Teaching Diverse Populations EDF 2085: Section 1319 (3 ...

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EDF 2085 Section 1319

Christina Monachino

Teaching Diverse Populations EDF 2085: Section 1319 (3 Credit Hours)

Fall 2015 Syllabus

Instructor: Christina Monachino Office Location: Norman 240 Email: cmonachino@ufl.edu Class Schedule: MWF 10:40- 11:30 am Classroom: Norman 166 Office Hours: TBD, and by appointment

Course Description A survey of educational demographics, foundations of prejudice, elements of culture, political and philosophical roots of diversity and commonality, exceptionalities, and barriers to cultural understanding and diversity in the classroom. A minimum of 30 credits of field experience is required with 15 credits in a diverse setting.

Designed for the prospective educator, this course provides the opportunity to explore issues of diversity, including an understanding of the influence of exceptionalities, culture, family, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, religion, language of origin, ethnicity, and age upon the educational experience. Students will explore personal attitudes toward diversity and exceptionalities. Students will be provided information on the Florida Educator Accomplished Practices, Sunshine State Standards, and the Professional Educator Competencies. A minimum of 30 hours of field-based experience working with diverse populations of children and youth in schools or similar settings is required. The field experience should not be via virtual modes of film or Internet.

Student Learning Outcomes By the end of this course, students will:

? Describe factors contributing to student diversity and inequalities in education associated with ability, gender, language, race, and social class

? Identify the elements of inclusive classrooms and schools that accommodate and respond to the diverse learning needs of all students

? Participate in 30 hours of community or school volunteer service and reflect on this experience in relation to course material

Required Texts Cushner, K., McClelland, A., & Safford, P. (2015). Human diversity in education: An

intercultural approach (8th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. Sensoy, O., & DiAngelo, R. (2012). Is everyone really equal? An introduction to key

concepts in social justice education. New York: Teachers College Press.

*Supplemental readings may be assigned periodically and available on the course Canvas website

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Course Requirements 1. Participation and Professionalism: Each student is expected to complete all readings

before class meetings begin, attend all classes on time, complete all assignments on time, and participate in class activities and discussions. Sensitive topics will be discussed in class, and participation in these discussions is encouraged. Creating and maintaining a respectful classroom environment is of the utmost importance. Please consider how your comments will contribute to or detract from this environment. Class participation is defined broadly to include class attendance, contributions and responses to discussions on the class website, participation in discussions during class, and professional conduct. Please be prepared for class. This includes reading assigned materials, completing any writing assignments, and coming to class with a pen/pencil, paper, and your textbook(s). Reading assigned chapters and materials is vital to participating in class and online discussions. We will reference/use the textbooks regularly during class, so it is important that you bring your books with you when specified.

2. Attendance: Attendance is mandatory and will be taken during the first 10 minutes of class. You are allowed three (3) "free" absences, to be used at your own discretion. Ten points will be deducted from the student's total points for the course for each absence after three (3) absences are incurred. It is recommended that students save the three free absences for unexpected issues that may arise such as illness, funerals, travel, etc. Tardiness: Students arriving to class after the attendance has been taken will be counted as absent. In the event of an absence, it is your responsibility to obtain any missed materials. Please see instructor if health or other personal issues prevent you from attending class, as accommodations may be possible with the appropriate documentation. It is your responsibility to obtain documentation of your health or personal issue. Requirements for class attendance and make-up exams, assignments, and other work in this course is consistent with university policies that can be found at:

3. Exams: Understanding of course readings and topics will be assessed with two exams worth 100 points each (200 points total). Students are required to complete each exam. Exams will consist of multiple choice, true/false, matching, short answer, and/or short essay questions that cover material from class activities, discussions, group presentations, lectures, and readings. Please be aware that material not discussed in class but provided in assigned readings (e.g., chapters in textbook) will be covered on the exam. Make-up exams will only be given in case of an emergency and if the circumstances constitute an excused absence according to university policies. The student is encouraged to notify the instructor prior to the exam, or as soon as possible and provide appropriate documentation of the reason for the absence. If you have any questions about what qualifies as an emergency, please consult the instructor.

4. Focus Area Project: Students are required to complete multi-part project on a focus area relevant to the course worth 100 points total. There are three components to the project: an individual description/analysis of a scholarly journal article related to the topic assigned the group (50 points), a group presentation (30 points), and group participation (20 points). Students will be assigned to small groups. Each group member is expected to contribute equally to the group presentation. Groups will be assigned a topic related to student diversity based on preferences. Each member will research and find scholarly a journal article related to the topic, and together the group will develop and deliver a class presentation. Examples of focus area

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topics include: ability/disability, gender, language, sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, religion, age, and social class. Students will document individual roles and group meetings used to work on the presentation on a regular basis. Please refer to course documents on the Focus Area Project for additional information.

