Department of Educational Psychology & Leadership Studies

	ED-D 423 (S50) Approaches to Cross-Cultural Education
	Mac D 115	January- April, 2010

Description

This course is designed for those who desire to work with the culturally diverse people in an educational setting with specific emphasis  on cultural values, identity development and diverse helping strategies.  

Text

France, M.H., Rodríguez, C. & Hett, G.  [Editors] (2004) Diversity, culture and counselling: A Canadian perspective, Temeron Press: Calgary, AB  

The University of Victoria nine-point letter grade system will be used for evaluating all of the assignments (e.g., 9=A+, 8=A, 7=A-, 6=B+, 5=B, etc.)

Field Study: You will participate in some kind of cross-cultural experience of your choice and write up a report on what you observed and learned from the experience. The value of the field study will be 20% of your final grade. The dimensions that you want to report on is up to you. Typically, you would look for differences in behaviour, such as communication styles, or clothing or values. Some activities you could attend are a foreign language film, a cultural or religious event, observe life in an ethnic neighborhood, visit a different church or synagogue, or so on. The aim of the assignment is to sensitize your ability to observe differences between yourself an others and make meaning of these differences. Due Date - February TBA.

Video Review:  You will be asked to write a personal review of two videos that will be shown in class.  The review should be 5 pages double spaced and organized in two parts.  The first part will consist of a summary of the video including major concepts covered in the video and the second part will consist of your personal thoughts about the video focusing on how you see the issues discussed in the video and what you have learned about the subject manner.  You do not have to include any outside materials in writing up this assignment.  The value of Video Review is 10%.  Due Date - April TBA.

Leading and Processing a Cultural Awareness Activity: Working with a partner or small group, you are to facilitate a activity focusing on culture awareness.  The structured cross-culture activity for a small group ( or 3), including processing. You should prepare a handout for all class members. The presentation will be evaluated on: Clarity of Directions (1 point); Involvement of the Group (2 points); Achievement of Aim (2 points); Overall Facilitation (2 points); Processing (2 points).  You and your partner(s) will be scheduled at various times during the class time throughout the semester. The value of the assignment  will be 25% of your final grade [45-60 minutes maximum].   Due: is determined by the topic or time that you and your partner sign up for.

Term Paper: This paper should focus on some aspect of culture; you can also describ the use of a techniques (e.g. sufism) with a specific population. The value of the assignment will be 45% of your final gradeThe paper should be approximately 15 pages in length. The paper will be graded on the following: Organization (1 point); Clarity (2 points); Integration of theory with practice (4 points); and Overall unity of the theme (2 points). There are a many possible topics you could write about and I hope you will choose an area that is of most interest to you.   The following are some sample topics used in passed classes:  Due: April 9th.

January 7: Course overview; Rationale for being sensitive to culture and the diversity of Canada.  Cross-cultural activity.

January 14: Racism - prejudice; Conscious raising Activity.- Read: Chapters 1-3.

January 21:Working with  ethnic Whites; Discussion & Cross-Cultural Activity; - Read: Chapters 17 & 18) - Cultural Activity.

January 28: Queer Community & Multicultural Skills- Read: Chapters 17 & 19.

February 4: Bi-racial issues  + Video - "Domino", Discussion & Cross-Cultural Activity: Read: Chapters 14-15 -  Cultural Activity.

February 11: African Canadians ; Discussion & Cross-Cultural Activity; - Read: Chapters 12 & 25: ________________________________.

February 25: Those from an Islamic background; Discussion & Cross-Cultural Activity: - Read:  Chapters 13 22;  Cultural Activity: ________________________________.

March 4:  Asian Canadians including Indo-Canadians + Video - "Getting married"; Discussion & Cross-Cultural Activity;.- Read: Chapters 6 & 7 - Cultural Activity: ____________________.

March 11:  Foreign Students, Immigrants  & Refugees ; Discussion & Cross-Cultural Activity;  Read:  Chapters 6, 9, 10 & 26;  Cultural Activity: ________________________________.

March 18: Distinctive Approaches in  Cross-cultural intervention & Wrap-up;  Read:  Chapters 23 & 27;  Cultural Activity: ________________________________. 

March 25: Hispanic Canadians; Discussion & Cross-Cultural Activity; - Read:  Chapters 8 & 11;   Cultural Activity: ________________________________.

April 1:  Indigenous-Aboriginal Peoples of NA - Discussion & Activity - Read:  Chapters 4 & 20.

UNIVERSITY AND DEPARTMENTAL GRADING POLICIES

The Department requires that I include the following grading policy and they also recommend that you become familiar with the following the policy.

Note—any departure from this grading system must be submitted in writing to the Chair of the Department.  Approval of the Chair must be obtained prior to the distribution of the course outline.

1. When numerical marking is used at the Undergraduate or Graduate level, normally the following conversion from

percentage to letter grades will be used:

2. In assigning grades at the undergraduate level, the following guidelines should be followed:

Passing Grade

A+ Outstanding scholarship and originality. Complete mastery of subject matter.
A Excellent scholarship displaying strong knowledge, synthesis and application of concepts.
A- Very good scholarship showing depth of knowledge and analytical ability.
B+ Good scholarship, high knowledge level and good application of information.
B Steady performance, not outstanding in knowledge or application.
B- Good knowledge but some lack of understanding, ability, or background.
C+ Satisfactory knowledge, limited application and demonstration of understanding.
C Satisfactory knowledge, definite lack of some information, no application.
D Marginally satisfactory (but not failure), noticeable gaps in knowledge and understanding.

Failing Grades

E Failing grade: Conditional supplemental. (note—undergraduate only) No supplementals offered in the Faculty of Graduate Studies.
F Failing grade: No supplemental
N Failing grade: Did not write examination or otherwise complete course requirements by the end of the term or session; no supplemental.

If You Have an Academic Problem or Concern and depending on the nature of the academic matter or concern, the order in which you would normally seek assistance or redress is:

1. Your program supervisor
2. Departmental graduate advisor for your area
3. Departmental chair
4. Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies
5. The Senate

If the problem is related to a specific course, the first person you should contact is the course instructor.

In addition, you may wish to consult the UVic Students' Society Ombudsperson, who can be located at:
SUB B205 (upstairs) phone: 250-721-8357, ombuddy@uvic.ca, www.uvss.uvic.ca/ombudsperson, Monday to Friday 9.30 to 4.00.

Students must abide by academic regulations as set out in the University Calendar. They must observe standards of ‘scholarly integrity’ especially with regards to plagiarism and cheating.   

A thought that will be encouraged throughout the course is verbalized in the words of the Lakota Philosopher Back Elk: "When I was standing on the highest mountain of them all, and around about beneath me was the whole hoop of the world. And while I stood there I saw more than I can tell and I understand more than I saw; for I was seeing in a sacred manner the shapes of all the things in the spirit, and the shape of all shapes as they must live together like one being. And I saw that the sacred hoop of my people was one of many hoops that made one circle, wide as daylight and as starlight, and in the center grew one mighty flowering tree to shelter all the children of one mother and one father. And I saw that it was holy." [Black Elk speaks, Niehardt, 1988].