schuster.
2



Nieto, S. (2003). What keeps teachers going? New York: Teachers College.
Demarn-Sparks, L. & NAEYC ABC Task Force (1998 or current edition). Anti-bias curriculum:
Tools for empowering Young children. Washington, D.C.: National Association for the Education
of Young Children (NAEYC).
Other resources provided throughout the semester.
Course structure:
My philosophy as a course facilitator is that the learner should be involved in the learning process of
which he or she is part. Thus, I will create opportunities to enable learners to be responsible for their own
learning. Additionally, I expect learners to engage critical thinking skills as informed by the following
essential questions recommended by (Sirotnick,1990):
Knowledge:
What do I want to learn or what did I learn?
Inquiry:
What questions do I have or what questions does this reading, etc. raise?
Competence:
How has the knowledge gained helped me become a better person?
Social Justice:
How will I promote justice and fairness for all due to the knowledge
gained?
Evaluation:
Your work will be based on an A - F scale. Incomplete (X grade) may not be awarded. Successful
completion of the course depends on regular class attendance, active participation in the whole learning
process (discussions, critiques, presentations, and evaluations) and completion of all assignments. You
may miss one class without penalty. Each additional absence may adversely affect your semester grade.
Punctuality is expected at all times. Students seeking graduate credits are expected to perform at graduate
level. Additionally, unsatisfactory grade on assignments designated by a * will progressively lower final
semester grade.
Grading:
Your final grade will be based on the scores accrued from the following activities:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
1 test and a final exam @ 15 points each
6 topical reflections/reactions @ 10 points each
Graded participation and impromptus
Research project (60 points), presentation (10 points) &
handout (5 points)
*Lead class discussions (for EDCI 5440 only)
*Course portfolio ( for EDCI 5440 only)
30 points
60 points
45 points
75 points
Satisfactory
Satisfactory
Grades:
196 – 210
A
162– 178
C
179 – 195
B
145 – 161
D
UW Grading Scale: 93-100% = A, 86-92% = B, 78-85% = C, 70-77% = D
Topical reflections/reactions to lectures, discussions and assigned readings.
In your written reflections or reactions, provide a minimum of two responses (1 point each) to the
following questions: a) Knowledge: What do you know now that you did not know before? b)
Competence: How has the knowledge gained helped you become a better person? c) Social Justice: What
is your plan to promote justice and fairness in your classroom or community? d) Other: What is the “big
picture?”.. (connections to previous discussions, readings, etc., personal opinions, conclusion, questions,
recommendations, etc.). Please use class text and other relevant scholarly materials to support 80 % of
your reflections and/or reactions. Each reflection/reaction should be maximum 2 pages- double spaced.
60 points @ 10 points each- Due on Mondays only
3
Research project and presentation. In preparation for becoming a “teacher-researcher,” consider a
question about teaching in multicultural America whose answer interests you. Each learner, then, is
expected to select and study (collect actual raw data) an area of interest in relation to course
topics/themes. A scholarly research study involves the following steps:
 Finding and framing a question of study (what are you studying/problem?)
 Literature review (library research of what others have said about your question/problem)
 Selecting data collecting tools (Survey, observation, interviews, journaling, tests, students’ work
samples, documentary evidence, etc.)
 Collecting data… (collect actual data through interviews, survey, observations, experiments, etc.)
 Analyzing data (what does the data you collected say or mean?- You may use quotes, comments,
numerical data, and recorded observations to support your findings.)
 Drawing conclusions and recommendations (How will this knowledge impact your work? What
do you want to share with other educators?)
Possible Topics:
Learning in a multicultural classroom, class/SES and learning, poverty and learning, ESL/ELL
(English Language Learners), cultural identity, identity development, holiday celebrations in the
classroom, gender and learning, race and learning, differentiated instruction, special education,
parental involvement, educational material, NCLB, teachers and anti-bias curriculum, diverse
classroom, extracurricular activities, assessment, communication, multiage classrooms,
democracy, etc.
