New Faces
Course Outline
Course Description
Teachers across America are looking into the eyes of new faces. Demographic shifts are both informing and alarming, and assure that classroom teachers will be seeing "new" faces in ever growing numbers. This will be true as long as this great country offers hope and opportunity to the world; they will keep coming, both legally and illegally. The children of immigrants are bringing to our classrooms new and formidable challenges and now is the time to prepare to meet those challenges. This course has been designed to provide skills and knowledge that will empower the classroom teacher to meet the needs of "new faces" and at the same time improve the educational opportunity for all students.Objectives
- Create a perspective on immigration
- Create a definition of immigration
- Analyze issues associated with immigration
- Assess the relationship between stereotyping and myths
- Analyze myths associated with an immigrant
- Examine the U.S. Census Bureau demographics
- Deduce trends that predict present and future immigration growth
- Produce an overview of the history of immigration
- Compile an analysis of Plyler vs. Doe
- Differentiate between “individualism” and “collectivism”
- Compare and contrast values associated with “individualism” and "collectivism”
- Justify how much assimilation is essential
- Critique research “bullets” regarding immigration
- Compare and contrast three theories that can be used to analyze newcomer educational issues
- Distinguish blocks to newcomer assimilation
- Relate sources of miscommunication between newcomer parents and school personnel
- Incorporate guidelines for developing Newcomer Parent Involvement Programs
- Differentiate among “ethnic,” “culture,” and “social”
- Use the differentiation of ethnic, culture, and social to analyze newcomer issues
- Complete an attitude survey
- Characterize the benefits of Action Research
- Review the Cross Culture Parent/Teacher Conference
- Articulate a question regarding assimilation of newcomers
- Produce a product to assimilate course information
Curriculum Design & Time Requirements
The teaching methodology provides extensive opportunities for experiential learning of concepts applicable to immigrant education. Participants will develop appropriate and effective paths to cultural assimilation using acquired concepts, and also will apply the concepts to “real” problems common to the immigrant experience. This is a forty-five hour graduate level course taught in the classroom.Course Materials
The required text for this course is Bridging Cultures Between Home and School: A Guide for Teachers by Elise Trumbull. In addition, participants will be provided a student guide.Session Outline
Session 1: History of U.S. Immigration LegislationContents:
- Get to Know Each Other
- Review Issues and Concerns
- Ice Breaker
- Course Overview
- Setting Personal Goals
- Overview of the History of Immigration
- Current Status of Immigration
- Court Decision and Legislation
- Current Issues Associated with Immigration
Session 2: Identify and Correct Myths
Contents:
- What is an Immigrant? Diversity Among Immigrants
- Home-School Conflict
- Individual vs. the Group
- Independence vs. Helpfulness>
- Praise vs. Criticism
- Cognitive vs. Social Skills
- Oral Expression vs. Respect for Authority
- Parent's Role vs. Teacher's Role
- Personal Property vs. Sharing
- Review of Population Statistics/Demographics/Census Data
- Reviewing 8 Myths Regarding Immigrants
- Where and Why Immigrants Locate
- A Classroom Lesson
Session 3: The Immigrant Experience
Contents:
- Adjustment Issues
- Family and Cultural Support
- Cultural Differences
- Generational Issues
- Acceptance/Rejection Continuum
- Case Study: "Mexicans"
- A Classroom Lesson
Session 4: Research and Analytical Theories
Contents:
- Review of the Research on Immigrants
- Theories
- Social Capital/Asset Accumulation
- Attainment Transfer
- Some Generalizations
- A Classroom Lesson
Session 5: Cultural Conflict
Contents:
- Identify Sociological Determinants of Cultural Conflict
- Social Consequences of Diversity
- Commonalities - Building Blocks of Tolerance
- Balancing Assimilation and Differentiation
- Mid-Term Exam
Session 6: English Language Learners
Contents:
- Growing Challenge and Terms
- Terms and Bilingualism
- Political Concerns
- Background Assessment
- Building Lessons
- Teaching Hints
Session 7: Assimilation Issues
Contents:
- Similarities and Differences
- Bridges
- Review
- Culturally Neutral Knowledge
- Readiness Learning Center
- Practice
Session 8: Parental Involvement
Contents:
- Introduction
- Objectives
- Effective Communication
- Values Orientation/Recommended but Not Always Successful - Newcomers
- Parental Involvement Program
- Assignments
Session 9: Cross Cultural Issues
Contents:
- Course Generalization
- Role Expectations
- Improving Parent/Teacher Conferences
- Learning What Works
- Case Study
- Teachers as Researchers
- Outline a Multicultural Lesson: Scope and Sequence
- Summarize Course
Session 10: Bridging Cultures and the Path to Citizenship
Contents:
- Course Review
- Session Objectives
- Course Generalizations
- Checklist
- Policy Consideration
- The Question
- Resources Review
- Course Evaluation
- Final Exam
- Revisit Issues and Concerns
- Close-Up
Grading
| Assignment | Points | Grading Scale | |||||||
| Attendance & Participation | 20 | 100 – 93 | A | ||||||
| 5Bridges Final Project5 | 25 | 92 – 85 | B | ||||||
| Session Reflections | 30 | 84 – 77 | C | ||||||
| Mid-term Exam | 10 | ||||||||
| Final Exam | 15 | ||||||||
| Total Points | 100 |
Student Requirements
| 1. | Attend all class sessions for the requisite number of hours (45) and actively participate in all class activities. | |
| 2. | Complete all reading assignments. Reflect upon the major ideas in the assigned readings and the application of those ideas in your school and classroom. | |
| 3. | Complete the Bridges Final Project. | |
| 4. | Pass the mid-term and final exam. |
