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EDUC 121 Multicultural Children's Literature

Inclusive, Syllabus Reconnaissance, Communication Expectations

Reflection on Instructional Change

For this semester, I started with a Syllabus Reconnaissance activity to engage students in the syllabus. Before the activity and before the semester stared; I did the following:

emailed students a week before with the Syllabus and explained the activity
emailed students a few days before the semester started with the Syllabus and explained the activity
emailed students the morning of class reminding them of the activity

When I emailed the students, I provided three different formats: pdf, docx and Pages, however, I did inform them I will be bringing printed copies on the first day of class. After class introductions, I shared a presentation on the syllabus and some of the major key items in the syllabus. For this activity, the class did the following:

students had 10-15 minutes to look over the syllabus by themselves
- they starred 3 to 4 items in the syllabus which were exciting to them
- they put a question mark next to items they had questions about or needed more information on
I had some questions they had to find answers for in the syllabus:
- what is my late work policy?
- what ways can you contact me?
- what are my office hours and where is my office?
- when is the first assignment due and at what time? How are assignments submitted?
- Did you find the Easter Egg?
students were put into groups of 4 and were given 10-15 minutes
- students shared their findings
one student from each group shared the groups findings and questions
as questions came up regarding the Syllabus, I would encourage other students to answer before I did.

I chose the Syllabus Reconnaissance as it is important students are actively learning about what the syllabus entails; in addition, this activity has students engaging with each other and creating an active community of learners. Providing students the syllabus before the semester started, aided students in reading and engaging with the syllabus before class started.

This was the first semester I used the Syllabus Reconnaissance activity and it has impacted my students in a positive and empowering way. Students have stated the following in an anonymous survey I provided:

Usually professors just hand out the syllabus without discussing it in class. Being able to have access to the syllabus before the semester started helped me in knowing what is expected of me. I really appreciated the activity and found it helpful.
Professor Kimberly's activity with the syllabus was informative. I loved having time in class to read the syllabus and then have a discussion about the syllabus with my classmates. I felt as though I was part of the syllabus in marking up what I had questions about. Professor Kimberly also made adjustments to the syllabus based off the the class questions.

The ACUE activity which had the most influence on my instruction were the Online Asynchronous Discussion Forums with my colleagues. This aided in my learning of techniques used by colleagues; in addition, these discussions provided me with deeper reflections along with critically thinking about my course and instruction. Not only did the discussions provide with with the ability to express my own thoughts and ideas, they also challenged me utilizing new ideas.

I found the Observe and Analyze sessions to be extremely helpful in polishing the usage of practices. In addition, this was an ideal way to examine what my colleagues prepared and used in their courses; furthermore, receiving valuable feedback on my own implementation has aided in tweaking practices I have used and will continue to use in lectures.

**Evidence of Instructional Change**
Discussing Syllabus Reconnaissance activity	Jamboard used in collaborating on the definition of Multiculturalism in Education	Embracing Diversity in the Classroom

Practice and Reflect on Ensuring Equitable Access to Learning (LE3):
Practice & Reflect I - Reflection Assignment.docx

Course Syllabus:
EDUC_121_Fall_2022_Syllabus.pdf

**Faculty Bio**
	Kimberly is passionate about multicultural education along with broadening student's perspective on diversity and inclusion in education. She continues to expand her knowledge with professional development courses which aides in Kimberly's instruction in onsite and online classes.

**Work Supported By**
	This work was supported by the following: National Science Foundation Hispanic Serving Institution Project STEM Zone DUE 1832335 CSU Office of the Chancellor Academic Affairs grant for Faculty Professional Development US Department of Education Hispanic Serving Institution Project STEM4Equity P031C210012 *Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation or the US Department of Education.