Introduction

Welcome to Teaching Diversity: Influences and Issues in the Classroom, an interactive computer-based instruction (CBI) course, designed to give you the knowledge, tools and dispositions to effectively facilitate a diverse classroom. This course will help you understand and identify differences in approaches to learning and performance, including different learning styles and ways in which students demonstrate learning. An emphasis in this course will be on understanding how students’ learning is influenced by individual experiences, talents, disabilities, gender, language, culture, family and community values. You will be challenged to apply knowledge of the richness of contributions from our diverse society to your teaching field.

This computer-based instruction course is a self-supporting program that provides instruction, structured practice, and evaluation all on your home or school computer. Information on installation and technical support can be found, and will be covered in detail, in the User Guide section of your computer software.

Course Materials

Teaching Diversity: Influences and Issues in the Classroom (software package)

Author: Karen A. Lea, PhD., Director of Teacher Education

Please keep the CD. There is a $25 replacement fee for CD-roms if you need to replace yours due to theft, damage, misplacement, etc. Call 1-800-313-6744, with your credit card information, if you need a replacement.

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Academic Integrity Statement

The structure and format of most distance-learning courses presume a high level of personal and academic integrity in completion and submission of coursework. Individuals enrolled in a CBI distance-learning course are expected to adhere to the following standards of academic conduct.

Academic Work

Academic work submitted by the individual (such as papers, assignments, reports, tests) shall be the student’s own work or appropriately attributed, in part or in whole, to its correct source. Submission of commercially prepared (or group prepared) materials as if they are one’s own work is unacceptable.

Aiding Honesty in Others

The individual will encourage honesty in others by refraining from providing materials or information to another person with knowledge that these materials or information will be used improperly.

Violations of these academic standards may result in the assignment of a failing grade and subsequent loss of credit for the course.

Level of Application

This course is designed to be an informational course with application to educational settings. The strategies were designed to be used to aid in teaching students in a diverse classroom ranging from K-12. The strategies are general in nature, are not intended to be prescriptive, and are not intended to be used as a formula. As with all information it should not be used to stereotype any students based on cultural or ethnic differences.

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Course Objectives:

· Demonstrate knowledge of how students’ learning is influenced by individual experiences, language, culture and gender.

· Use information about students’ families, culture and communities as a basis for connecting instruction to students’ experiences.

· Use cultural diversity and individual student experiences to enrich instruction.

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Course Description

This course is designed to help classroom teachers, school counselors, and other educational personnel gain strategies to understand how our diverse society influences student learning in the classroom. Participants will explore issues of culture, gender, and individuals with exceptionalities, and how these affect a student’s learning and behavior in the classroom.

The course is divided into three chapters. At the completion of each chapter, there will be an examination covering the material. Students must complete the examination before proceeding to the next chapter. This sequential approach to learning will help all participants to gain a better understanding of what they have learned as they proceed through the course.

Although this course is a presentation of societal issues and how these affect the classroom, there is certainly a wealth of research and topics that are not covered in the scope of this course. The instructor highly recommends that you augment your readings from this course with further research to gain a fuller understanding of the complexities of this subject. In addition to what is required in this course and your individual research, the instructor recommends you read the following books.

· Darling-Hammond, L., French, J., & Garcia-Lopea, S. P. (2002). Learning to teach for social justice. New York: Teachers College Press. (May be purchased at many bookstores or online)

Delpit, L. (1995). Other people’s children: Cultural conflict in the classroom. New York: The New Press.

Gay, G. (2000). Culturally responsive teaching: Theory, research, & practice. New York: Teachers College Press.
Nieto, S. (1999). The light in their eyes: Creating multicultural learning communities. New York: Teachers College Press
Obidah, J. E. & Teel, K. M. (2001). Because of the kids: Facing racial and cultural differences in schools. New York: Teachers College Press.

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Student Expectations

As a student you will be expected to:

· Complete all three information chapters covering Teaching Diversity: Influences and Issues in the Classroom, showing a competent understanding of the material presented in each chapter.

· Complete all examinations, showing a competent understanding of the material presented in those chapters.

· Complete a review of any chapter on which your examination score was below 70%.

