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| The College of Education • UGA |
Wednesday, 07-Jan-2009 22:26:20 EST
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 A word from the co-chairs Cultural Diversity Requirement 00-01 Grant Updates Call for Proposals Upcoming Seminar Annual Conference Web Resources      |
 from the co-chairs..." It is hard to believe that April is upon us! It seems that only yesterday it was the beginning of January and now spring is in full bloom and the end of the term looms near. It has been a full year for the MCTF with a lot of activities, externally as well as internally. Externally, we have continued to sponsor monthly seminars on a range of topics. From disability simulations to discussions about Native Americans to implications of school design for promoting diversity, the range of speakers and topics have been impressive. We hope that you have also found them stimulating and look forward to another full slate next year. The Task Force is also gearing up to award multicultural grants during April. This effort started in 1994 and has continued to fund compelling and interesting research in the area of multiculturalism for 7 years! You can see a list of past award winners on the MCTF Web site: ~mctf/mc_grants.htm Internally we have had a full year as well. Perhaps the biggest internal activity has been our engagement in self-reflection and assessment of the Task Force, seeking an answer to the question: what's the next step? In trying to work through possible scenarios, the Task Force formed several subcommittees to look at various aspects of the committee. These included:
As we continue to engage in our renewal process, we hope that you will join us in celebrating our growth to date and support us in our continued growth into the future. We welcome your participation in our efforts and hope that you will be in touch with any comments or suggestions to make us even stronger. cheers! janette & mark A Call for Participation from the MCTF Curriculum Sub-committee By ratifying the COE diversity requirement, our college took a significant step toward acknowledging that issues related to cultural difference ought to be visible in and across all of our program areas. The next good step must be to carefully examine (or re-examine) what this commitment entails both for ourselves and our students. Therefore, at the start of the Fall 2001 semester, the curriculum sub-committee of the Multicultural Task Force will convene an ongoing, in-depth conversation centering on two questions:
We are anxious to invite as many faculty, staff, and students as are interested in these questions to help us initiate an open-ended series of conversations that we hope will lead to specific actions aimed at improving the climate of our college with regard to multicultural education, equity, and respect for difference. Those who are interested in joining this conversation should notify either Derrick Alridge (dalridge@uga.edu), Mark Faust (mfaust@uga.edu), or Jenny Oliver (jpo@uga.edu). To facilitate this endeavor, we would like to call an organizational meeting to take place before the end of this semester. Please let us know which of the following dates might work for you: Tuesday, April 24 at 2:30 PM or Wednesday, April 25 at 2:30 PM If neither of these dates/times is workable and you are interested in being part of this effort, please let us know so we may contact you in August. Thank you! 2001 - 2002 COE Multicultural Education Grants Submission Deadline: April 16, 2001 For a copy of the full call for proposals visit the COE Multicultural Education Web site at: http://www.uga.edu/~mctf March 14, 2000 Wednesday, April 18, 2001 12:15 - 1:15 319 Aderhold Please mark your calendars now to attend our April 18th multicultural education seminar, "Stories Pictures Tell about Cuba: Experiences of Literacy Educators". Dr. Fenice Boyd of the Department of Language Education recently hosted a "People to People" delegation in Cuba where they visited schools and with families in the communities. "I think we all left a little piece of our hearts in Cuba," was what one delegation member said as we waited for the bags to arrive in the Bahamas (Journal Entry, October, 22, 2000). During their tour of Cuba, October 14-22, 2000, Dr. Boyd, along with another delegation member, wrote a 25-page, single-spaced journal based on their own observations as well as those of other delegation members who wanted to contribute to the journal. During the seminar Dr. Boyd will share her experience with the beautiful people, landscape and schools they visited through her gallery of pictures and by sharing some journal entries |
Grant Updates Compiled by: Tracy Talmadge, Counseling Psychology Mothers of Children with Chronic Medical Conditions: Multicultural Perspectives Yvette Getch, Counseling and Human Development Services Mothers play an important role in the management of their child's chronic illness. Without understanding the stressors faced by these mothers, it is unlikely that proper supports and resources can be mobilized to assist in the management of a child's chronic medical condition. Chronic medical conditions that are not adequately controlled can create many stressors for mothers including (a) fears that their child might die, (b) numerous visits to the emergency room or physicians office, (c) hospitalizations, (d) escalating medical bills, (e) increased absences from work to care for an ill child, (f) excessive absences from school, (g) fatigue, (h) fears regarding the ability of school personnel to provide appropriate treatment or accommodations, and (I) difficult decisions regarding medical treatment. This qualitative research project is designed to investigate the issues, concerns, and perspectives of mothers who have children with chronic medical conditions. Particular attention is being given to diversity issues by using purposive sampling to include mothers from different racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Through this investigation we will learn the impact a child's chronic illness has on the mother, the resources she uses in the management of the child's condition, and how she copes with the various challenges encountered when dealing with a chronic medical condition. Incorporating Third World Women's