Multicultural Issues

February 9, 2008

Class Profile Instructions

Total Points: 5 for questions, 5 for survey results

Due dates: February 18 for questions; March 24 for results

Rubric for assignment on page three

Goal:

To discover the multicultural identity of your students by becoming familiar with relevant aspects of their background knowledge and experiences (Pathwise: Domain A)

Relation to knowledge base:

Tenet 3: One who understands, respects, and values diversity

Who / what?

Each student will compile a list of questions for a group survey. You will choose one of your classes in your third rotation to take the survey.

When?

The survey questions are due in class on Feb. 18. Data collection will begin after the survey is finalized. The final results for your survey are due with your mid-term on March 10.

Why?

Knowing your students’ background knowledge and experiences helps you design meaningful learning goals in an engaging and comfortable environment. Your teaching methods, learning activities, instructional materials, and evaluation strategies should be appropriately designed for all students in your classes.

For example, a common topic in foreign language classes is travel, but teaching specialized vocabulary related to air travel when most of your students have never flown would not be an appropriate lesson based on their background knowledge and experiences.

Knowing your students also benefits your ability to create a learning environment in which students feel comfortable enough to take chances. For example, some students may feel uncomfortable drawing attention to themselves due to their cultural upbringing regarding pride and individual accomplishments. Rather than calling on them individually, you would consider other strategies to help them show what they know.

How?

Step One: Create five individual questions based on any of the following cultural identifiers: language, race, gender, social class, age, religion, exceptionality, geographic region, rural/urban/suburban, and ethnicity. Match each question to one of the identifiers.

For example, you might ask, “What family celebration did you last attend?” and put it in the category of ethnicity. Finally, tell why you chose the category of ethnicity.

Step Two: Send your questions to me as a word.doc.

Step Three: Administer the survey (which I will compile) to your class.

Step Four: Create your class profile.

Step Five: Submit the assignment on Chalk and Wire by March 24. Bring the original surveys to class.

Directions for the Class Profile:

Include the following demographic info:

Your name

Your school’s name

Your class name

Number of students

Create a table or excel of the appropriate information from the survey for each of your students.

Your report should also include

• any surprises that the data revealed.
• how this assignment relates to the class topic
• how this assignment relates to you as an emerging professional, and
• the connection to the chapters we have covered up to March 10.

You will also submit the original surveys for each student.

Rubric for the Class Assignment Profile: Questions

Target 5 points	Acceptable 4-3 points	Unacceptable 2and below
A target paper includes all the information in the description above: 5 questions connected to the identifiers with an explanation of why you chose it written in a coherent, logical academic language. The assignment will have no more than 3 errors in spelling, usage, mechanics, and syntax. The assignment is turned in on the due date.	An acceptable paper includes five questions with questionable connections to the identifiers, and explanations that may be incomplete or ill-defined with some errors in logic, coherency, and use of academic language. The assignment will have no more than 6 errors in spelling, usage, mechanics, and syntax. The assignment is turned in one day late.	An unacceptable paper has fewer than five questions, limited connections to the identifiers, and little or no explanation. The paper is illogical, incoherent, and written in an informal style. The assignment contains more than 6 errors in spelling, usage, mechanics, and syntax. The assignment is more than one day late.

Rubric for the Class Assignment Profile: Report

Target 5 points	Acceptable 4-3 points	Unacceptable 2and below
The class profile data will be displayed in a readable form (table or excel file) for each student. The report will include the four points (surprises, relation to class topic, to you as a professional, and relationship to chapters) in addition to the demographic information. Finally, the report will have no more than 5 errors in spelling, usage, mechanics, and syntax. The assignment is turned in on the due date.	The class profile data will be displayed in a form that is unclear for each student. The report will include at least three of the four points (surprises, relation to class topic, to you as a professional, and relationship to chapters) in addition to the demographic information. Finally, the report will have no more than 8 errors in spelling, usage, mechanics, and syntax. The assignment is turned in one day late.	The class profile data will be displayed in a form that is unreadable for each student. The report will only include one or two points (surprises, relation to class topic, to you as a professional, and relationship to chapters) and the demographic information may be incomplete. Finally, the report will have more than 8 errors in spelling, usage, mechanics, and syntax. The assignment is more than one day late.