last updated: 1/13/09
Contemporary Issues in Family Life Education
FCS 595/ HDF 695
Co-professors:
Andrew Behnke, PhD. 118 Ricks Hall, (919) 515-9156
Andrew_Behnke@ncsu.edu
Joi W. Bulls, Ph.D. 138 Stone Bldg., (336) 334-4381 jwbulls@uncg.edu
Office Hours:
By appointment online or on-campus
Overview:
FCS 595/HDF 695 is a one-credit hour graduate course offered as part of the
required core for the Masters Degree in Parenting and Family Life Education. All
graduate students in the program are required to complete this seminar. Included
will be current topics and issues in family life and parenting education,
presentation of seminars, career opportunities, community networking strategies,
and group discussions.
Family life education provides skills and knowledge to enrich individual and
family life. It includes knowledge about how families work; the interrelationship of
families and society; human growth and development throughout the life span;
the physiological and psychological aspects of human sexuality; the impact of
money and time management on daily family life; the importance and value of
parent education; the effects of policy and legislation on families; ethical
considerations in professional conduct; and a solid understanding and knowledge
of how to teach and/or develop curriculum for what are often sensitive and
personal issues
This course will address contemporary topics as well as current issues that arise
within the course duration. Discussion of professional issues related to family life
education will occur. Related state agency representatives and Family and
Consumer Sciences faculty will share their research and teaching. There will be
a focus on necessary skills to be a successful family life educator including
research, writing, teaching, professionalism, and ethics.
Student Learning Objectives:
Students will be able to:
1. Identify the areas of family life education and how these relate to their field of
study and job opportunities in the field.
2. Read and apply knowledge about family life education to emerging issues through
out the semester.
3. Analyze the link between research and practice through student presentations on
an FLE substance area topic meeting NCFR standards.
4. Develop professional skills independently by developing a career portfolio using
the guidelines provided by the instructor.
5. Critique family life and parent education programs with the aid of references
using the NCFR standards for evaluating programs and policies.
Catalog Description:
This course is to prepare students for professional work in the FLPE area. It will
cover professional and career development.
Prerequisites/Corequisites:
none
Grading:
This course will be graded using an A to F plus/minus system as follows:
A+
A
A-
= 98-100
= 94-97
= 90-93
C+
C
C-
= 77-79
= 74-76
= 71-73
B+
B
B-
= 87-89
= 84-86
= 80-83
D+
D
D-
= 68-70
= 65-67
= 62-64
F
= 61 and below
Assignments:
Students will be evaluated as follows:
Class participation 20%
Reflection papers 50%
Resume/Vita assignment 30%
Course Requirements:
1. Participation (20%) in class discussions of the readings and the ideas they
generate.
Participating in class discussions is essential and will enhance student learning
by learning how to voice opinions and build arguments. Attendance and
participation will count for 20% of the final grade.
2. Reflections on readings (50%): Students will be required to submit two
Reflection Papers answering a reflection question. The paper should be three to
five pages typed and follow APA style. This reflection question will also be
discussed in class. These papers should be well developed with details and
examples to illustrate your statements. Visit the Writing Center if you need help
with your writing.
- Paper one - Reflect upon the concept of integrating research and practice.
What does it mean? Why is it important? What is the responsibility of Family Life
Educators with regards to research and practice? Give examples. Due date:
2/25/09
- Paper two - Pick one of the contemporary issues of interest to you (e.g.,
divorce, step-parenting), and summarize what you would share in a train-thetrainer workshop on this topic. Make this useful to you as a Family Life Educator.
Due date: 3/25/09
3. Cover letter, Curriculum Vitae/ Resume (30%) Due date: 4/15/09
--Examples of Nice Resumes (all are Word .docs)--- CV-example 1, CV-esample
2, resume-example 1, resume-example 2
Readings:
This course will use readings that will be available online (some links below, most
will be available on Blackboard VISTA). Class Schedule: Dates subject to
change, though the order of assigned readings will remain.
