Contemporary Issues in Family Life Educationfcs 595/ HDF 695

last updated: 1/13/09

Contemporary Issues in Family Life EducationFCS 595/ HDF 695

Co-professors:

Andrew Behnke, PhD. 118 Ricks Hall, (919) 515-9156
Joi W. Bulls, Ph.D. 138 Stone Bldg., (336) 334-4381

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:

Identify the areas of family life education and how these relate to their field of study and job opportunities in the field.
Read and apply knowledge about family life education to emerging issues through out the semester.
Analyze the link between research and practice through student presentations on an FLE substance area topic meeting NCFR standards.
Develop professional skills independently by developing a career portfolio using the guidelines provided by the instructor.
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+ / = 98-100 / C+ / = 77-79
A / = 94-97 / C / = 74-76
A- / = 90-93 / C- / = 71-73
B+ / = 87-89 / D+ / = 68-70
B / = 84-86 / D / = 65-67
B- / = 80-83 / D- / = 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-the-trainer 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)
1/14
Week 1 / Introduction and defining Family Life Education and Parenting / Online
Andrew and Joi / Family Life Education - Chapter 1
(pdf copy available in case you have not gotten your textbook yet)
Family Life Education - Chapter 14
1/21
Week2 / Introduction, Exploring Family Life Education as a Career Field / Online
Andrew and Joi / Family Life Education (pp. 55-62)
Preparing Future Faculty
1/28
Week3 / Portfolio, Resume, Vita, Development Overview / Online
Joi / Developing an Effective Curriculum Vitae and Cover Letter (pdf)
2/4
Week 4 / Public Policy & Advocacy - Anthony Solari, Policy Analyst & Legislative Liaison, North Carolina Partnership for Children / No Elluminate session - Access lecture in Vista / Public Policy through a Family Lens
How to Impact Public Policy for Families
2/11
Week 5 / Career Visit: Writing Lab with Cover letter and Vitae/Resume in Hand / No Elluminate Session / Visit the Career Services Center on campus. Get your cover letter and vitae critiqued by a career counselor.
2/18
Week 6 / Job seeking, Interviewing, and Networking Skills / Online
Andrew / Getting a Good Job After Graduate School
2/25
Week 7 / Professional Writing (grants and publications) / Online
Andrew / Family Life Education - Chapter 9
Demystifying Grant Seeking
FIRST REFLECTION DUE
3/4 / No class - Spring Break / --
3/11
Week 8 / Working in Non Profit Agencies / Online
Joi
3/18
Week 9 / Nutrition, Dr. Carolyn Dunn, Professor, NCSU
GRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM @ NCSU / No Elluminate Session - Access Lecture in Vista / How Obesity Policies are Failing in America (pdf)
Eat Smart, Move More (pdf)
CDC Research to Practice Papers
3/25
Week 10 / Linking Research to Practice / Online
Joi / Family-Oriented Program Models
Bridging Research and Practice
SECOND REFLECTION DUE
4/01
Week 11 / Presenting and Teaching- Strategies and Techniques / Online
Andrew / Family Life Education - Chapters 5-7
NEPEF EDUCATE | NEPEF DEVELOP
4/08
Week 12 / Career Visit: Mock Interview / No Elluminate session / Visit your Career Services Center on campus. Complete a Mock Interview.
4/15
Week 13 / Presentation of Resumes 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 [ 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 . 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 ( . 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:

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.
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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:

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.
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.
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.
Student responsibilities include (but not limited to):
a. Being prepared by reading topics before they are to be discussed.
b. Respecting instructors and colleagues.
c. Participating in class discussions and group work.
Instructor responsibilities include (but not limited to):
a. Being prepared by having lecture ready.
b. Respecting students and colleagues.
c. Being involved in class discussions and group work, as appropriate.