SEBRA South-East Brainerd Residents Association: becoming part of the neighborhood
Central Lakes Community College – MN, Minnesota In order for any organization, institution, or person to be a part of solving a community s problems, that group has to know, understand, and be a part of the community. Higher education is no exception. As illustrated in the story of Central Lakes Community College in Brainerd, Minnesota, when an institution establishes genuine relationships with the members of its surrounding community, only then can it become an engaged campus. Since the day three years ago when Central Lakes first ventured into the South-East Brainerd community, the college has become an integral part…
Public policy and social change
A key element of citizenship is the knowledge that work in the community is connected to larger issues of policy and social change. Students enrolled in POLS 320 Problems in State and Local Politics at Valparaiso University assist in the development of a measuring tool which they use to gather and analyze data related to particular public policy issues. The data is then utilized by public planners in Valparaiso, highlighting the connection between the students service and the future policies of their community. From Service Matters 1998: Engaging Higher Education In the Renewal of America s Communities and American…
The Speaking, Arguing, and Writing Program
Education for citizenship has always been a cornerstone of the Liberal Arts Education at Mount Holyoke College. We believe that institutions of Higher Learning have a particular responsibility in responding to society s major challenges, through their teachings and their own actions. The challenges of the 21st century demand that we reverse the widespread feelings of apathy, impotence, and cynicism towards public and civic life and that we build a common understanding of the pressing problems of our times and of possibilities for solving them. To that effect, Mount Holyoke College founded the Center for Leadership and Public Interest Advocacy…
The Women’s Performance Group
The Women’s Performance Group considers itself more than just a club. It is an environment where young women and men consider women’s issues, develop their unique talents, nurture their aspirations, and support others who are in needs. The group often uses visual and performing aids in its many service learning projects. As members of this group, the students design and prepare each activity. Student officers and committees plan, oversee, and coordinate activities, and all members proudly demonstrate ownership of this service learning group. The women’s Performance Group is currently working with district elementary and middle schools and with other districts,…
Worcester Community Project Center
The Worcester Community Project Center brings together into a more productive synergy two long-term WPI initiatives: I) Improving service to the Worcester community through enhancing outreach from WPI faculty, graduates and students, specifically through locally-sponsored interactive projects relating science, technology and society (which is a unique nine-credit-hour reqiurement for graduation for all WPI students) II) Improving the academic quality of interactive projects performed locally, by adapting best practices developed at distant residential project sites to enrich learning in projects sponsored by local agencies and carried out by students living on campus. The mission of the group is to assist local…
Literacy Leadership Service-Learning Trip
EDUC-L 295 (1 cr.) & L296 (2 cr.), Literacy Leadership Service-Learning Trip L295 meets during the 2nd 8-week term of the spring semester; L296 is a summer service trip to Rwanda (30 days in July & August). TBD: Meeting date, time, and classroom Course Instructors Instructors of Record: Lauren Caldarera Assistant Director, Global Village Living-Learning Center Office: Global Village Living-Learning Center, Foster Martin Phone: 855-4264; Office Hours: By appointment Beth Lewis Samuelson Assistant Prof., Literacy, Culture and Language Education (LCLE) Office: IU School of Education, ED 3022. Phone: 856-8256. Office hours: By appointment Additional Instructor: Ali Nagle 5th grade reading…
Green Urbanism and Urban Gardening
Course Description and Goals: The block of courses is about doing something about the environmental issues we face – a task that, of course, will require research, analysis, organization, and writing, but that must also result in practical action. The goals of the course are to encourage you to become an active citizen in your own educational process and our wider community; to learn about, analyze, critique, and apply some of the historical and contemporary interdisciplinary thinking regarding green urbanism and urban gardening to a particular community project; to immerse yourself in one local attempt to bring Cincinnati closer to…
Community and Political Power
Course Objectives This course is really about sources and uses of power in civic or public life. What is common and what is different between political power (power exercised by an elected government (executive, legislative and administrative) and community-based power, i.e., power derived from civic associations, formal and informal, intended to affect civic life? What is the interaction between political and civic power? The focus will be on local government and community – where decisions often seem to have a more proximate and immediate impact on our lives. Political Power will look at: What does it take to get elected…
Language and Literacy
Course Description: Investigates the relationship between language and thought, theories of language development, changes in the young child’s cognitive structure, and the role of the teacher in literacy development. It is designed to address the Texas State Board of Educator Certification (SBEC) Standards for Reading/Language Arts. Prerequisites and Credit Hours: Completion of READ 3305 and admission to the Teacher Education program of the Urban Education Department is required for this 3-hour course. Text: Bear, D. R., Invernizzi, M., Templeton, S., and Johnston, F. (2008). Words Their Way: Word Study for Phonics, Vocabulary, and Spelling Instruction (4th Ed.). Upper Saddle River,…
Educational Psychology
Course Description: The goal of this course is to develop a working knowledge of various principles and theories based in the discipline of psychology and the practical application of these formulations to the teaching/learning process. The content includes theories of learning, motivation and intelligence; theories of cognitive, social, and emotional development; influences of social and cultural background on development and learning; assessment and evaluation; theoretical basis for instructional models; theoretical basis of strategies for managing the learning environment. Prerequisites: None. Concurrent enrollment in EDU 3150 is required for education minors. Required Texts: Woolfolk, Anita (2009). Educational Psychology, Active Learning-11th edition,…
Developmental Psychology
