2008 Course Syllabus
Dr. R. Deborah Davis
Teaching 103 Wilber Hall (office)
Culturally Relevant
Office Hours:
Wed. 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Email: rddavis@oswego.edu
Phone: 315-312-2652
117 Wilber Hall
Course Overview
Culturally relevant teaching combines an examination of the cultural and socioeconomic
influences on teaching and learning (KNOWLEDGE) with a commitment to challenging social
(and educational) injustice (SOCIAL JUSTICE). In this course we will make use of common
experiences (AUTHENTIC LEARNING) to examine the social/cultural (and political and
economic) characteristics of educational settings. We will also examine social structures of
race, class, gender, (dis)ability, and sexuality which create dominant and subordinate groups,
privileging some and denying opportunity to others in the educational processes. Candidates
will identify obvious and subtle individual, institutional, and cultural actions (REFLECTION)
that perpetuate social structures. Candidates will collaboratively generate ideas
(COLLABORATION) for challenging social structuring in the classroom (PRACTICE) and
developing culturally relevant practice and curriculum.
This course introduces you to the major goals, principles, and concepts of multicultural
education and Culturally Relevant Teaching. As our democratic nation becomes more culturally
diverse, it is increasingly apparent that a multicultural education benefits all students. However,
most of us have not experienced a multicultural education. For this reason, it is important to
consider teaching as a process of inquiry that includes learning more about cultural diversity.
Further, since multicultural education is intended to foster greater democracy, freedom, and
social justice within education, teachers can play a significant role in developing equitable
educational experiences. Acquiring these views will serve as a general focus for the course. Four
major skills will guide our study:

Clarifying key concepts and terminology,

Discovering multiple perspectives in culture and history,

Understanding cultural and individual differences in teaching and learning,

Becoming a culturally relevant teacher.
The course also includes an understanding of the principles of Generating Expectations for
Student Achievement (GESA ).
Major Course Goals
This course will help you:

Develop a clearer sense of your own ethnic or cultural identity,

Examine your attitudes toward diverse ethnic and socioeconomic groups,

Increase your knowledge about the histories, perspectives, contributions, and current
issues of major ethnic groups in the United States,

Develop ways to combat racism, sexism, classism, and other forms of discrimination in
classrooms, schools, and communities, and

