EDU 6315 

Urban Environments and Multicultural Education

Syllabus and Schedule

Syllabus

Course Description

The primary focus of this course is on diverse urban environments and the various multicultural issues teachers face in the classroom.

Required and Recommended Readings

Adler, Rachel (2004) Yucatecans in Dallas. Allyn & Bacon Publishers.

Cummings, Scott (1998) Left Behind in Rosedale. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.

Noguera, Pedro (2003) City Schools and the American Dream. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

Other "recommended" readings will be added as the semester progresses.

Course Requirements

1. In-class exam -- 25% of the course grade. The in-class exam is open book and open notes.  It is scheduled for 17 February. Study questions will be handed out two weeks in advance.

2. Take-home exam -- 25% of the course grade.  It is due in class at 6:30 p.m. on 6 April.  Questions will be handed out two weeks in advance.

3. Project on "Urban Ethnicity and Schools" -- 25% -- these may be done individually or in teams (up to three persons).  A written report (4 pages, i.e., 1,000 words) AND a poster session presentation, both due in class on 20 April.

4. Final Exam -- 25%.  A take-home exam due no later than 6:30 p.m. on 4 May at Kemper's office (405 Heroy).

Internet Resources and Links

ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center)

Electronic Magazine of Multicultural Education -- http://www.eastern.edu:93/publications/emme/previous.html

Multicultural Pavilion -- http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/

Multicultural Education and Ethnic Groups: Selected Internet Sources -- http://wwwlibrary.csustan.edu/lboyer/multicultural/main.htm

Clearinghouse for Multicultural/Bilingual Education -- http://departments.weber.edu/mbe/htmls/mbe.html

Multicultural Education Internet Resource Guide -- http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~jar/Multi.html

Professional Associations

Index of Professional Organizations for Multicultural Educators http://www-bcf.usc.edu/~cmmr/proforg.html
National Association for Multicultural Education (NAME) http://www.nameorg.org/
National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE) http://www.nabe.org/

The SMU Student “Code of Conduct”

Students are expected to abide by the SMU Code of Conduct in all matters related to this course, including work inside and outside of the classroom. For details, please see http://www.smu.edu/studentlife/PCL_03_Conduct_Code.asp

Policy on Make-ups, Lateness, and Attendance:

Students are expected to attend all class sessions. If you will not be able to attend a specific session, you must make arrangements with another student to get copies of notes, etc. Assignments must be turned in on time; for each 24-hour period an assignment is late, one full grade will be deducted (e.g., an “A” paper will become a “B” paper). Appropriate medical and family excuses will be accepted in order to establish new dates for assignments. Make-ups for the Final Examination will require substantial justification.

Excused Absences for University Extracurricular Activities

Students participating in an officially sanctioned, scheduled University extracurricular activity will be given the opportunity to make up class assignments or other graded assignments missed as a result of their participation. It is the responsibility of the student to make arrangements with the instructor prior to any missed scheduled examination or other missed assignment for making up the work. (University Undergraduate Catalogue)

Altschuler Learning Enhancement Center

Students who require extra assistance with writing, reading, or test-taking should consult the Altschuler Learning Enhancement Center staff. For details, please see http://www.smu.edu/alec/home/

Disability Accommodations

Students needing academic accommodations for a disability must first contact Ms. Rebecca Marin, Coordinator, Services for Students with Disabilities (214-768-4557) to verify the disability and establish eligibility for accommodations. They should then schedule an appointment with the professor to make appropriate arrangements. (See University Policy No. 2.4.) Please see http://www.smu.edu/studentlife/OSSD_Facts.asp

Religious Observances

Religiously observant students wishing to be absent on holidays that require missing class should notify their professors in writing at the beginning of the semester, and should discuss with them, in advance, acceptable ways of making up any work missed because of the absence. See University Policy No. 1.9.)

Schedule

13 January

Introduction; General Concepts (Cultures, Societies, and Institutions)

20 January

Urban Environments: Settings and Systems

Reading: Noguera, chapter 2

27 January

Urban Life in the United States

Reading: Cummings, Left Behind in Rosedale

3 February

Urban Life in Latin America

Reading: Kemper, "Urbanization in Latin America"and other articles on Mexican urbanization (see home page for links)

10 February

Urban Life beyond the Americas (Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia)

Readings: 

http://www.citypopulation.de/cities.html

http://www.dfid.gov.uk/Pubs/files/efa_global_mon_report_2002.pdf

http://www.dfid.gov.uk/Pubs/files/efa_global_mon_report_annex.pdf

http://www.dfid.gov.uk/Pubs/files/tsp_urban.pdf

http://www.worldbank.org/urban/symposium2002/docs/pres-paper/pres-pdf/cohen-barney-revised.pdf

17 February

Exam #1 in Class

24 February

Multicultural Education: Settings and Systems

Reading: Noguera, chapter 1

Mary Stone Hanley, The Scope of Multicultural Education    

2 March

Multicultural Schools in the United States

Reading: Noguera, chapters 3-7

etc.

9 March

No class -- Spring Break

16 March

23 March

Multicultural Schools in Latin America

Reading: Arnove, Franz, and Morse, "Education in Latin America"

etc.

30 March

Multicultural Schools beyond the Americas (Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia)

Reading:  "Education in Multi-ethnic societies of Central and Eastern Europe"

http://www.minorityrights.org/WorkshopReports

Fred Mednick, Africa: An Educational Renaissance Has Begun  

Stephen Murphy-Shigematsu, Challenges for Multicultural Education in Japan

"Case Study Research - A Model of Best Practice at Loreto Day School, Sealdah, Calcutta - Occasional Paper No. 1, 36 pp." http://62.189.42.51/DFIDstage/AboutDFID/Education/research/library/html/dif12e/begin.htm 

6 April

The Impact of Globalization and Transnationalism on Multicultural Education in Urban Settings

Reading: Adler, Yucatecans in Dallas

Exam #2 due at the beginning of class

13 April

The Case of Mexicans in U.S. Schools

Reading: Adler, Yucatecans in Dallas

20 April

Poster Sessions on Team Projects [click to see photos]

27 April

Course summary; student evaluations

4 May

Final Exam Due at Kemper's office (405 Heroy) at 6:30 p.m.