Teaching
I believe teaching is a journey to access students deeply on intellectual, cultural, emotional, and social levels. Working collaboratively with my students is critical to ensure an effective learning process. I structure my courses so that we exchange and re-exchange the roles of teacher and learner, and, through this process knowledge is acquired, awareness is gained and skills are acquired to help transform our tomorrows.
As a teacher, I enter into learning relationships with my students and endeavor to create an environment where students learn, not only from me, but from each other, and where I learn from them. To build and sustain relationships in order to cultivate an inclusive classroom environment that is stimulating and respectful of diverse views and experiences, I use four principles: fostering interconnectedness, listening and communicating, encouraging respect, and exploring differences. I want students to feel personally changed by their experiences in the classroom. My goals are to inspire academic success and to empower students with the tools to become critical participants and advocates for justice in our multicultural America.
This course examines the historical and contemporary goals, assumptions and strategies of multicultural education. This course prepares teachers to effectively apply theories of equity to their pedagogy by familiarizing them with the dynamics of oppression in society. Through cognitive and affective approaches and simulations, students will identify and analyze the cultural and structural factors that have led to unequal academic outcomes for diverse learners. These outcomes will be viewed within the socio-political and historical context of the United States educational system. Students will explore and learn about approaches to developing cultural relevant pedagogy. Students will add to their existing multimedia resource file materials (e.g. books, websites, videos, activities) necessary for the effective implementation of an equitable system of teaching that is affirming for all students.
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This course explores the ways in which ideas and discourses about race and religion shape how public policy is debated, adopted and implemented. The course begins with conceptual and historical background: What are different ways of thinking about race and religion and political representation in America? How has race and religion been intertwined with public policy development across U.S. History.
The course examines a range of policy topics including immigration, “religious right”, religious pluralism, and the roles religion has played the public square. We will consider all of these topics through readings in legal studies, criminal justice, sociology, education, and history, mainstream media sources, advocacy examples, and documentary films. The readings draw from a variety of political commitments and perspectives and are designed to help us all reflect on our own ideas and worldviews within a shared and constructive framework.
This course is formulated around three questions. First, how and where does race and religion emerge in public policy? Second, how together might we conceive of and organize public life in ways that allow a vibrant and tolerant debate of racial and religious issues in the US? The third is perhaps the greatest challenge: How do we best deal with race in America and how do we reconcile public religion with individual beliefs?
This course will investigate the relationship between religion and public education in the United States with a focus on issues affecting classroom practice, curriculum, and pedagogy. Based in large part on legal decisions in the area and relying primarily on a discussion format, it will be a blend of three elements: a brief examination of the historic relationship of religion and education in the United States; an analysis of historic and current legal and public policy materials related to that relationship; and an exploration of ways of balancing the relationship in curricula so as to respect the religious rights and responsibilities of teachers, administrators, students, parents, and the educational system in which they encounter each other.,/p>
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Course examines: Learning environments that are culturally responsive. Ethical responsibility of special educators to advocate for the highest quality of life potential for students with exceptional needs.
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This course serves as a capstone experience that extends and reinforces the teachers knowledge, skills and competencies related to professional and educational practice through completion of a culminating project. In this course, Students will conduct a survey of the literature on a selected topic and use higher order thinking skills to develop research question or series of questions related to a specific topic. Course topics to be covered: The purpose and value of research, Introduction to research in education and the social sciences, Problem formulation, Writing a literature review, Defining a methodology,Qualitative Methods of Data Collection and Data Analysis, Citations and references, How to do on-line research and Research ethics.
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This course introduces students to the knowledge and skills required to understand and conduct educational research. Students will learn to use ENDNOTE software and to create an annotated bibliography. Successful completion of the course will be measured through demonstrated abilities in the following competency areas:Locate and examine research literature relevant to a specified research topic, Utilize ENDNOTE software to create a library database and Create annotated bibliography.
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This course introduces students to a few of the myriad of world religions in the United States today because to understand the United States, one must know about religion and its role in our society. The purpose of this class is twofold: (A) To explore and explain the importance of religion as an element that has shaped American society; and (B) To analyze intercultural and interfaith issues in our changing world. This course addresses the qualities and skills students as future leaders need in understanding and dealing with these issues in a rapidly changing and exciting world.
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This undergraduate course addresses issues facing immigrant and second-generation students as such as religion, language, the bicultural gap and Americanization. The course brings together immigrants and 1.5- and second-generation students of Asian, Latino and Black heritage not only to learn about the richness of their own cultural heritage but also to share experiences and make connections on thematic issues across ethnic and racial categories, particularly examining the complexities of immigrant and second-generation issues in the American conversation on race and racism.
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The post-1965 wave of immigration – the largest in U.S. history – has brought an infusion of color that is challenging our views of race and ethnicity and challenges America's racial taxonomy. This course addresses ethnic identity development, religion, gender and sexuality, language, Americanization and the socio-political climate as they affect second-generation Asian Americans.
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