EDUC 566 – Cross Cultural Awareness
Offered in the spring semester |
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DETAILS FOR Spring ’20 Course
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Background:
Programs for Awareness in Cultural Education (PACE) and Teaching Performing Art for Cross-Cultural Education (TPACE) are partnerships between the Greenfield Intercultural Center and the Graduate School of Education. Their aims are to train students to increase cross-cultural awareness at the University of Pennsylvania.
Democratic Classroom Environment:
We strive to create an environment where students are engaged and active participants in a democratic learning process. Within the PACE context, democratic education means that students are peer educators – creating knowledge with the instructors rather than acting as containers waiting to be filled by expert knowledge. It also means that a supportive environment for cross-cultural dialogue dismantles and exposes the hierarchy both within the structure of the classroom itself and between course participants.
Elements of democratic education:
- Course is facilitated by two instructors to model cooperative learning facilitation.
- Shared decision-making and responsibility among the students and instructors.
- A learner-centered approach; everyone can learn from anyone.
- Equality among instructors and students.
- The community as an extension of the classroom.
Course Objectives:
- Deepen self-knowledge about one’s own positionality and the impact of oppression on one’s own multifaceted identites.
- Acquire new knowledge about, and exposure to oppressiojn through readings and class discussions.
- Develop awareness of, and sensitivity to, the lived experiences of others.
- Develop facilitation and consciousness-raising skills to engage in critical discussions about social justice, diversity, intersectionality, oppression, and more.
- Examine one’s own level of influence in working for soical change.
Course Requirements:
- Weekly 3-hour class sessions at the Greenfield Intercultural Center.
- Complete assignments as designated in the syllabus, which usually includes readings, reading reflection papers, in-class facilitation, and a final research project.
Benefits:
- Earn graduate level course credit.
- Learn workshop design and facil
itation. - Develop skills to engage difficult cross-cultural discussions.
- Explore the intersection of gender, ethnicity, sexuality, culture, society, and education.
- Improve and develop storytelling and performance skills.
- Learn how to incorporate performance art into a learning environment.
- Explore the intersection of gender, ethnicity, sexuality, culture, society, education, and art.
- Make strong and lasting connections with fellow course members and the diverse community of PACE and TPACE members, instructors, and advisors.
- Improve public speaking skills.
Instructors:
Jax Lastinger, Co-Instructor
Holly Link, Co-Instructor
Jenn Phoung, Co-Instructor
Course Offerings:
All Penn graduate and undergraduate students from all twelve schools are eligible.
Social Change Projects from former PACE students:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlESVhrMihk&feature=youtu.be
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