Health into the Multicultural Curriculum Laura McCormick, Health Promotion and Behavior Dawn Haney, Health Promotion and Behavior Multicultural education must inform students and create an appreciation for diverse cultures throughout the world, not just those cultures present in the United States. In many undergraduate health curricula, the health issues of people from other countries, especially women from underprivileged or third world countries, are seldom studied in any depth. To close this gap in multicultural education, the authors developed a brief, web-based curriculum module to introduce third world women's health issues to undergraduate students in health promotion. The curriculum was designed to increase knowledge and awareness about health issues and facilitate discussion about the effects of an American perspective on the health of people in other countries. The web-based curriculum is centered on interviews with American health professionals who have worked in third world countries. The researchers interviewed health professionals about their experiences working in other countries, and included audio excerpts as part of the curriculum. Undergraduate students in six health promotion classes reviewed the curriculum module and discussed the topic in class as part of their coursework. Initial feedback from students and instructors indicates that this curriculum can be a useful classroom tool for increasing knowledge and awareness about third world women's health. Undergraduate and Graduate Early Childhood Education Student Beliefs, Multicultural Attitudes, and Teacher Performance Beverly Payne, Elementary Education Judith Reiff, Elementary Education Stacey Neuharth-Pritchett, Elementary Education The purpose of the grant is to examine the development of beliefs and attitudes of undergraduate early childhood education students as they progress through their four-semester program. During Fall 1999, students entered their first block of professional course work, and completed four questionnaires: The Teacher Multicultural Attitude Survey, Social Attitude Scale, Teacher Efficacy Scale, and Locus of Control Scale. At the beginning of semesters 2 & 3, the students also completed the scales. The final round of data was collected at the end of Block 4. A focus group of five students has been held each semester to examine in greater depth the students' perspectives on multicultural education. Transcripts from Blocks 1, 2, and 3 have been transcribed and are being analyzed. Repeated measures analysis is being conducted with the four data sets on the quantitative instruments. Recent Early Childhood Education Graduates Understandings of Diversity and Multicultural Education Penny Oldfather, Elementary Education Holly Ward, Elementary Education The focus was to assess recent graduates' current understandings of diversity and multicultural education, their understandings of how to apply their knowledge of multicultural education to settings of teaching and learning, and to identify experiences in their teaching preparation program that enhanced their understandings of issues relating to diversity and multicultural education. Interviews were conducted with recent graduates from Early Childhood. Questions focused on their study of multicultural education throughout their preparation for teaching in their course work, field experiences and student teaching. They were also asked to describe what they think would have better prepared them to teach in diverse classrooms. Many shared that they have an understanding of multiculturalism, but often struggle with what it looks like within classroom practice. Many shared that they learned a great deal about diversity, but they did not know how to transfer that learning into their teaching practices. "We learned a lot about multicultural education, but not really how to do it." This knowledge that students struggle with how to put theory into practice in order to teach multiculturally is important and will inform the curriculum we teach. Multicultural Mentoring to Increase Diversity Jay Bernhardt, Health Promotion and Behavior Hilary Merlin, Health Promotion and Behavior Mentoring can be an effective strategy for recruiting and retaining students from underrepresented groups. In accord with Healthy People 2010 and UGA's Multicultural Education Initiative, we developed, implemented, and evaluated the Health Mentoring Project, a program to help support and promote diversity for undergraduate students in the Department of Health Promotion and Behavior. Ten undergraduate students who self-identified as coming from "under-represented groups" were recruited and matched with ten health promotion professionals who were recruited from throughout the state of Georgia. At baseline, participants provided informed consent, completed a baseline survey, and were given information about mentoring and about their match. Thereafter, they received monthly messages encouraging them to communicate and share information. Six months after baseline, the participants will receive a follow-up survey to assess the effects of the program on their professional efficacy and outcome expectancies, and to collect their feedback on the process. All data collection and almost all correspondence were conducted by electronic mail. Data from the project and from an additional focus group of non-participating undergraduate minority students will be used to inform the future implementation of the program. Promoting the Continuing Education of Bilingual Paraprofessionals and Parent Liaisons in Gwinnett County, Clarke County, and Gainesville City School Systems Betsy Rymes, Language Education The objective of this research was to provide the first step in bringing bilingual paraprofessionals and parent liaisons to UGA to attain teacher certification and the state endorsement for teaching ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages). To understand the needs and goals of these educators and how the University of Georgia and other USG schools might best provide for their professional development, interviews were conducted in which participants spoke about their job responsibilities and challenges, their career goals, and their views on continuing education. This study was conducted as a fact-finding rather than a hypothesis-testing