Overview: This course examines human development from conception through early adulthood with special a special focus on issues related to race, class & gender. It involves a 12-hour service-learning component in Head Start preschool classroom in Bridgeport CT where you will have the opportunity to act as “participant observers” and learn directly from the children, their teachers, and their families about child development and the complex array of biological, psychological, social, and political issues that impact on the course of healthy development. This course fulfills the U.S. Diversity requirement. Required Text: Berk, L.E. (2012). Infants, children and adolescents. (7th Edition). …
Issues in Nonprofit Administration
Course Description Effective management and leadership in the nonprofit sector requires both an understanding of the basic principles of nonprofit organization and associated management challenges (covered in PAFF 551) and familiarity with current debates that are changing how they operate (PAFF 552). The purpose of PAFF 552 is to introduce students to a range of challenges facing nonprofit organizations and to identify approaches that nonprofit practitioners and academics have proposed for addressing those challenges. PAFF 552 is an “Issues” course, intended to introduce students to a range of topics. This year, as last year, I have organized the course to…
Human Behavior and the Social Environment
Course Description: The course will examine individual, group, organizational and societal theories of human development and their relevancy for social work practice. Students will use the theoretical paradigms presented to examine individual and social issues arising in social work practice. Fifteen hours of field work are required as a context for applying class room learning and preparing a case study for class presentation. Required Texts: Zastrow, C.H., & Kirst-Ashman, K.K. (latest edition). Understanding human behavior and the social environment. Belmont, CA: Brookes/Cole. NASW Code of Ethics, most recent edition. Other assigned readings will be provided from: Fine, M., Weiss,…
Education of Individuals with Exceptionalities
“Think about the kind of world we want to work and live in. What do we need to know to build that world? Let’s teach each other.” (Adapted from Peter Kropolkin, Peace Calendar, War Resistors League, 1977) Course Description: Critical analysis of human beings considered exceptional (outside the norm) in learning and behavior. Topics include inter- and intra-individual differences comprising exceptionalities, issues surrounding identification and classification of individuals as exceptional, society’s responses to exceptional individuals, and societal challenges to develop the human potential of all persons. Textbook: Exceptional Lives: Special Education in Today’s School’s by Ann & Rutherford Turnbull, Ed….
Literacy and the English Language Learner
Course Description This course offers the student the opportunity to develop knowledge and instructional strategies for teaching reading to students of diverse cultural/linguistic backgrounds. Special emphasis will be placed on developing oral language proficiency as a prerequisite skill to reading and on instructional strategies designed specifically to meet the needs of such learners. Field experience is required. Prerequisite: Admission into the Teacher Education Program. Required Books Herrell, A.L. (2007). Fifty strategies for teaching English language learners ( 3rd ed.). Boston: Pearson. Fleischman, P. (2002). Seedfolks. NY: HarperCollins Children’s books. Course packet, available at the UTB Bookstore for less than…
African American/Latina(o) Children’s Literature
“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” -Benjamin Franklin PRIMARY COURSE OBJECTIVES Introduction to literacy education and practice with a primary emphasis on cultural diversity issues in contemporary U.S. society More comprehensive understanding of issues discussed in linked literature course Development of critical thinking, problem solving, teamwork, communication, and leadership skills SERVICE OBJECTIVE: According to the federal Reading Excellence Act of 1999, national assessments reflect “serious deficiencies in children’s ability to read, especially in high-poverty schools” such as those served by Service Learning Program internships. Even in wealthier schools,…
The Age of Reform: America from 1876 to 1920
THE HONOR TRADITION: Like all your classes at Converse, in this class, you are bound by the Converse Honor Tradition. You may review the honor tradition in the Student Handbook. With regard to class work, remember that you are honor-bound not to cheat or plagiarize, not to lie about your work, and to report others if they violate the honor tradition. Remember that you must pledge all written work. I will not grade work if it is not pledged. COURSE DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES: This course examines American history from 1876, the end of Reconstruction, to the end of World War…
Women and Social Change in Modern Africa
Course Description: This course examines the lives of women in various parts of the African continent, taking into account social, economic, and political change. Looking into women’s private as well as their public lives, the course considers gender relations and family, issues of power, and resistance. Readings include women’s own life histories and novels, as well as the work of academic historians. Course Objectives: To understand the great diversity in African women’s lives across time and space To understand gender roles and relations within the public and private spheres To understand the impact of social, economic, and political change on…
Problems in Intercultural Communication
Course Description and Objectives This course provides the basis for understanding potential problems of intercultural communication that arise in interactions between people from different cultures. As Samovar notes, complex nature of human behavior produces many communication problems-perhaps more than the problems addressed in this course. It is for this reason that we will explore how diverse cultural orientations influence the way we perceive and interact with an increasingly culturally diverse world. The overall purpose of this class is to understand causes of intercultural conflicts in different communication settings (interpersonal, small group, school, workplace and global) and how to manage them…
Health Psychology
Course Description: Health is experienced within a broad psychosocial context. Physical states affect mental states and mental states can and do influence the course of both health and illness. This course investigates the relationship that exists between physical and mental health. Emphasis is placed on the role that psychological and social factors play for both physical health and illness. The course also examines stress and stress management techniques. Course Objectives: Students will understand how psychologists in the field of Health Psychology study the mind –body interaction. Students will acquire knowledge on the theories and empirical findings linking psychological and social…
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