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INTRODUCTION TO DIVERSITY AND EXCEPTIONALITIES FOR EDUCATORS
Welcome to EDF2085, Intro to Diversity and Exceptionalities for Educators, an online internet based course. I will be your professor, Isis Silva, Ed.S. I have been teaching at Broward College for the past 3 years. Prior to coming to Broward College I had the pleasure of teaching in Miami Dade Country Public Schools for 7 years. I hold a Specialist Degree in Educational Leadership, Master's Degree in Reading, Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education, National Board Certification in Middle Childhood Generalist, and am currently working on my Doctorate.
Besides EDF 2085, I also teach EME 2040 (Introduction to Educational Technology), EDF 1005 (Introduction to Teaching), and RED3342 (Foundations of Reading) in the fully online, blended, and/or web-enhanced format.
I look forward to a meaningful and productive semester.
Besides EDF 2085, I also teach EME 2040 (Introduction to Educational Technology), EDF 1005 (Introduction to Teaching), and RED3342 (Foundations of Reading) in the fully online, blended, and/or web-enhanced format.
I look forward to a meaningful and productive semester.
Course Description
This course examines the social fabric of U.S. schools and the impact of various diversity issues on the way teachers and students think, behave and interact, as well as on the way teachers teach and students perform. The course also examines how the implementation of multicultural education in U.S. schools can effectively serve the needs of students from diverse backgrounds. It also derives implications to improve the educational experiences of all students and afford them equal educational opportunities, as well as access to quality programs. Students are required to complete a minimum of 15 hours of field experience in a K-12 setting. The field experience should be performed at actual schools or similar settings and not via virtual modes of film or Internet.
Methods of Instruction
This is a 3-credit hour fully online course. Normally, a three credit hour course would meet once or twice each week (during a 16 week term) for a total of 3 hours per week or 48 hours per term. In this course, all instruction will be delivered online and students will engage in structured online activities throughout the semester. The orientation for this course will also be online.The teaching strategies used in this course will include online class discussions, cooperative learning, discovery learning, and Web-based teaching. Students will be required to complete online discussions, quizzes, a group project, a fieldwork final summary report, and a final online exam for this class.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to discuss:
The characteristics and manifestations of culture
The difference between macroculture and microculture
Ethnocentrism vs. cultural relativism
Social stratification, socioeconomic status, and class differences
The impact of class status on school and classroom practices
Ethnic and racial diversity and ethnic and racial identity
Intergroup relations, prejudice, racism, and discrimination
The implications of race and ethnicity for schooling and teaching
Gender, its role and relation to biology and culture
Gender identity
Sexism, discrimination, sexual harassment, and homophobia
Nonsexist education
Exceptionality and exceptional microcultures
Social perceptions and labeling of the exceptional
Special education, legislation, and mainstreaming
Religious diversity and religion in relation to culture, gender, race, and class
Religious freedom
The influence of religion in education
Language and culture, differences in dialect, nonverbal communication
Second language acquisition
The English-Only movement
Bilingual Education and the rights of language minorities
The impact of language on educational policies and programs
Age and culture and critical issues in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood
The implications of age for teaching
The impact of multicultural education on curricula, instruction, textbooks, school climate, student-teacher interactions, and student achievement
The difference between macroculture and microculture
Ethnocentrism vs. cultural relativism
Social stratification, socioeconomic status, and class differences
The impact of class status on school and classroom practices
Ethnic and racial diversity and ethnic and racial identity
Intergroup relations, prejudice, racism, and discrimination
The implications of race and ethnicity for schooling and teaching
Gender, its role and relation to biology and culture
Gender identity
Sexism, discrimination, sexual harassment, and homophobia
Nonsexist education
Exceptionality and exceptional microcultures
Social perceptions and labeling of the exceptional
Special education, legislation, and mainstreaming
Religious diversity and religion in relation to culture, gender, race, and class
Religious freedom
The influence of religion in education
Language and culture, differences in dialect, nonverbal communication
Second language acquisition
The English-Only movement
Bilingual Education and the rights of language minorities
The impact of language on educational policies and programs
Age and culture and critical issues in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood
The implications of age for teaching
The impact of multicultural education on curricula, instruction, textbooks, school climate, student-teacher interactions, and student achievement
Course Requirements
Required Prerequisite or Special Admission Criteria: None. All students should check their browser and review computer requirements to make sure that their computer(s) meet BC standards.All students must obtain their BC E-mail address. It is used for course login.Students who are using Blackboard for the first time should visit BC's E- Learning PageStudents are expected to complete a mandatory online orientation the first week of class.
Students who fail to complete the orientation by the deadline may be withdrawn from the course.
Students are also expected to complete 15 hours of fieldwork in a Broward County school. They must obtain security clearance from the Broward County School Board. Students should obtain a college or public library card to complete research for this course. For further information, click library information.
Course Materials
Students who fail to complete the orientation by the deadline may be withdrawn from the course.
Students are also expected to complete 15 hours of fieldwork in a Broward County school. They must obtain security clearance from the Broward County School Board. Students should obtain a college or public library card to complete research for this course. For further information, click library information.
Course Materials
Course Textbook: Multicultural Education in a Pluralistic Society by Donna Gollnick & Philip Chinn (9th edition, Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall). This textbook can be purchased at the South Campus Bookstore located at 7200 Pines Blvd. in Pembroke Pines.
How to Register for this Course
To register for this course, please go to: BC's Student Online System. Students must pay for the course before they will be able to log into the course.
Contact Information
My office is located in Building 69, Room 209 on South Campus
(7200 Pines Blvd, Pembroke Pines, FL 33024). I can be reached by phone at (954) 201-8893 or by email at isilva@broward.edu. You can also leave a message for me with the Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences at (954) 201-8810.
How to Access this Course once you are Enrolled in this Course
(7200 Pines Blvd, Pembroke Pines, FL 33024). I can be reached by phone at (954) 201-8893 or by email at isilva@broward.edu. You can also leave a message for me with the Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences at (954) 201-8810.
How to Access this Course once you are Enrolled in this Course
In this course, students will log in on their own. Students should: Obtain their BC email user ID and PIN code before attempting to log into D2L. Click on "ID Lookup" then enter your Student# (or INTL Student ID#) and PIN code (2 digit birth month and 2 digit year). Write down your email ID (not the @mail.broward.edu). That's your D2L login.Your D2L ID is the same as your BC email user ID.Your D2L password is the same as your BC email PIN code. Links to help students get connected to e-learning course(s) at BC:BC's E-Learning login page Contact the Helpdesk if you experience login difficulties