· Retake any examination, after completing an information review, to increase that examination score to a minimum of 70% (maximum of three attempts).

· Complete all writing assignments with the minimum word count shown for each writing assignments.

· Complete a course evaluation form at the end of the course.

Course Overview

Chapter 1: Living and Teaching in an Ethnically Diverse Society – This chapter will explore how our society has changed, the diversity of our society as a whole, and the community in which the participant lives and works.

Chapter 2: Learning Styles, Preferences, Modalities and Culture – This chapter will explore learning styles and how these influence student learning. Participants will determine their own learning/teaching style and apply this knowledge in adapting instruction for all student learning styles, especially for students of diverse cultures.

Chapter 3: Multicultural Education -- This chapter will explore how participants can combine and apply their knowledge of learning styles and teaching theories in a multicultural classroom. Participants will be challenged to honestly evaluate their own attitudes and teaching, and to change those if needed in order to teach so all students succeed in their classrooms.

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Examinations

At the end of each course chapter, you will be expected to complete an examination designed to assess your knowledge. You may take these exams a total of three times. The software will save the last score, not the highest score. After your third attempt, each examination will lock and not allow further access. Your final grade for this course will be determined by calculating an average score of all exams. This score will be printed on your final certificate. As this is a self-paced computerized instruction program, you may review course information as often as necessary. You will not be able to exit any examinations until you have answered all questions. If you try to exit the exam before you complete all questions, your information will be lost. You are expected to complete the entire exam in one sitting.

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Writing Assignments

This course has one required writing component.

To save your essays:

Macintosh: When you select the question or article you wish to write on, simple text or text edit will automatically be launched. When you are finished, simply click on FILE>SAVE. Do not select SAVE AS. You do not need to give the document a name before saving. When you are done, select FILE>QUIT. You must quit before you write another essay.

Windows: When you select the question or article, notepad will automatically launch. When you are finished, click on FILE>SAVE. Do not select SAVE AS. You do not need to give the document a name before saving.

1) Essay Requirement: Critical Thinking Questions

There is a critical thinking question for each chapter. You will do research on the question and write a brief essay upon relating it to the course content (and your personal experiences when possible). To view the questions, click on ESSAY REQ, then on CRITICAL THINKING QUESTIONS. You will see the questions, one for each chapter. Click on the question you would like to work on; this will bring up a screen where you can enter your essay. You must write a minimum of 500 words per essay.

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Instructor Description

Karen Lea has over 12 years of experience teaching in culturally diverse settings in classrooms that reflect every area of diversity. She has experience as a high school private math/computer instructor, a high school inner-city math instructor, a junior high inner-city math/science instructor and a college instructor. Currently, Karen is the Dean of the School of Education at Olivet Nazarene University.

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Contacting the Instructor

You may contact the instructor by emailing karen_lea@virtualeduc.com or by calling (800) 313-6744, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. PST. Phone messages will be answered within 24 hours. Phone conferences will be limited to ten minutes per student, per day, given that this is a self-paced instructional program. Please do not contact the instructor about technical problems, course glitches, or other issues that involve the operation of the course.

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Technical Questions

If you have questions or problems related to the operation of this course CD, please try everything twice. If the problem persists please check our support pages for FAQs and known issues at www.virtualeduc.com and also the Help section on your course disk.

If you need personal assistance then email support@virtualeduc.com or call (509) 891-7219. When contacting technical support, please know your course version number, it is printed on the CD label, your operating system and be seated in front of the computer at the time of your call.

Minimum Requirements

Macintosh Operating Systems

Mac OS 9.x or OS 10.x, 256MB of RAM and 5MB of free hard disk space, 15" or larger color monitor with a minimum resolution of 800x600, CD driver 4x minimum speed and a printer connected to your computer.

Windows Operating Systems

Windows 2000, XP Home, Professional or newer, 256MB of RAM and 5MB of free hard disk space; 15" or larger color monitor with a minimum resolution of 800x600, CD driver 4x minimum speed and a printer connected to your computer.

Please contact VESi if you have any questions about the compatibility of these systems.

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Refer to the addendum included with your software package regarding Grading Criteria, Course Completion Information, Items to be Submitted, and where to send your completed information.

