University of South Carolina
College of Education
EDTE 776 Educating African American Students
June 8- July 2, 2009
1:00-3:15 p.m.
CDRC 219
"Education is how a society hands out its life chances. How it gives people options.
Philosophers sometimes say the best definition of freedom is a good range of options. A
new revolution in learning would give many more Americans real freedom."
I.
Peter Jennings
Descriptive Information:
A. Course Number and Title:
EDTE 778 Educating African American Students
B. Bulletin Description:
An analysis of historical and contemporary factors that influence the
education of African American children in the U.S. Emphasis on the
knowledge, skills and dispositions required by educators and parents to
provide an effective and equitable education for African American
students (3 credit hours).
C. Course Credit: 3 credit hours
D. Prerequisites: None
Corequisites: None
E. Intended Audience: Education majors --masters degree or above
F. Instructor: Dr. Gloria Boutte
104 Wardlaw
Phone: 777-2018
gsboutte@mailbox.sc.edu
G. Office Hours:
II.
By appointment
Statement and Course Goals and Objectives
A.
Goal: To develop proficiency using culturally relevant pedagogy and
effective educational strategies for African American students.
B.
Objectives:
1. Examine the challenges and opportunities for educating African American
students in urban, rural, and suburban environments.
2. Examine historical and contemporary perspectives on educating African
American children
1
3. Analyze the explanations of differential achievement of African American
children and other children of color.
4. Evaluate research on aspects of the school experiences of African American
students.
5. Describe the characteristics of successful school/classroom models that promote
high achievement among African American children from various socioeconomic
statuses.
6. Design and implement culturally relevant lessons and activities for African
American students.
7. Compare and contrast the rules for African American Language and Standard
English.
8. Demonstrate knowledge of African American culture in written assignments and
class discussions.
III.
Required Texts, Resources and Key Readings:
A.
Ladson-Billings, G. (2009). The dreamkeepers. Successful teachers of African
American children (2nd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Perry, T., Steele, C., & Hilliard, A. III. (2003). Young, gifted, and Black:
Promoting high achievement among African-American students. Boston: Beacon
Press.
Additional required readings are posted on Blackboard.
B.
C.
IV. Academic Course Requirements:
A.
Participation (100 points)-- You are expected to attend all classes and to be
prepared to discuss major points (read required readings and complete
assignments). It is your responsibility to obtain any missed assignments or notes
from other students enrolled in the course. Grade for participation includes active
and informed participation in the class.
B.
Daily Reports (13 @ 20 points each)
For most class meetings, you will give a brief oral report on one of the assigned
readings. At the beginning of class, a few minutes will be allotted for
collaboration with others who were assigned the same reading.
Your 5-7 minute mini-report should include:
1.
An analyses of salient points for the reading. Do not just summarize the
reading or give definitions. Efforts to make the presentation engaging
are expected. For example, a visual, song, student work,
quote, or other symbol which conveys a major point of the reading will
make the report more interesting
2
2.
3.
4.
5.
A critique of the reading in terms of its usefulness to your life/profession,
educational implications, problems with the concept, and its relationship
to other readings (from this and other courses). This is an important
aspect of the assignment.
Points that you found most compelling or points that you resisted
Points which need clarity.
New insights that will be helpful for teaching African American students
and possible related strategies.
**While the mini oral report is a group report and the group will collectively
receive one grade, each student should have his or her notes available instead of
relying on memory for the reports. Additionally, I will routinely elicit individual
reports during the discussion. For Blackboard assignments, a written report with
all of the components above will be email to me at gsboutte@mailbox.sc.edu by
midnight on the day that the assignment is due.
C.
MAJOR PROEJCT: CHOOSE 1 OR 2. (1—Research Paper or 2--Book
Critique)
1.
RESEARCH PAPER (100 points—paper; 50 points—presentation)
This assignment is designed to help develop research and writing skills. Choose a
topic relating to African American students.
a. Use APA documentation style.
b. Include a thesis statement, an analytical review of the literature, summary, and
implications for educators. Your thesis statement will guide your overall
paper. One source for writing literature reviews can be found on Blackboard
in Course Documents. Feel free to use other sources as needed.
c. Include references to a variety of sources such as research articles, applied
works, and books. You may reference books and governmental reports as
well, if needed.
d. Email your topic, thesis statement, and tentative outline by June16.
2.
