Course Title
Diversity and Equity in Science and Mathematics Education

Course Overview
The focus for the course is to examine what we mean by “culture” and how it relates to the learning and teaching of science and mathematics. Students in the course begin the process of framing a research project, based on what appear to be significant differences between the genders, and among Mexican American, African American, American Indian, and European American students’ levels of achievement and rates of participation in math and the sciences, in middle and high schools. This course is offered as a Blackboard, on-line course. It is organized into a series of five modules, each led by the two faculty members listed above. The course is taught through readings, online discussions, and videos.

Course Goals
1. Have a clear understanding of the concepts of “race,” culture, ethnicity, acculturative mode, gender, and social class. Are “race,” culture, and ethnicity equivalent constructs? How is “gender” different from “sex?” What is gender-role orientation? How does it differ from sexual orientation? How have “culture” and the designations, for various cultural groups, e.g., “Mexican American,” “Latina/o,” “African American,” and “American Indian” been operationally defined?
2. Examine yourself with respect to the concepts/constructs listed in #1. That is, examine your own positionality as “raced,” gendered, classed, etc. individuals, who may be differently able; who may be monolingual, bilingual, or multilingual.
3. Understand how diversity and multiculturalism are defined and acted on, e.g., in culturally based curriculum.
4. Develop higher levels of knowledge about the nature of “achievement gaps” for students from a variety of cultural backgrounds; for and females and males; and for social class groups within ethnicity.
5. Develop a working knowledge of and a capacity to use several key databases, related to student achievement in mathematics and the sciences for middle school and high school years.
6. Demonstrate an understanding of the major theories and research findings on the influences of culture on cognitive (including language and perception) development and learning.
7. Be able to define barriers to learning embedded in certain teaching practices for students from diverse cultural communities, with special attention to women, Mexican American, African American, and American Indian communities.
8. Be able to articulate learning principles that characterize effective instruction and learning for women and students from a variety of cultural communities, with special attention to women, Mexican American, African American, and American Indian communities.
9. Be able to analyze instructional practices for effectiveness in promoting learning among women and students from diverse cultural communities, with special attention to women, Mexican American, African American, and American Indian communities. For example, what are some existing programs directed at achieving greater teacher sensitivity to and awareness of cultural and social class influences on student learning and how do we incorporate these understandings into more appropriate pedagogical practices?
10. Be able describe the characteristics of the knowledge, which educators expect students, from diverse cultural communities, to learn, with special attention to women, Mexican American, African American, and American Indian communities.

Course Content
Module 1: Introduction and Overview: Gender, Ethnicity, and Culture—More Complex Than We Think. Intro: Autobiographical Narrative: Write your autobiography. If you want, use the instructors’ autobiographical narratives. We are especially interested in experiences you may have had with members from Groups of Color (e.g., African Americans, American Indians, Mexican Americans) and/or experiences related to achievement differences in math and science, based upon gender or ethnic group membership—your own or someone else’s. “Definitions” Paper Submit two written definitions: a definition of what the term “race” means to you and a definition of what “gender” means to you. This is to come from your head not from reading something.

Module 2: Women in Mathematics and Science
Read the posted articles and post answers to questions. Reflect and post comments to others.

Module 3: African Americans
Choose from one of these videos/DVD. View it and post summary and answer questions. Get with someone (who you are partnering with on the lit review/project) and share comments within Blackboard.
1. The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow (2002)
2. Race: The Power of Illusion, Part 1
3. Race: The Power of Illusion, Part 2
4. Race: The Power of Illusion, Part 3
5. The Boys of Baraka (2005)
6. Crash (2004): Summarize. Describe the various types of discrimination in this movie.
Read the posted articles and post answers to questions. Reflect and post comments to others.

Module 4: Mexican Americans
Read the posted articles and post answers to questions. Reflect and post comments to others.

Module 5: American Indians
Choose from one of these videos/DVD. View it and post summary and answer questions. Half will see one, half of the class will see the other. Share comments within Blackboard. Questions will be posted within Blackboard.
    The West, PBS, Ken Burns video
    500 Nations, Kevin Costner Explore America’s Indian Heritage.
Read the posted articles and post answers to questions. Reflect and post comments to others.

Expectations for Students
There are three main components for assessment of this course. The first component is the weekly discussions. Each student participates in weekly online discussions, reflecting on assigned readings or viewing of DVD/videos. The second component involves the realization of the readings: working with a student of color. Teach a Student of Color a math or science concept using some aspect of the student’s cultural within the lesson. This involves researching what interests the student, what cultural aspects can be incorporated into the lesson, and assessment of your teaching. The third component is more research oriented and can be done in small groups. This research can build on the minority the student work involved or it can be a different focus. Work can be done individually or in small groups (up to 3 students) on a final product for the course, which can be of one of the following:
• A substantive review of research literature on an approved topic
• A well framed research proposal

Connections to CLTW Core Values
The nature of the course revolves around diversity and equity issues. Students in this course build content knowledge through the weekly readings. Pedagogical knowledge can be constructed through readings but more importantly through the work with the student of color, actually teaching a concept. The final paper is research oriented, a lit review or research proposal. Our introductory posting on the Blackboard is biographical in nature, describing the culture from which we come. The professor posts the example with students following. This allows each student to get to know the others. Leadership is promoted through the students working with a student of color and collaborating with a colleague on the project.

Comments/Suggestions
Leadership may be hard to recognize. Unless students share or begin helping overcome racism or become social change agents it may not be evident. Some leadership qualities may be seen through articles. Students may recognize growth by reflecting on initial posting on the bulletin board or where they may see themselves nurturing diversity.