Bibliography

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Allison, K. R., Dwyer, J. J. M., Goldenberg, E., Fein, A., Yoshida, K.Y., & Boutiler, M. (2005, spring). Male adolescents’ reasons for participating in physical activity, barriers to participation, and suggestions for increasing participation. Adolescence, 40(157), 155-170.

Atwater, E. (1996). Adolescence (4^th ed.). New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

Berkheiser, M. (2005). Capitalizing adolescence: Juvenile offenders on death row. University of Miami Law Review, 59(2), 135-202.

Bogard, K. L. (2005). Affluent adolescents, depression, and drug use: The role of adults in their lives. Adolescence 40(158), 281-306.

Brook, J. S., Balka, E. B., Brook, Z., & Richard, D. W. A. (2005). Tobacco use in adolescence: Longitudinal links to later problem behavior among African American and Puerto Rican urban young adults. Journal of Genetic Psychology, 166(2), 133-151.

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Cross, I. B. (2004). 5 ages of mental health: The challenges of adolescence. Update, 68(10), 520-521, 523-524.

Everall, R. D., Bostik, K. E., & Paulson, B .L. (2005). I’m sick of being me: Developmental themes in a suicidal adolescent. Adolescence, 40, 693-708.

French, S. E., Seidman, E., Allen, L., & Aber, J. L. (2006). The development of ethnic identity during adolescence. Developmental Psychology 42(1), 1-10.

Haynie, D .L., & South, S. J. (2005). Residential mobility and adolescent violence. Social Forces, 84(1), 361-374.

Henry, K. L., Slater, M. D., & Oetting, E. R. (2005). Alcohol use in early adolescence: The effect of changes in risk taking, perceived harm and friends’ alcohol use. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 66(2), 275-283.

Hiller-Sturmhofe, S., & Swartzwelder, H. S. (2005). Alcohol’s effects on the adolescent brain: What can be learned from animal models. Alcohol Research & Health, 28(4), 213-221.

Kellough, R. D., & Kellough N. G. (2003). Teaching young adolescents: A guide to methods and resources (4^th ed.). Columbus, OH: Merrill Prentice Hall.

Kramer, L., & Kowal, A. K. (2005). Sibling relationship quality from birth to adolescence: The enduring contributions of friends. Journal of Family Psychology, 19(4), 503-511.

McCabe, M. P., Ricciardelli, L. M., & Ball, D. (2005). Media influences on body image and disordered eating among indigenous adolescent Australians. Adolescence, 40(157). 115-127.

Miller, K. E. (2004). Predictors of obesity from adolescence to adulthood. American Family Physician, 70(10), 179, 182.

Molyneus, A., Lewis, S., Antoniak, M., Browne, W., McNeill, A., Godfrey, C., Madeley, R., & Britton, J. (2004). Prospective study of the effect of exposure to other smokers in high school tutor groups on the risk of incident smoking in adolescence. American Journal of Epidemiology, 159(2), 127-132.

Morrissey, K. M., & Werner-Wilson, R. J. (2005). The relationship between out-of-school activities and positive youth development: An investigation of the influences of communities and family. Adolescence, 40(157), 67-85.

Powell, K. D. (2004). Developmental psychology of adolescent girls: Conflicts and identity issues. Education, 125(1), 77-87.

Ray, S. L. (2004). Eating disorders in adolescent males. Professional School Counseling, 8(1), 98-101.

Rice, F. P., & Dolgin, K. G. (2005). The adolescent: Development, relationships, and culture. Boston: Pearson.

Silver, H.F., Strong, R. W., & Perini, M. J. (2000). So each may learn. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Snowman, J., & Biehler, R. (2006). Psychology applied to teaching. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Sousa, D. A. (2001). How the brain learns (2^nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, Ca: Corwin Press, Inc.

Tapert, S. F., & Burke, L. C. C. (2005). Alcohol and the adolescent brain: Human studies. Alcohol Research & Health, 28(4), 205-212.

Wallace, L. H., & May, D. C. (2005). The impact of parental attachment and feelings of isolation on adolescent fear of crime at school. Adolescence, 40, 457-474.