Format:
Write your project in a paper format (maximum 5 pages (double spaced) for EDCI 4450 and 10 pages
for EDCI 5440. Your paper should have the following information:
 Project title
 Abstract (50 words or less)
 Literature review (library findings of what other scholars have said about your problem
or question of study)
 Methodology
o State the problem or questions of study
o Data collection- Describe what you did (who was your population/sample, did
you interview, survey, experiment, etc.?) to answer your question of study
o Findings--- write an analysis of the information you got from your data
o Conclusions and recommendations (one paragraph or so about the “big picture”
from your study.
 References—APA format is encouraged
Presentation
You’ll present (15 minutes) your research project in class. Please make a one-page summary
handout (PowerPoint handout not acceptable) to share with classmates.
25 points for project, 3 points for presentation and 2 points for handout—Due on
4/26 & 5/3
*Lead a class discussion regarding assigned readings (for EDC1 5440 only)
Learners will lead or guide one class discussion using assigned chapter/s. It is your responsibility to
identify activities, probes and materials that will further understanding of the assigned readings. These are
not formal presentations. Rather, you are expected to “teach” paying attention to various learning
processes.
4
*Course portfolio (for EDCI 5440 only)
This portfolio is intended to synthesize and organize the work you have completed throughout the
semester. Thus, a satisfactory portfolio will contain the following pieces: a) Cover page, b) Table of
contents, c) Portfolio introduction and a brief synthesis of the knowledge gained. Discuss briefly how the
knowledge and or skills learned have prepared you for multicultural education, D) Other--- such as copies
of work completed and diversity resources you intend to use in your classroom, and E) Portfolio
conclusion.
Note: * Unsatisfactory grade/s will progressively lower your final semester grade
Academic honesty:
The University of Wyoming is built upon a strong foundation of integrity, respect and trust. All members
of the university community have a responsibility to be honest and the right to expect honesty from
others. Any form of academic dishonesty is unacceptable to our community and will not be tolerated
(from the UW General Bulletin). Students should report suspected violations of standards of academic
honesty to the instructor, department head, or dean. Other University regulations can be found at:
http://uwadmnweb.uwyo.edu/legal/universityregulations.htm
Disability:
If you have any physical, learning, or psychological disability that requires accommodations, please let
me know as soon as possible. You will need to register with, and provide documentation of
your disability to the University of Wyoming Disability Support Services in SEO, Room 330 Knight Hall.
Tentative schedule:
Some of these areas and or sections will be discussed in great details, others in passing, while others
may be over-looked altogether. Other relevant topic/s not included in this schedule may be explored.
Date
Jan. 11
Topic
Climate setting, introductions, etc..
Assigned Readings
Chap. 1
Jan. 18
Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Class Excused)
Jan. 25
Human taxonomy
Feb. 1
Human taxonomy
Reflection on foundations of multicultural ed. due
Feb. 8
Foundations of Multicultural ed.
Reflection on race due
Feb. 15
President’s Day (Class excused)
Feb. 22
Ethnicity & Race
Test one
Chap. 2
March 1
Ethnicity & Race
Reflection on class &SES due
Chap. 2
March 8
Spring Break (Class Excused)
March 15
Class & Social Economic Status
Provided resources
Chap. 1
Chap. 3
5
March 22
Reflection on gender due
Gender
Reflection on exceptionality & language due
Chap. 4
March 29
Exceptionality & Language
Reflection on religion & age due
Chap. 5/6
April 5
Research Projects (formal class meeting excused)
April 12
Religion & age
Chap. 7/9
April 19
Education that is multicultural
Test Two
Chap. 10
April 26
Presentations – (Members of teams 1 & 2)
Research paper due
May 3
Presentations – (Members of teams 3 & 4)
Research paper due
May 10
Finals’ week
Please react in writing (one page- double spaced) to the following statement:
People with a shared group identity (Middle class, Poor, Hispanics, Whites, Christians, Muslims,
American Indians, etc.) have identical life experiences and values- same joys, sufferings, and
desires.