Learn ways to include multicultural perspectives in your curriculum development and
teacher decision making.
Required Texts:
Banks, James A. (2009). Teaching Strategies for Ethnic Studies. 8th edition. Allyn & Bacon.
Banks. J. A. and Banks, C. A. (2007). Multicultural Education: Issues and Perspectives. 6th Edition.
Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Required Reading
Marx, S. (2006). Revealing the invisible: Confronting passive racism in teacher education. New York:
Routledge Taylor & Francis Group.
Derman-Sparks L., Ramsey, P. G. (2006). What if all the Kids are White?: Anti-bias multicultural
education with young children & families.. New York: Teachers College Press.
Additional readings supplied by Professor
****Note: If you have a disability that may require accommodations, please make an
appointment with me during the first two weeks of class. We will meet to discuss your
individual needs and plan for full participation and fair assessment through the Office of
Disability Services, 312-3358.
Attendance
Much of the value of this class comes from discussions and presentations. Also, course work is
often completed in teams. This approach relies on everyone=s responsibility to the class.
Regular attendance and participation is expected and will be recorded daily. Frequent
unexcused absences (more than two) will result in grade reduction by a minimum of 10 points.
Please Email me if you are ill or have a family emergency. If you miss class it is your responsibility to
find out what you missed from a classmate and get handouts from the professor.
Assignments
Cooperative work in inquiry teams is fundamental to this course. Several assignments will be
completed in inquiry teams. Your contribution to your team is important and earns 10% of
your grade. To facilitate teamwork, I will meet with teams/members outside class to discuss
assignments, answer questions and help resolve difficulties the group may experience. Team
members will receive both a joint grade and, individual grade for cooperative projects.
Individual reaction papers and/or in-class activities may be assigned at Professors discretion.
You are responsible for keeping a Process Journal. A process journal is intended to be a place
where your thoughts and feelings about readings, films, class presentations, small group
exercises, your field experiences, etc. are recorded. We will periodically set aside time for the
purpose of journal writing. Journal writing can be a very useful tool for processing information
we will be working with in class. I encourage you to use this tool to help you write your Final
Cultural Narrative paper. The journals will be checked periodically, but you are not required
to be turned in. All written assignments must be typed (12 Point) and double-spaced. Your
work will be evaluated primarily on its content however, it is important that assignments are
well-written. Please proofread and edit your work carefully, I use a 5 error/rewrite rule.
Assignments are due on time, unless prior arrangements are made with me. Late work will
result in a reduction of your grade for that assignment.
Initial Cultural Autobiography: (The Essential Question: Who Am I and what do I
bring?) The purpose of this assignment is for you to gain a deeper understanding of who
you are, how you came to develop your values and beliefs and what is significant about
your heritage and life experiences, particularly your home and educational experiences,
which constitute the lenses through which you view the world. In other words, you will
be starting to develop your own personal theory of action by looking back. This theory
will serve as the basis for all your actions, particularly as they relate to curriculum and
pedagogical decisions in the classroom. This assignment is designed to help you
understand and come to grips with any biases or assumptions you may take into the
classroom with you. The key to this assignment is reflection. This essay should be between
3-5 pages. (More detailed instructions will be given in class)
Individual Project: Each student will select or be assigned an individual (or group) topic or
chapter from Banks & Banks, Multicultural Education: Issues and Perspectives, 7th Ed.
Each student will be expected to present a written report and do an oral presentation.
The written report should be 3 or 4 typed pages and the report should be turned in the
same day of the oral presentation. The oral presentation will be a teach-in: You will
model, demonstrate and teach your classmates about the important themes, issues,
events and background information in the selected chapter. In other words show how
the content in your chapter can be used to develop culturally relevant instructional
materials for your grade level(s). You are expected to use a variety of teaching/learning
activities during your teach-in.
Multicultural Encounter. The best cross-cultural experiences are those that explore deep