BOOK CRITIQUE --(100 points—paper; 50 points—presentation)
Read and carefully critique one of the following books. It should be evident from
the review that you have read the book. The critique should include the
following:
A) A brief overview of the book (about one paragraph)
B) A discussion and analyses of major concepts the author is trying to
communicate for each chapter
C) The relevance of the book to your personal and professional life (also relate
your discussion to other readings). It is very important that you analyze the
3
book in relation to concepts from the class readings. These readings should
be cited in the reference list.
D) Strengths and weaknesses of the book (may refer to published reviews of the
work, but also go beyond these). Reviews can be found via literature searches or
by looking in Books in Print which is available in most libraries. Unofficial
reviews can also be found on Amazon.com or other similar online bookstores
Choose one of the following books.
i.
Delpit, L., & Dowdy, J. K. (2002). The skin that we speak: Thoughts on
language and culture in the classroom. New York: The New Press
ii.
Foster, M. (1997). Black teachers on teaching. NY: The New York
Press.
iii.
Ford, D. Y., & Harris, J. J. (1999). Multicultural gifted education.
Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
iv.
Freire, P. (1972/2000). Pedagogy of the oppressed. NY: The Continuum
International Group, Inc.
v.
Hale, J. E. (2001). Learning While Black: Creating educational
excellence for African American children. Baltimore, MD: The Johns
Hopkins University Press.
vi.
Irvine, J. J., & Armento, B. J. (2001). Culturally responsive teaching.
Lesson planning for elementary and middle grades. Boston: McGrawHill.
vii.
King, J. E. (2005). Black education. A transformative research and
action agenda for the new century. Mahwah, NJ: Routledge.
viii. Kunjufu, J. (2007). An African centered response to Ruby Payne’s
poverty theory. Chicago: African American Images.
ix.
Perry, T., & Delpit, L. (1998). The real Ebonics debate: Power,
language, and the education of African-American children. Boston:
Beacon Press.
V. Administrative Requirements
A. Attendance and active, informed class participation at all classes are required.
B. Instructor must be notified in the event of absenteeism. More than one absence will
adversely affect grade.
VI.
Evaluation and Grading:
Participation
Daily Oral Reports (13 @ 20 points each)
Major Project
Presentation
Total
100
260
100
50
510
4
485-510 = A
459-484 = B+
434-458 = B
408-433 = C+
383-407 =C
357-382 = D+
332-356 = D
331 and below = F
VII.
Major Topics of the Course
1. Conceptual Framework for Course (Pedagogy of the Oppressed)
2. Historical Perspectives on the Education of African American Students
A.
African Perspectives
B.
Slavery
C.
Post Slavery
D.
Court Cases
E.
Desegregation
3. Educating African American children in the 21st Century
A.
Explanations for the Differential Achievement of African American
Students
B.
Culturally Relevant Pedagogy
C.
Successful School/Classroom models
D
Transformative Research and Practice for Black Students
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
African American Language
Critical Literacy
Teaching Content Areas (language arts, music, science, art, social studies, math)
African American Families and Communities
Culturally Relevant Classroom Management
Tentative List of Videos
Black Is, Black Ain’t
Gloria Ladson Billings
English for Your Success
True Colors
A Detroit Conversation
Excerpts from: Ethnic Notions
Theresa Perry
The Road to Brown
The Eye of the Storm
Constructivist Math
A Charge To Keep
VIII. Modes of Instruction
Class Meetings: Class Meetings: Monday - Thursday
Time: 1:00-3:15 p.m.
5
References
AACTE. (2003). Culture, language, and student achievement: Recruiting and
preparing teachers for diverse students. Washington, DC: AACTE.
A Call to Action. (2004). Assessment of Diversity in America’s Teaching Force.
Washington, DC: AACTE.
Banks, J. A., & Banks, C. A. M. (2001). Multicultural education/Issues and
perspectives. (5th ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Barba, R. H. (1995). Science in the multicultural classroom. A guide to teaching
and learning. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
*Boutte, G. S. (2008). Believing in possibilities: The Center of Excellence For
The Education and Equity of African American Students (CEEEAAS). The State of
Black South Carolina.
*Boutte, G. S. The critical literacy process. Guidelines for examining books.
Childhood Education, 78(3), 147-152.
*Boutte, G. S. (2007). Teaching African American English speakers: Expanding
educators and student repertoires. In M. E. Brisk, (Ed.). Language, culture, and
community in teacher education. London: Routledge.