Date &
Week #
Topic
On Campus
or Online
Reading (format)
Family Life Education - Chapter 1
1/14
Week 1
1/21
Week2
1/28
Introduction and defining
Introduction, Exploring
Career Field
Portfolio, Resume, Vita,
Anthony Solari, Policy
Analyst & Legislative
Liaison, North Carolina
Partnership for Children
2/11
Week 5
2/18
Online
Family Life Education (pp. 55-62)
Family Life Education as a Andrew and
Public Policy & Advocacy -
Week 4
(pdf copy available in case you have not
Family Life Education and Andrew and gotten your textbook yet)
Parenting
Joi
Family Life Education - Chapter 14
Week3 Development Overview
2/4
Online
Career Visit: Writing Lab
with Cover letter and
Vitae/Resume in Hand
Job seeking, Interviewing,
Joi
Online
Joi
Preparing Future Faculty
Developing an Effective Curriculum Vitae and
Cover Letter (pdf)
No
Elluminate
session Access
lecture in
Public Policy through a Family Lens
How to Impact Public Policy for Families
Vista
No
Visit the Career Services Center on campus.
Elluminate Get your cover letter and vitae critiqued by a
Session
Online
career counselor.
Getting a Good Job After Graduate School
Week 6 and Networking Skills
Andrew
Family Life Education - Chapter 9
2/25
Professional Writing
Week 7 (grants and publications)
Online
Andrew
Demystifying Grant Seeking
FIRST REFLECTION DUE
3/4
No class - Spring Break
3/11
Working in Non Profit
Week 8 Agencies
Nutrition, Dr. Carolyn
3/18
Week 9
Dunn, Professor, NCSU
GRADUATE RESEARCH
SYMPOSIUM @ NCSU
Linking Research to
3/25
Practice
-Online
Joi
No
How Obesity Policies are Failing in America
Elluminate (pdf)
Session Access
Eat Smart, Move More (pdf)
Lecture in
Vista
CDC Research to Practice Papers
Online
Family-Oriented Program Models
Joi
Week 10
Bridging Research and Practice
SECOND REFLECTION DUE
4/01
Presenting and Teaching-
Week 11 Strategies and
Online
Andrew
Techniques
4/08
Career Visit: Mock
Week 12 Interview
No
Family Life Education - Chapters 5-7
NEPEF EDUCATE | NEPEF DEVELOP
Visit your Career Services Center on campus.
Elluminate Complete a Mock Interview.
session
4/15
Presentation of Resumes
Week 13 to clsss members / Final
Evaluation of Class
Online
Joi &
Andrew
Resume DUE
Copyrighted Materials:
This course web site contains copyrighted materials and was developed for
instructional purposes to be used by graduate students FCS 595/ HDF 695.
Students currently registered in this course are permitted to print or make copies
of parts of this site for their own personal use in conjunction with completing the
course. Text, audio files, images or design of this web site may not otherwise be
distributed or modified in any manner without the prior written permission of the
instructor.
This site may also contain material by various authors that is covered under
additional copyright protection. In all cases this material will be clearly cited and
may not be further disseminated without the express and written permission of
the legal copyright holder. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of
the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and
publication rights of reproduced materials.
Instructional Delivery Format:
This course is primarily delivered via Elluminate [http://www.elluminate.com/] a
full-featured Web conferencing tool that is free to all NC State students and
faculty. This delivery medium allows students to fully participate from a distance.
Elluminate provides the option for two-way audio, video, and file and application
sharing. Live sessions will be recorded for later viewing, as well. The course is
completely synchronous, meaning each class will meet during a specified class
time (which will be selected to meet the needs of most students). This method
will allow for students to interact with one another and with the instructor in real
time.
Students use a headset/microphone attached to a computer to be heard by the
instructor and fellow classmates, and will need to follow a few steps to properly
configure their computers to function properly with Elluminate. Additional
information is available to help you get started with Elluminate .