culture rather than surface culture and those that involve personal social interaction
rather than observation from a distance. You will participate in a hands-on multicultural
experience that takes you out of your own culture to learn about another culture. You
will complete a cross-cultural experience and describe the experience in a 2 page, typed
paper. The paper should describe the experience and explain how it expanded your
cultural awareness, knowledge about a cultural perspective, or growth towards greater
understanding and tolerance for a cultural group different from your own. Examples
might include attending ORI events around the selected book, religious services, fine arts
and dramatic performances or exhibitions, a gay community event if you are straight,
speeches with cultural themes, and ethnic festivals and performances.
First Book Reaction Paper (Due Session 6) In a literature circle you will reflect on the
characters’ experiences in terms of social structures (race, class, gender, ability, sexuality)
and reflect on how your philosophy of teaching may be affected by having discussed the
book Revealing the invisible: Confronting passive racism in teacher education Cooperate with your
inquiry team to analyze and discuss the book. Discuss the profiled tutors and their
experience grappling with passive racism and or white identity. Choose someone whom
you find especially compelling and explain why you feel this way. How are they different?
How are they similar and dissimilar to you? What does this individual have in common
with your thinking? Write an individual reaction paper to the book; what you learned
about assumptions and culture in the U.S.; your personal reactions; and how this book
might affect you as a teacher. The paper should be approx. 3-4 pages. Please include
specific examples to support your analysis. Discuss implications for culturally relevant
teaching. What implications do you see for your life at this time and for your future work
as a teacher? Be sure to include specific examples from the book.
Learning-Teaching Context Study (approximately 3 pages)
This assignment is a component of the Teacher Work
Sample(TWS)assessment required in your Methods class.
Candidates are required to purchase and use iWebFolio
for recording TWS assignment.(Details given in Methods class)
You must describe the context in which you teach including the characteristics of the school,
classroom, and students. This Learning-Teaching Context paper must incorporate your
knowledge of individual differences; learner characteristics (e.g., race, class, gender, ability,
linguistic community, etc); and environmental factors that impact learning and teaching. You
should describe only those factors in the learning-teaching context that directly impact your teaching and
student learning. For each factor you describe, you must analyze how that factor impacts the teaching of your
instructional sequence and your students= learning.
Ethnic Study and Presentation (Due session 8-9) For this assignment you will be in different
groups (by Ethnic groups studied). You will read, discuss and analyze the ethnic group
histories in Bennett, chapters 4 or 5, (5th Edition) and specific data chapters in Aguirre (4th
edition) as assigned. Prepare a 30 minute class presentation to share your work. Details
will follow.
Second Book Reaction Paper (Due Session 11) In a literature circle you will reflect on the
characters’ experiences in terms of social structures (race, class, gender, ability, sexuality)
and reflect on how your philosophy of teaching may be affected by having discussed the
book. For the first paper, each inquiry team will read What if all the Kids are White?: Anti-bias
multicultural education with young children & families. Cooperate with your inquiry team to
discuss and analyze the book. Write an individual reaction paper to the book; what you
learned about people and culture in the U.S.; your personal reactions; and how this book
might affect you as a teacher. The paper should be 3-5 pages. Please include specific
examples to support your analysis.
Cultural Narrative Paper ( Due Final Session) The Cultural Narrative paper is an overarching, synthesizing mini-essay (5-7 pages) that identifies and analyzes themes or
concerns that are significant to you. The essay focuses on yourself as a learner in this
course, using your previous writing as data. Here are some questions to consider: What
issues and themes in the course really held your attention and called forth an intellectual
and emotional response? Have your views on important issues changed or deepened? What
ideas, issues or experiences were of continual interest to you? Why do you think they were
significant? What did you learn from your practicum assignment? Has your view of
yourself and/or beliefs about teaching changed in any way? How do you see these changes
(if there have been some) connected to the course experience?
Grades
Traditional A-E structure will be used. Grading will be criterion-referenced. Evaluation
