
For the past two years I’ve been using some new theories course assignments and am sharing them here.
New Assignments
The first new homework assignment is called: Multicultural Competence, Multicultural Humility, and Me. I use this as an early (about week 3) writing assignment for first-year, first-semester M.A. students. I like using it because it gives me a taste of their writing skills, while also introducing them to foundational multicultural content. I have been consistently impressed with the students’ sensitivity to culture and desires to be humble, lifelong learners when it comes to cultural diversity.
The second new homework assignment is for students to take the long form of my Theoretical Orientation test during week 1 and then to retake it during week 15. I have them compare their scores and declare up to three “favorite” theoretical perspectives. Like the multicultural paper, this assignment has produced very interesting (and relatively fun to read) reflections from our students.
Old Resources
If you’re new to teaching or haven’t caught my previous postings for Theories resources, below are some links to materials I’ve found useful. As I’ve said before, although it’s great if you use our Theories text (woohoo), you can also use all these materials in combination with whatever text you’re using. I’m aware of many other strong textbooks—although my bet is that ours is the leader in theories jokes and humor and is probably the most well-liked by students (but I might be biased!).
Theories Course Syllabus
Here’s a link to my most recent syllabus:
Videos
I have a previous blog with links to free videos on my Youtube site. That link is below:
Although we have an excellent theories-specific video series, you need to adopt our text to access them.
Lab Activities
If you want these, email me at john.sf@mso.umt.edu and I’ll email them to you at my earliest convenience.
Good luck in your teaching this semester. I know the challenges are big, but the process of witnessing and participating in student learning is a big positive reinforcement.