Blackboard Vista Learning Management System
While Elluminate is primarily a synchronous learning environment, the
Blackboard Vista learning management system provides a set of instructional
tools to facilitate learning, communication, and collaboration between an
instructor and students that will most often be asynchronous in nature. Students
and or the instructor do not have to be logged in at the same time. In your Vista
FCS 595/ HDF 695course site you will find the course syllabus and links to most
of the content for this class.
Vista is a password-protected learning environment, and students login using
their Unity ID and Passwords to access their courses. If you ever have a problem
accessing this course, contact the Help Desk at919-515-HELP or
help@ncsu.edu. Also, feel free to copy your email to the instructor so that we can
be aware of any commonly occurring issues.
Browser: To access a Blackboard course it is essential to have a properly
configured browser. You can find imformation about the recommended browsers
for Blackboard Vista and run a routine that performs a Browser Check by
selecting the link on the Vista login page (http://vista.ncsu.edu) . Once you
ensure that you are using an acceptable browser, this exercise will help you
determine if you have the proper plugins and settings to enable all of the tools on
the site to functional properly. Instructions are provided on the Browser Check
page.
Some of the course content may also require specific browser plugins (ie., Flash
Player, Adobe Acrobat Reader) to operate. You will be advised of any content
that requires a specific plugin to be loaded on your computer and you will be
directed to a site for a free download of that plugin. Links to many plugins are
available at: http://vista.ncsu.edu/help/plugins.php
Students with Disabilities:
Special Needs at NCSU: Reasonable accommodations will be made for students
with verifiable disabilities. In order to take advantage of available
accommodations, students must register with Disability Services for Students,
1900 Health Center, Box 7509, NCSU. Phone: 919-515- 7653.
Special Needs at UNCG: UNCG seeks to comply fully with the Americans with
Disability Act (ADA). Students requesting accommodations based on disability
must be registered with the office of Disability Services located at 208 Elliott
University Center. 336-334-5440 V/TTY. The syllabus and other class materials
are available in alternative formats upon request. If you have any questions
about these services, please contact the instructor as soon as possible. If
accommodations are needed for a disability, students should notify the instructor
during the first week of class.
Academic Honor Code:
Academic integrity is founded upon and encompasses the following five values:
honesty; trust; fairness; respect; and responsibility. Supporting and affirming
these values is essential to promoting and maintaining a high level of academic
integrity.¹ Each member of the academic community must stand accountable for
his or her actions. As a result, a community develops in which students learn the
responsibilities of citizenship and how to contribute honorably to their
professions.
First responsibility for academic integrity lies with individual students and faculty
members of this community. A violation of academic integrity is an act harmful to
all other students, faculty and, ultimately, the university.*
*Excerpts taken from the UNCG Academic Integrity Policy. For further
information, please refer to the Graduate Bulletin.
The NCSU Student Code of Conduct covers all work done in this course.
<
http://www.ncsu.edu/policies/student_services/student_discipline/POL11.35.1.ph
p>
Any suspected violations will be promptly reported. Academic dishonesty will
result in an
automatic failing grade for the course. The honor code is in effect for all
assignments.
Additional Requirements:
1. Attendance is directly tied to professional development. It is expected that you
treat this class like a real job. Therefore, your attendance is expected for every
class. However, if you are to be absent, you will need to contact the instructor by
phone or email. If you know that you will be absent, please let the instructor know
ASAP. It is the student’s responsibility to get any information that is missed
during the class.
2. Papers are due by the beginning of class. After that time, 3 points will be
deducted for each day that it is late (including weekends). Papers will NOT be
accepted after the third day.
3. All pagers and cell phones should be turned OFF during class time. Pagers, cell
phones, and other communication devices should NOT be used during class time.
4. Student responsibilities include (but not limited to):
5.
o a. Being prepared by reading topics before they are to be discussed.
o b. Respecting instructors and colleagues.
o c. Participating in class discussions and group work.
6. Instructor responsibilities include (but not limited to):
7.
o a. Being prepared by having lecture ready.
o b. Respecting students and colleagues.
o c. Being involved in class discussions and group work, as appropriate.
© 2009 Department of 4-H Youth Development & Family and Consumer Sciences
NC State University