Character Education and Community Development: Level One

Course Content

• 1. Explore key social context and spiritual principles in successful teaching and learning.
• 2. Explore community development principles to engage community members, in on-going efforts to support, encourage, and foster the development of children, junior youth, and youth.
• 3. Expand understanding and skills helpful to becoming an effective facilitator of learning and training processes.
• 4. Learn to apply Core Curriculum principles and training processes through providing at least one training program within a community-based context.
• 5. Learn to apply appropriate consultative strategies to mobilize shared vision-in-action.

Assignments

Assignments for the course are designed to involve the students in active reflection on the meaning and application of what they are learning. The assignments for the course will be organized within four modules. Beginning September 15, all assigned materials will be available at the FHSU Blackboard on-line website. You will be notified via e-mail regarding access procedures.

All students have also been provided the same information in the pre-class information sent via e-mail. We hope this early info will assist some students who wish for a bit more time to prepare.

Overall assignments for the course include:

• 1. Reading assignments are posted for each module.
• 2. Participation in the Discussion Board as outlined in Modules.
• 3. A Reflection Paper is required for Modules One, Two, and Four.
• 4. Web Research and Summary are required for Module Three.
• 5. Portfolio documentation is required to receive credit for the training and community service components of the course (Participation in Core Curriculum training and related service in the local community).

All student written work will be posted to the Blackboard discussion board area for the course. This will provide an opportunity for students to review and comment on each other's work. We hope this will enrich the learning experience for all by helping all receive beneficial advice and encouragement based in the diverse experiences and perspectives of all students. This public posting of reflection papers and mind maps will, in effect, create an on-line seminar where students will post their work and receive peer review and comment.

Grading Standards

• 1. Assignments will be graded by the instructor, as indicated in the Modules. Criteria for evaluation of Reflection Papers.
• 2. Students may revise Reflection/Reaction Papers as many times as they wish within the overall course time schedule provided.
• 3. Incompletes will be approved only in emergency situations. Students are requested to work with the assignments according to the posted schedule.

Module One Assignments

• 1. Mary Field Belenky, Lynne A. Bond, Jacqueline S. Weinstock. A Tradition That Has No Name, Introduction and Chapter 1.
• 2. "Whose Values Will Get Taught" chapter from book: Moral Questions in the Classroom by Katherine G. Simon. (available in Course Documents).
• 3. Reaction Paper drawing on readings posted to Discussion Board. Discussion Board comments will be student-to-student responses to student-posted Reaction Papers. Instructor will also grade Reaction Papers according to published evaluation criteria.
• 4. Participate in On-Line Discussion (posted responses to at least two Reaction Papers).

Module Two Assignments

• 1. Mary Field Belenky, Lynne A. Bond, Jacqueline S. Weinstock. A Tradition That Has No Name, Chapters 2, 3, 4.
• 2. "We Could Argue That All Day" chapter from book: Moral Questions in the Classroom by Katherine G. Simon. (available in Course Documents).
• 3. Reaction Paper on an author that you did not write on in Module One. Reaction Paper is posted to Discussion Board. Discussion Board comments will be student-to-student responses to student-posted Reaction Papers. Instructor will also grade Reaction Papers according to published evaluation criteria.
• 4. Participate in On-Line Discussion (posted responses to at least two Reaction Papers).

Module Three Assignments

• 1. Mary Field Belenky, Lynne A. Bond, Jacqueline S. Weinstock. A Tradition That Has No Name, Chapters 5, 6, 7.
• 2. "Children as Sacred Beings" by Patricia Locke and Robert Atkinson. Locke is one of the most significant American Indian educators of the 20th century. (available in Course Documents).
• 3. Recommend at least three websites which offer character education materials and ideas that you believe may be helpful either to teachers themselves, or facilitators working with teachers. Write a brief, but meaningful, summary of the site that will enable your colleagues to know what it offers. These sites will be shared with the class through the Discussion Board.
• 4. Participate in On-Line Discussion (posted responses to at least two web summaries).