Sociocultural Influences on Learning
Thursdays 9-12 SZB 424
Dr. Allison Skerrett
ALD327/AFR 374D, Unique # 08895/35785
Fall 2009
Email: askerrett@mail.utexas.edu
Office hours: SZB 334A, Thursdays
3:30-4:30 p.m. & by appointment
Phone: 512-232-4883
Course Overview and Objectives:
This course will explore racial, cultural, gender, social class and other social constructs and
issues that affect teachers and their teaching; and students and their learning. Because this course
is cross-listed with Education and African American Studies, it will maintain a strong emphasis
on the influence of race in education. The course provides opportunities for 1) learning about a
variety of social scientific concepts such as race, culture, ethnicity, assimilation, poverty,
prejudice, stereotypes, gender, and multiculturalism; 2) learning the common patterns of
discrimination and inequality that exist in American public schools; 3) examining the role of
schools and teachers in providing culturally responsive and equity education; 4) exploring and
clarifying your personal beliefs and experiences with racially and culturally diverse student
groups, their families and their communities and 5) formulating good teaching and mentoring
strategies for racially and culturally diverse student populations.
Required Texts:
• Ladson-Billings, G. (2009). The dreamkeepers: Successful teachers of African American
children, 2nd ed. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass.
• Lee, S. J. (2005). Up against whiteness: Race, school, and immigrant youth. New York:
Teachers College Press.
• Lewis, A. (2003/2008). Race in the schoolyard: Negotiating the color line in classrooms
and communities. New Brunswick, New Jersey: Rutgers University Press.
• Noguera, P. (2003). City schools and the American dream: Reclaiming the promise of
public education. New York: Teachers College Press.
• Valenzuela, A. (1999). Subtractive schooling: U.S. Mexican youth and the politics of
caring. New York: Suny Press.
• Additional readings as assigned.
Assignments:
1. Reading, Responding, and Participating
• In order to prepare for class, each week you will read a number of book chapters
and/or some articles that will sometimes be accompanied by specific assignments. Do
come to class prepared to contribute to the learning of this community and to learn
from it as well. Attendance at, punctuality for, and meaningful participation in each
class session is essential to your learning and that of others in this classroom
community. This makes up ten percent of your final course grade. Please notify me
via email, phone, or appointment for reasons pertaining to tardies and absences. (10
points).
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2. Educational Autobiography:
• You will give a 10 minute oral presentation of your educational autobiography. This
can be a descriptive account of your experiences as a student in K-12 schools. When
you prepare for this presentation, think about whether there were any salient
schooling experiences that you think were somehow related to your race or ethnicity,
language background, gender, social class etc. You may choose to focus on one to
three “critical” incidents that were somehow important in your schooling.
Alternatively, you can provide a more chronological description that describes
general experiences or patterns from kindergarten to grade 12 and more succinctly
highlight one or more important incidents that might have occurred as a result of your
race, gender, social class, etc. These presentations will begin on September 10 and we
will present according to last name in alphabetical order. (8 points).
3. Service Learning Journals and Presentations:
• Your service learning in this course includes 12 hours where you spend time working
with a student either in a school or community context (such as a community center
or other social service agency). You will keep a journal in which you reflect on your
time spent with the student through the lens of sociocultural influences on learning
that we will be discussing throughout the class. You should take handwritten notes in
your journal while you are at the site or immediately after you complete your
activities with the student while your memory is fresh. However, you should later
type out your journal entries. Each journal entry should be about 3-4 typed paragraphs
in length. You will need to bring your journals to class on two separate class meeting
dates for discussions on service learning and to receive a grade for keeping your
journal. I will pick up and “check off” your journals. Please see handout on journaling
for other journaling suggestions and guidelines. On each journal check date, you
should have a minimum of three journal entries. A maximum of 6 points will be
awarded at each journal check. Two journal checks = 12 points.
• Presentations on Service Learning. Your service learning presentations will be given
in small groups of 3 or 4. You will be grouped according to the sites at which you
have performed your service learning. Each small group will give a 15 minute
presentation. You will need to prepare a powerpoint, poster, or some other visual text
to accompany your presentation. These presentations will begin on November 5. The
order of presentation will be according to lottery—you will pick a number out of a
hat, so to speak. (10 points).
• Altogether, your service learning assignments comprise 22% of your course grade.
