Mexico Trip - Cultural Diversity Practicum Purpose and Objectives

Education 352 - Cultural Diversity Practicum

Course Purpose:

     The Culturally Diverse Practicum is designed to provide preservice teachers an experience in a culturally diverse classroom.  This experience will enable the preservice teacher to be better prepared to meet all student's needs and develop a greater understanding of how to work with students from various backgrounds and socioeconomic levels.  

Major Course Objectives:

Upon successful completion of the course, preservice teachers will have had an opportunity to:

• Understand the changing United States and world demographics regarding ethnicity, race, culture, religion, language, and socioeconomic status.
• Understand the cultural, ethnic, social class, gender, emotional, intellectual, and physical aspects of human differences.
• Understand the proficiencies that support learning by all students as shown in their work with students with exceptionalities and those from diverse, ethnic, racial, gender, and socioeconomic groups in classrooms and schools.
• Understand the role of diversity and equity in the teaching and learning process.
• Complete a 25-hour practicum in a culturally diverse setting.
• Reflect on their observations and practices in working with students from diverse, ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic groups.  
• Prepare a 4-6 page paper (in my case, blog posts) that reflect on what was learned from the 25 hour field experience and how the experiences enhanced their knowledge about diversity.
• Meet the Global Awareness Ability for the electronic portfolio for graduation.