criteria, and issues of fairness and consistency will be discussed prior to assignments.
Assignments vary in worth in terms of percentage of the final grade.
Each assignment is graded out of 100 points. An assignments total effect on your grade is based
on the percentage weights shown below:
Participation, Preparation and Process Journal ……………………………………………………………10
Initial Cultural Autobiography (Due Session 2)…………………………………………………………. 5
Individual Project Presentation ………………………………………………………………………………………..15
Multicultural Encounter……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 10
First Book Reaction Paper (Due Session 6)………………………………………………………………….. 10
Learning-Teaching Context Study (Due Session 7)………………………………………………….. 10
Second Book Reaction Paper (Due Session 11)…………………………………………………………….. 10
Ethnic Study and Presentation (Due session 8-9)………………………………………………………. 15
Cultural Narrative Paper ( Due Final Session)…………………………………………………………….. 15
Letter grades are earned. The following are percentage points. A 94-100, A- 90-93, B+ 87-89, B
84-86, B- 80-83, C+ 77-79, C 74-76, C- 70-73, D 69 or less E (repeat).
Wednesday Class
Course Sequence
Davis 2008
Session 1
Aug 27
Introductions and Multicultural Pursuit
Overview of Course Syllabus, book selection
Introduction to group work and Inquiry Teams
Readings for next week (by author): Ndura; McIntosh; Nile & Stratton
Assignment: Write your Cultural Autobiography (due next week)
Cultural Introductions: “Who am I and what do I bring?”
Discussion from readings: Contextual overlap
Video: A Place at the Table (Starting Small)
Reading: Banks Chap 1-4
Session 2
Sept 3
Cultural
Autobiography
DUE
Session 3
What is Multicultural Education?
Sept 10
Viewing and discussion of Freedom Writers Diary
Readings: Banks & Banks - Chap 2 – by Erickson
Session 4
The Deep Meaning of Culture - Activity
Sept 17
What is Culture/Ethnicity and why does it matter?
Readings: Banks & Banks – Chapter 1 & Chapter 10
Begin First book: - Revealing the Invisible chapters 1-5
Session 5
Learning Context / Culturally Relevant Teaching
Sept 24
Viewing & discussion of film: Race: The Power of an Illusion 2
Readings: Banks & Banks – Chapters 3 & Chapter 4
Revealing the Invisible chapters 5 – 9
Multicultural
Encounter
Due
Session 6
Topics: Social Class/ Role of Race – Presentation – Chapters 3 & 4
Oct 1
Guest: Dr Stephanie Waterman
Readings: Banks & Banks – Chapters 5 & Chapter 6
Handout: Mulvihill & Swaminathan- “I Fight Poverty. I Work!”
Session 7
Oct 8
First Book
Reaction
DUE
Topic: Poverty, Classroom Climate and Gender Equity (include Practicum)
Presentation – Chapters 5 & 6
Video: Race: The Power of an Illusion Part 3
Readings: Banks & Banks – Chapters 7 & 8 & 9
Begin Second Book: What if All the Kids are White Chps 1-4
Session 8
Oct 15
Topic: Culturally Relevant Teaching and Classroom Climate
Presentations – Chapters 7 &8 & 9
Video & discussion: Last Chance for Eden
Learning
Readings: Banks & Banks – Chapters 11 & 12
Context
Study DUE
Second Book: What if all the Kids are White? – chaps 4-end
Session 9
Topic: Perspectives on Equality – Presentations – Chapters 11 & 12
Oct 22
* Introduce Ethnic Group Study Group Project *
Readings: Banks & Banks – Chapters 13 & 14
Assigned chapters in Banks for Ethnic Study Group Project
Session 10
Topics: Equity and Inclusion in Schools – Presentations – Chapters 13 & 14
Oct 29
Book Talk - (What if all the Kids are White?)
Readings: Handout – Bennett: Ch9 pgs 321-340 and lessons assigned
Session 11
Ethnic Study Groups meet to prepare Teach-ins
Nov 5
(NAME Conference)
Readings: in Banks for Ethnic Study Group Project
Second Book
Reaction DUE
Session 12
Nov 12
Ethnic Study Presentations D UE Groups 5 & 6 & 7 Teach- ins
(Limit: 30 min. each group for presentation)
Session 13
Nov 19
Ethnic Study Presentations DUE Groups 8 & 9 Teach- ins
(Limit: 30 min. each group for presentation)
Nov 26
NO CLASSES
THANKSGIVING RECESS
Session 14
Dec 3
Ethnic Study Presentations DUE Groups 10 & 11 & 12 Teach- ins
(Limit: 30 min. each group for presentation)
Session 15
Dec 10
Ethnic Study Presentations DUE Groups 13 & 14 Teach- ins
Ethnic Cultural Fest
Final Cultural
Narratives DUE
Participation, Preparation and Process Journal …………………………………………………………… 10
Initial Cultural Autobiography (Due Session 2)…………………………………………………………. 5
Individual Project Presentation ……………………………………………………………………………….………..15
Multicultural Encounter…(Due Session 5)…………………………………………………………………. 10
First Book Reaction Paper (Due Session 6………………………………………………………………….. 10
Learning-Teaching Context Study)…(Due session 8…………………………………….………….. 10
Second Book Reaction Paper (Due Session 11)…………………………………………………………….. 10
Ethnic Study and Presentation (Due session as listed)……………………………………………. 15
Cultural Narrative Paper ( Due Final Session)…………………………………………………………….. 15
Letter grades are earned. The following are percentage points. A 94-100, A- 90-93, B+ 87-89, B
84-86, B- 80-83, C+ 77-79, C 74-76, C- 70-73, D 69 or less E (repeat).