Boutte, G. S., & Hill, E. (2006). African American communities: Implications
for Educators. New Educator, 2, 1-19.
*Brown et al. v. Board of Education of Topeka et al. In Annual editions. Race
and ethnic relations 00/01, pp. 19-21. Guilford, CT: Dushkin/McGraw-Hill.
6
Center on Education Policy. (2001). It takes more than testing. Closing the
achievement gap. 1001 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 619. Washington, DC 20036.
Cook, T. (1998). Opening Pandora’s Box: An interview with Oakland school
board member Toni Cook.. In T. Perry & L. Delpit. (eds.), The real Ebonics Debate:
Power, language, and the Education of African-American children. (pp. 172 - 179).
New York: Teachers College Press.
*Delpit, L. (1986). Skills and other dilemmas of a progressive black educator.
Harvard Educational Review, 56 (4), 379-385.
Delpit, L., & Dowdy, J. K. (2002). The skin that we speak: Thoughts on
language and culture in the classroom. New York: The New Press.
*Delpit, L. (1988). The silenced dialogue: Power and pedagogy in educating
other people’s children. Harvard Educational Review, 58 (3), 280-298.
*Dred Scott v. Sandford. In Annual editions. Race and ethnic relations 00/01,
pp. 10-16. Guilford, CT: Dushkin/McGraw-Hill.
*Durbin, K. (2005). Books under fire. Teaching Tolerance (Spring), 46-51.
*Fordham, S. (1988). Racelessness as a factor in Black students’ school success:
Pragmatic strategy or Pyrrhic victory? Harvard Educational Review, 58 (1), 54-84
Gage. B. L. (2002). Listening to the voices of African American males. In G.
Boutte (Ed.), Resounding voices: School experiences of people from diverse ethnic
backgrounds (pp. 43- 62). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
*Graham, S. (1992). Most of the subjects were White and middle class. Trends
in published research on African Americans in selected APA journals, 1979-1989.
American Psychologist, 47(5), 629 – 639.
7
*Heath, S. B. (1982). Questioning at home and at school: A comparative study.
In G. D. Spindler (Ed.), Doing the ethnography of schooling: Educational anthropology
in action (pp. 96 – 131). New York: Holt, Rinehart, & Winston.
*Hilliard, A. G. (1992). Behavioral style, culture, teaching, and learning. Journal
of Negro Education, 61, (3), 370-377.
Hopkins, R. (1997). Educating black males. Critical lessons in schooling,
community, and power. New York: SUNY Press.
Irvine, J. J., & Armento, B. J. (2001). Culturally responsive teaching. Lesson
planning for elementary and middle grades. Boston: McGraw-Hill.
Jonsberg, S.D. (2001). "What's a (White) teacher to do about Black English?"
English Journal, 90 (4), 51-53.
King, J. E. (1994). The purpose of schooling for African American children. In
E. R. Hollins, J. E. King, & W. C. Hayman (eds.), Teaching diverse populations.
Formulating a knowledge base, (pp. 25 –56). New York: SUNY Press.
Kozol, J. (2005). The shame of the nation: The restoration of apartheid
schooling in America. New York: Crown.
Kunjufu, J. (2007). An African centered response to Ruby Payne’s poverty
theory. Chicago: African American Images.
Ladson-Billings, G. (2000). Fighting for our lives: Preparing teachers to teach
African American students. Journal of Teacher Education, 51 (3), 206-214.
*McIntosh, p. (1995). White privilege and male privilege. A personal account of
coming to see correspondence through work in women’s studies. In P. H. Collins & M.
8
L. Anderson (Eds.), Race, class, and gender: An anthology (pp. 70-81). Belmont, CA:
Wadsworth.
*Ogbu, J. U. (1994). Overcoming racial barriers to equal access. In J. I.
Goodlad and P. Keating. (eds.), Access to knowledge: An agenda for our nation’s
schools, (pp. 58 - 89). New York: College Entrance Examination Board.
*Plessy v. Ferguson. In Annual editions. Race and ethnic relations 93/94, pp.
19-21.
*Race and ethnicity in the American legal tradition. In Annual editions. Race
and ethnic relations 00/01, p. 7. Guilford, CT: Dushkin/McGraw-Hill.
*Rousseau, C. , & Tate, W. F. (2003). No time like the present: Reflecting on
equity in school mathematics. Theory Into Practice, 43(3), 210-216.