6
EDCI 4450/5440 - Issues in Multicultural Education Research Project Assessment Rubric
Focus: Selection
of relevant
topic/issue
(Multicultural
issues in the
classroom)
Organization:
Project title,
Abstract (50
words or less),
sub-headings and
writing mechanics
Review of
Literature..
(library findings
of what other
scholars have said
about your
problem or
question of study)
Methodology…
Describe what you
did (sample
description, data
collection…
interviews,
surveys,
experiments, etc.)
Study report
0 point
* No clear area
of focus for the
study, inquiry
question(s)
vague
0 point
* Does not have
title, abstract
and subheadings. Has
multiple writing
errors- grammar,
spelling &
punctuation
3 points
* There is no
attempt to
connect the
study to existing
literature on the
topic
1 point
* Area of focus
is evident, but
too broad or
narrow; inquiry
question(s)
poorly written
1 point
* Incomplete
format.. has title
and abstract, but
no sub-headings.
Has a few
writing errors
3 points
* A clear area of
focus statement;
inquiry
question(s) clear
and appropriate
5 points
*Sources are
cited, but fail to
support the
project clearly
10 points
* Multiple
sources are cited
that support the
project clearly
1 point
* No evidence
of method used.
Lacks sample
description, and
data sources
don’t match
inquiry
question(s)
2 points
* Data collection
method is stated,
sample is
described, but
data sources
roughly match
the inquiry
question(s)
1 point
*Narrative is
hard to read
and/or
uninteresting
5 points
*Narrative uses
headings to
guide the reader.
Narrative is well
organized and
partially
interesting to
read
3 points
* Follows clear
format. Effective
writing style
5points
* Area of focus
and inquiry
questions are
succinct…
relevant to
diversity
5 points
* Follows a
clear format and
is error free
15 points
* Multiple
sources that
provide a solid
grounding for
the study are
evident. As a
result, learner
shows a better
understanding of
the area of study
5 points
10 points
* Data collection *Data collection
method is clearly method is
stated, and
clearly stated,
sources match the and provides
inquiry
rich information
question(s)
that responds
directly to
inquiry
question(s)
10 points
15 points
*Narrative is
*Narrative is
interesting, well
provocative and
organized and
written at a
insightful. It
higher level in
communicates
an academic
important and/or style.
complex
information, but
it is still easy to
read
7
Findings and
Recommendation
s based on study
References…
work cited is
referenced both in
text and in
reference page
(APA format is
encouraged)
Presentation…15
minutes to share
research project
with whole class.
Handout … onepage project
summary to share
with classmates
(Powerpoint notes
not acceptable)
COMMENTS:
0 point
* No clear
findings and or
recommendation
s
2 points
* Findings are
stated; some
recommendation
s are included
3 points
*Findings and
recommendations
are stated clearly.
Recommendation
s relate clearly to
the findings of
the study
3 points
*Citations are
provided, but
some references
are missing or
have errors
5 points
* Findings and
recommendation
s are stated
clearly. Learner
provides
suggestions for
further study.
5 points
* Citations are
provided error
free
0 points
*No citation
provided either
in text or in
reference page
1 point
* Citation is
provided, but
not following a
particular style
2 points
* Presentation
was unclear
and/or concepts
were
misrepresented.
Poorly
organized and/or
difficult to
follow; audience
was not engaged
3 points
* Presentation
was easy to
follow, but some
parts were
confusing and/or
unclear.
Audience was
interested and
engaged most of
the time
5 points
* Presentation
was well
organized, clear
and easy to
follow. All
specified areas
discussed.
Audience was
interested and
engaged fully
1 point
*Handout
provided, but
lacked details
3 points
*Handout was
detailed and easy
to read
10 points
* Presentation
was thorough,
detailed,
creative, clear
and easy to
follow.
Audience was
intrigued and
was engaged the
entire time.
Learner shows
evidence of deep
understanding of
the research
process
5 points
*Superior
handout both in
design and
content
0 point
* No handout