4. Two Take Home Exams:
• You will have two exams that will consist of essay questions on central ideas
discussed in the books we read for the course. Each exam comprises 30% of your
course grade. The first exam will cover the Lewis & Valenzuela books. The second
will cover the Lee, Noguera, and Ladson-Billings’ books. Together, the two exams
constitute 60% of your final grade. (60%)
Expectations/Grading Policy:
This course is organized with a view of learning that is active and participatory. In order for it to
function at its best, class members must come to class on time as well as be prepared and willing
to participate. You are expected to attend every class and should inform me of any conflicts or
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emergency situations. For each absence, two points will be deducted from your final grade.
Additionally, for any two tardies and/or early departures from class, one point will be deducted
from your final grade. Please note that the attendance policy is effective beginning the first
scheduled class meeting. This means that if you join the course after the first class meeting, or if
you are registered but are absent on the first day of class, the class(es) you have missed count as
absences and will affect your final grade.
Assignments are to be completed on time. Assignments are due at 9 a.m. on their due date and
are to be turned in at the beginning of class as a typed, hard copy. If an assignment is turned in
after 9 a.m. on the due date, it will be considered half a day late and three points will be
deducted. Five points will be deducted for each day an assignment is late. If an assignment is
more than one week late it will not be accepted.
Grading Scale:
A = 90-100
B = 80-89
C = 70-79
D = 60-69
F = 59 –
I expect you to carefully and thoroughly cite any information used from publishing materials. In
addition, all formal written assignments will be graded according to the following criteria:
5. The degree to which the assignment…
a. Has been completed
b. Shows insight or thoughtfulness with respect to the topic, other course readings,
and to other classroom experiences
c. Has been revised and edited, including adherence to APA style.
 Please note:
Please turn off your cell phones before class starts. In addition, your laptop is to be used for
class purposes only. Please surf the web, check and respond to your email, and send text
messages before or after class.
Scholastic Dishonesty
For our purposes “’Scholastic dishonesty’ includes but is not limited to, cheating on a test,
plagiarism, collusion, and falsifying academic records (General Information Bulletin, The
University of Texas at Austin). The disciplinary action for any instance of scholastic dishonesty
will be, at minimum, a failing grade on an assignment and potentially a failing grade in the
course.
Students with Disabilities
The University of Texas at Austin provides upon request appropriate academic accommodations
for qualified students with disabilities. For more information, contact the Office of the Dean of
Students at 471-6259, 471-4641 TTY.
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Date
Topic
Aug. 27 Course Introduction
Sept. 3 Race and Schooling
Educational Autobiographies
Sept. 10 Race and Schooling
Readings & Assignments
Sept. 17 Race and Schooling
Sept. 24 Linguistic and Cultural Differences in
Schooling
Oct. 1
Linguistic and Cultural Differences in
Schooling
Oct. 8
Linguistic and Cultural Differences in
Schooling
Oct. 15
Oct. 22
Oct. 29
Nov. 5
Video: Walkout
Race, Immigration and Schooling
White Privilege
Service Learning
Race, Immigration, and Schooling
White Privilege.
Video: Making Whiteness Visible
The Role of Schools—Educational
Opportunity
National Assoc. for Multicultural
Education Conference
The Role of Schools—Educational
Opportunity
Lewis, Race in the Schoolyard, Ch. 1-2
Skerrett—Identity, Biography, & Inquiry
Lewis, Race in the Schoolyard, Ch. 3-5
Educational Autobiography Presentations
Lewis, Race in the Schoolyard, Ch. 6-7
Educational Autobiography Presentations
Valenzuela, Subtractive Schooling, Ch. 1-2
Educational Autobiography Presentations
Valenzuela, Subtractive Schooling, Ch. 3-4
Educational Autobiography Presentations
Valenzuela, Subtractive Schooling, Ch. 5-7
Lee, Up Against Whiteness, Ch. 1-2
McIntosh, 1990
Receive Take Home Exam #1
Service Learning Journals Due; Check #1
Lee, Up Against Whiteness, Ch. 3-5
Exam #1 Due
Form Service Learning Presentation Panels
Noguera, Urban Schools, Ch. 1-3
Group Work Session for Service Learning
Presentations
Noguera, Urban Schools, Ch. 4-7
Presentations on Service Learning
Service Learning
Nov. 12 The Role of Teachers—Culturally
Responsive Teaching
Service Learning
Nov. 19 The Role of Teachers—Culturally
Responsive Teaching
Service Learning
Nov. 26 Thanksgiving Holiday—No Class
Dec. 3
National Reading Conference
Ladson-Billings, Dreamkeepers, Ch. 1-3
Presentations on Service Learning
Service Learning Journals Due; Check #2
Ladson-Billings, Chs. 4-7
Presentations on Service Learning
Receive Take Home Exam #2
Take Home Exam #2 Due
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