Steele, C. M. (1992). Race and the schooling of Black Americans. The Atlantic
Monthly, 269 (4), 68 - 78.
Steinberg, L. , & Fletcher, A. C. (1998). Data analytic strategies in research on
ethnic minority youth.
In V. C. McLoyd, & Steinberg, L. (eds.), Studying minority
adolescents. (pp. 279 -294). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers.
Swick, K. J., Brown, M., & Boutte, G. (1994). African American children and
school readiness: An analysis of the issues. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 21 (2),
183-191.
Villegas, A. M., & Lucas, T. (2002). Educating culturally responsive teachers.
A coherent approach. New York: State University of New York.
9
*Weinstein, C. S., Tomlinson-Clarke, S., & Curran, M. (2004). Toward a
Conception of Culturally Responsive Classroom Management. Journal of Teacher
Education, 55(1), 25-38.
*Whitney, J. (2005). Five easy pieces: Steps toward integrating AAVE into the
classroom. English Journal, 94 (5), 64-69.
10
Tentative Agenda
Date
Topic
Reading/Assignment
June 8
Course Overview and Conceptual Framework
African American Families/Demographics
Video: True Colors
Freire, Ch. 4
Morris—Why study the U.S.
South
June 9
Guest Facilitator: Dr. Michelle Jay
African American Culture
Video: Black Is, Black Ain’t
Ladson-Billings, foreword;
preface; ch. 1; ch. 2
Boykin—Afrocultural
Expression
daily oral report 1 (submit
via email)
June 10
Blackboard—No On-site class
Historical Perspectives
Slavery
Race and ethnicity in American
legal tradition
Dred Scott v Sanford
daily oral report 2 (submit
via email)
June 11
Historical Perspectives
1) Plessy v. Ferguson
Post-Slavery
2) Brown et al. v Board of
Video: The Road To Brown
Topeka
Presenter: Dr. George Johnson
daily oral report 3
Segregative Intent and the Achievement Gap
Stages of Racial Identity
Video Excerpts: Ethnic Notions
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------June 15
African American Language
1) Boutte—Teaching AAE
speakers
daily oral report 4
Decide on class project
June 16
African American Language
Video: English For Your Success
1) Delpit—What should
teachers do?
2) Delpit—pp. x-9/Intro,etc.
3) Skills and other
Dilemmas
4) Delpit—The silenced
dialogue
daily oral report 5
June 17
Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (CRP)
Video: Ladson-Billings, I ain’t
Writin’ nuttin’
1)Ladson-Billings – Ch. 3 and 4
2) Hilliard—Behavioral style,
culture, and teaching
daily oral report 6
11
June 18
Critical Literacy
1) Boutte—Critical literacy
2) Durbin—Books Under Fire
3) Christensen—Unlearning the
4) Kohl—The politics of
5) McNair—the representation
6) Boutte—Perspectives
daily oral report 7
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------June 22
Culturally Relevant Pedagogy
1)Ladson-Billings – Ch. 5 and 6
Video: Eye of the Storm
2) Boutte—African American
Cameos of CRP teachers
daily oral report 8
June 23
Culturally Relevant Math
Video: Constructivist Math
Ethnomathematics
1) Berry—Access to upper
2) Martin—Missionaries and
Cannibals
daily oral report 9
June 24
Culturally Relevant Pedagogy
1) Ladson-Billings—Ch. 7;
Afterword
2) McIntosh—White privilege
daily oral report 10
June 25
Young, Gifted and Black
Video: Theresa Perry
June 30
Young, Gifted and Black
Theorizing Transformative
Black Education Research and Practice
Videos: A Charge to Keep and
A Detroit Conversation
1) Perry et. al --Ch. 3
No Mystery
2) King—A Transformative
vision
3) Graham—Most of the
4) Steinberg/Fletcher—Data
5) Lerner—Changing organism
daily oral report 12
July 1
Culturally Relevant Management
1) Beaton--Rethinking
discipline
2) Clark--Expectations
3) Franklin—Reflections on
4) Kohl--I won’t learn from you
5) Weinstein--Toward a
6) Brown--Urban teachers’ use
Daily oral report 13
July 2
Presentations
Recap and Wrap Up
Perry et. al.--preface;
Up from the Parched Earth;
Ch. 1--Freedom for Literacy
daily oral report 11
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------June 29
Young, Gifted and Black
Perry et. al
Ch. 2--Stereotype Threat
12