5. Online Discussions: Students are expected to contribute and comment on the course website to the discussion topics. There will be a total of eight (8) online discussion topics worth five (5) points each (40 points total). Discussion topics and specific requirements will be posted to the course website. Discussion topic due dates are within the course calendar on the syllabus, as well as on the course website. It is your responsibility to check the course website for updates to discussion topics and due dates. Original responses to the discussion topics for the week are due by Friday night at 11:59pm. Each student must, in addition to their own personal post, respond to two (2) of their peers' discussion posts. Responses to two (2) peers' posts are due by Sunday night at 11:59pm. All comments should be thoughtful and respectful. Late contributions on the discussion board will not be accepted.

6. Volunteer Project: Each student is required to complete a minimum of 30 hours of volunteer service at a local community center, human service agency, or school. Each student is responsible for arranging his or her own volunteer experience. The volunteer experience should be completed in a setting that provides learning opportunities with a diverse range of children or youth. It is expected that students will demonstrate professional conduct while volunteering with each agency. The hours served should be spread across the semester (minimum of 10 weeks). The volunteer service project includes several required components:

a. Submission of a signed volunteer service contract at the start of the semester b. Upon completion of the volunteer service hours, each student must provide the instructor with a signed volunteer service log and a signed evaluation form completed by his or her supervisor. Each student must obtain an overall satisfactory rating from the volunteer supervisor to successfully complete the service requirement. Each student must also provide a verification letter from the supervisor stating that 30 hours of volunteer service have been completed satisfactorily. Further requirements are listed in the Volunteer Project forms. Completion of the signed volunteer service contract, signed volunteer service log, signed evaluation form, and verification letter will be worth 30 points. c. A reflection paper about the volunteer experience completed at the end of the semester (2-3 double spaced pages using one-inch margins and 12-point Times New Roman font). The reflection paper should describe the student's experience and relate it to concepts and topics discussed in class. It is worth 30 points.

Failure to satisfactorily complete all 30 hours OR failure to complete ALL required project components (signed volunteer service contract, signed volunteer service log, signed evaluation form, verification letter, reflection paper) will result in a grade of E for the course. This is a mandatory course requirement and not subject to negotiation. Please refer to Volunteer Project forms for additional information and sample documentation.

E-Learning Website Each student is required to check the course E-Learning website for course updates. Students may access the site through . You may also find

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the site by going to the UF homepage and typing "COE online" into the search box. Log in to the Canvas section by using your Gatorlink username and password. This website will have a copy of the course syllabus, online class discussions, volunteer forms, and useful information. Students are responsible for viewing class announcements posted on the site by the instructor. Each student is responsible for downloading class notes as copies will not be available in class.

Accommodating Students with Disabilities Students requesting accommodation for disabilities must first register with the Disability Resource Center: . The DRC will provide documentation to the student who must then provide this documentation to the instructor when requesting accommodations. Students should contact the DRC and complete this process as early as possible in the term for which they are seeking accommodations.

Honor Code UF students are bound by the Honor Pledge, which states, "We, the members of the UF community, pledge to hold ourselves and our peers to the highest standards of honor and integrity by abiding by the Honor Code. On all work submitted for credit by students at UF, the following pledge is either required or implied, "On my honor, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid in doing this assignment." The Honor Code () specifies a number of behaviors that are in violation of this code and the possible sanctions. Furthermore, you are obliged to report any condition that facilitates academic misconduct to appropriate personnel. If you have any questions or concerns, please consult with the instructor in this class.

Online Course Evaluation Process Students are expected to provide feedback on the quality of instruction in this course based on 10 criteria. These evaluations are conducted online at . Evaluations are typically open during the last two or three weeks of the semester, but students will be given specific times when they are open. Summary results of these assessments are available to students at .

Student Assistance and Emergencies University support services are available to students who are experiencing significant distress and/or personal emergencies. As appropriate please contact:

? UF Counseling & Wellness Center: counseling.ufl.edu or 352-392-1575 ? University Police Department: 352-392-1111 or 9-1-1 for emergencies

Grading Scale

376-400 points, 94.0-100% 360-375 points, 90.0-93.9% 348-359 points, 87.0-89.9% 332-347 points, 80.0-82.9% 320-331 points, 77.0-79.9%

A

296-307 points, 74.0-76.9%

C

A-

280-295 points, 70.0-73.9%

C-

B+

268-279 points, 67.0-69.9%

D+

B

256-267 points, 64.0-66.9%

D

B-

240-255 points, 60.0-63.9%

D-

4

308-319 points, 77.0-79.9%

C+

EDF 2085 Section 1319 Christina Monachino

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