Syllabus

ED 618 Multiple Intelligences and Multicultural Education

Winter 2008

Name - M. Wangeci Gatimu EdD
E-mail - gatimum@wou.edu
Web page- http://www.wou.edu/~gatimum

Required Texts:
1. Rethinking our classrooms: Teaching for equity and social justice Volume 2. A rethinking schools publication.

2. A package containing most of the readings is in the bookstore for purchase.
3 . Gardner, H. (2006) Multiple intelligences: New horizons. New York: Basic Books

Course Overview
In the twenty- first century, the country is witnessing fundamental social changes in the rapid shift in the demographic make up of the population and profound changes in the nature of basic institutions particularly the family. By the year 2020, demographers predict that over half of US school population will be made up of non-European ethnic groups (Sadker & Sadker, 2002). As teacher in this century, your careers will be spent in ever-changing schools underlining the need to understand the purpose of multicultural education and culturally relevant teaching.

Course Objectives:
1. Create awareness of “personal practical knowledge” and also “social locations” and how these may influence teaching and learning
2. Conceptualize multicultural education as a perspective and comprehend the historical contexts of multicultural ideas
3. Understand how conceptions of the marginalized (racial, poverty, sexual orientation) may be formulated, popularized, and perpetuated in educational institutions thereby debilitating learning
4. Examine how the Eurocentric perspective and the middle class culture can become culturally irrelevant and problematic for students from other cultures and social economic statuses
5. Analyze “banking concept of education” and its antithesis “critical pedagogy” (Paulo Freire)
6. Unpack sexism, racism, prejudice, ethnocentrism, homophobia and discrimination through stories and narratives

Dates, Reading, Assignments and Time line

Units	Readings and assignments	Time-line guide
Unit 1	Unit 1Schooling and education contexts Orfield, G. (2004 Balfanz, R. & Legters, N. E. (2004).	1/13/08 to 1/18/08
Unit 2	Unit 2 Socio-historical contexts Spring , J. (2007). Ford, D. Y. & Granham, T. C. (2003) Assign 1 If the answer education woes is not deficit theories, write a reflective paper on how the education situation can be addressed. 3 pages	1/19/08 to 1/25/08 Assign.1 is due on 1/26/08
Unit 3	Unit 3 The learner’s identity Holland, Lachicotte, Skinner and Cain (1998) Janet Ward Schofield (2007) Assign 2 Please describe your ‘personal practical knowledge.’ Our personal practical knowledge (PPK) is embedded in our values that we have acquired in our lives’ journeys 3 pages	1/26/08 to 2/1/08 The PPK paper; Assign.2 is due on 2/16/08
Unit 4	Unit 4 Eurocentric curriculum and the middle class project Suina, J. H. (2003) Beegle, D. (2003). Lubrano, A. (2004	2/2/08 to 2/8/08
Unit 5	Unit 5 Critical pedagogy, and culturally responsive teaching Ladson-Billings, G. (1992) Moll, L. C., Amanti, C., Gonzalez, N. (1992) Assign 3 How would culturally responsive teaching facilitate critical pedagogy? 2 pages	2/9/08 to 2/16/08 Assign 3 is due on 2/23/08
Unit 6	Unit 6 Several chapters from Rethinking our classrooms: teaching for equity and justice Vol. 2 A rethinking schools publication Read unit 6 to note the chapters that you will read for the two tasks. Assign 4 first A critical analysis of the chapter using the multicultural framework and writing a lesson plan that applies critical pedagogy This week to begin the field investigation. See the complete description of Assign 6. 8 pages	2/17/08 - 2/23/08 Critical analysis and lessons plans due on 2/29/08
Unit 7	Unit 7 Gardner, H. Chapters1& 3 How can multiple intelligences theory inform school policy on TAG students?	2/24/08-2/29/08
Unit 7 B	Unit 7 Gardner, H. Chapters 8 and 10 Multiple entry points and assessment Assignment 5 - Lesson planning using multiple entry points	2/29/08-3/7/08 Assign. 5 due on 3/8/08
	Give yourself time to write up the field investigation /studyanalyzed as Assignment 6 see the attached detailed explanation of assignments.	To share your study findings in class on 3/15/08 and hand in the paper