Title: UNITED Conference (Web Based)
Seq. #: 82756 (ED 989B, Section 55)
Location: University Center, Northern Michigan University
Meets: Varies by program: October 2, 2009 – December 4, 2009
Instructor: Judy Puncochar
Tuition: 1 Graduate Credit Hour; (Tuition - $339.75)

Brief Description: This course deals primarily with living cultures of the world, including U.S. domestic diversity. Topics include literary, artistic, and other cultural achievements; religious and ethical values; social, economic, and political systems; and/or intellectual and historical trends. Participants will attend online the UNITED Conference (Uniting Neighbors in the Experience of Diversity), which is held during September 27- October 1, 2009. The conference aims to increase understanding of internationalization, multiculturalism, and pluralistic values by engaging participants in an appreciation for the richness of cultures and ethnicity.

Course Objectives:

Using asynchronous learning (on your own time), participants will engage in online learning to explore, analyze, and reflect on ways to promote respect for the vast multicultural backgrounds of K-12 students. Participants will use themes from conference sessions to formulate their own perspectives and generate community-building solutions to issues discussed during the conference. Participants are encouraged to generate ideas for curricular materials based on conference sessions. The UNITED Conference should result in participants' obtaining a greater understanding of their own and others' cultures.

Participants completing this course should be able to:

  1. Comprehend and articulate the distinctive worldview (e.g., values, norms, and beliefs) of at least one culture or cultural practice that varies significantly from Anglo-American and Western European cultures
  2. Understand and articulate what culture is and how people express culture in terms of artifacts, artistic accomplishments, technology, customs, and texts
  3. Understand and respect social and cultural diversity and complexity in a global context
  4. Understand how factors such as racial, ethnic, gender and class differences affect intergroup relationships within a culture, and
  5. Articulate the important achievements and contributions of other cultures in such areas as the arts, literature, philosophy, ethical values, religion, and science.

Course Delivery Format: Participants will attend at least 12 ½ hours of UNITED Conference sessions onsite (September 27 through October 1, 2009). CE 989 sheets are available for documentation of session attendance. The conference schedule is at http://www.nmu.edu/united.

Course Assessment Methodology: Participants will write one reflection paper of 5-10 pages addressing the Professional Standards for Michigan Teachers and Related Proficiencies and objectives of the course. Participants are encouraged to generate ideas for curricular materials and community-building solutions to issues raised during the conference sessions. Requirements for the paper include a list of session attended, discussion of session themes and course objectives, reflection on personal and professional growth, and articulation of the Professional Standards for Michigan Teachers and Related Proficiencies addressed by conference sessions. Send completed paper in an email to Dr. Judith Puncochar at jpuncoch@nmu.edu for grading. All papers are due on or before the last day of classes.