mission, and the information gathered will be crucial in pursuing funding that will serve the real needs of these bilingual educators by creating a realistic program for their continuing education, mentorship, and ultimate certification as classroom teachers. Providing these bilingual educators with a feasible path to teacher certification is consistent with the belief that a critical component of multicultural education is the inclusion and recognition of multiple perspectives in all levels of classroom learning. The proposed certification program will provide Georgia with a new, desperately needed cache of bilingual/bicultural teachers to serve Georgia's growing population of multilingual students. Development of Computer-Based Learning Activities for RLST 3850: Recreation for Special populations John Dattilo, Recreation and Leisure Studies The objective of this project is to develop interactive computer-based learning activities to be used in Recreation and Leisure Studies (RLST) 3850: "Recreation for Special Populations." RLST 3850 is required for RLST students and, since UGA College of Education (COE) identifies the course as addressing cultural diversity, students throughout the COE may also access it. The project develop five computer-based learning activities that place students in the role of a leisure professional required to facilitate the inclusion of people with disabilities into community leisure. The following computer-based learning experiences were developed (a) students make adaptations to recreation activities so that people with disabilities can participate (b) students consult a panel of experts on wilderness and disability and make decisions regarding park access (c) students choose the most effective way to advocate for various people with disabilities (d) students solve problems associated with designing a universally accessible playground (e) students learn ways to enhance the self-determination of participants who are participating in various recreation activities at a recreation center for youth. |
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From the MCTF Conference Sub-committee "The College of Education and Multicultural Education: What is Our Responsibility as We Move to the 21st Century" was the theme around which our college convened its first ever multicultural conference in May, 1994. Since that time, the conference, now an annual event, has provided an outlet for our conversations around diversity issues as well as been a tool for refining our thinking and our strategies toward meeting our college's multicultural mission. Now as we find ourselves within the 21st century, the college 's multicultural education initiative continues to pursue some long held goals, particularly as they relate to a diverse curriculum, and recruitment and retention of culturally diverse faculty, staff and students. We also find ourselves continuing to examine our responsibilities. Consistent with our college's strategic plan, the multicultural education initiative shares the responsibility and commitment to become an "engaged college" and to prepare graduates of our programs for careers in a world which is increasingly multicultural. The College's Task Force for Multicultural Education proposes to use the annual conference to provide the entry to the next conversations we need to have. While our conferences "for us and by us" have served us well internally, we need to make linkages to the world outside. With that goal in mind, we came up with a wish list...
As we continue to work on our idea and goal of "making connections" and "convening conversations", we will also evolve a vision for the conference. Central to this revisioned conference is the fact that our graduates work in professional contexts that demand a solid foundation in multicultural education. It is, therefore, important that we identify and work with stake holders who have a direct interest in addressing problems related to diversity such as racism, sexism, ableism, classism and other forms of inequality. It is important that we reach out to other stake holders to strengthen and focus our research, curricula, and outreach. The conversations need to be multi-faceted and reflect the range of programs and services within the college. These conversations can be framed as an attempt to connect all stake holders, including the COE, in areas of shared interest. The multicultural conference can serve as one vehicle to create the conversations, that would not otherwise occur, that could lead to collaboration and the creation of new visions, commitments, and directions for the COE multicultural initiative. As we continue to explore this idea of a "different" kind of conference, we welcome your thoughts and suggestions. Please feel free to get in touch with the MCTF co-chairs, Mark Faust (mfaust@uga.edu) or Janette Hill (janette@uga.edu), or any of the conference subcommittee members (Yvette Getch, ygetch@uga.edu; Tal Guy, tguy@uga.edu; or Jenny Penney Oliver, jpo@uga.edu) with your comments. Curriculum Guidelines for Multicultural Education http://www.ncss.org/standards/positions/multicultural.html This site lays out guidelines for the development and implementation of multicultural curricula. Though specific to Social Studies, the site does a good job of framing the need and approach to overall curriculum transformation for diversity. Multicultural Supersite: Curriculum Transformation http://www.mhhe.com/socscience/education/multi/curriculum.html McGraw-Hill's Multicultural Supersite includes this collection of informational resources that help teachers and teacher educators develop theoretically and pragmatically sound conceptualizations for multicultural curriculum transformation. Advice for Effective Curriculum Transformation http://www.inform.umd.edu/digest/W97/advice.html This site provides useful starting points and steps for transforming curriculum at the institutional level. National Center for Curriculum Transformation http://saber.towson.edu/ncctrw.welcome2.html This site includes some useful resources on curriculum transformation, including specific curriculum transformation projects in secondary schools. Newsletter Committee: Jenny Oliver, Kristi Leonard and April Layden SOURCE: Multicultural Perspectives, Vol. 3, No. 1, 2001 | ||||