ECED 2040
FAMILY DYNAMICS AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
3 Semester Hours


Please see the separate page inside the course to find instructor contact information as well as a statement of virtual office hours and other communication information.

Course Description:
The role of the family and community in the physical, cognitive, social, and emotional growth of the child in a diverse society.  Includes benefits of and strategies for developing positive, reciprocal relationships with families in an early childhood setting ages birth to age 9.  
Course Objectives:
Upon completion of this course, the learner will:
1.      know about diverse family and community characteristics.
2.      know and understand the benefits of reciprocal, positive relationships with families.
3.      recognize the personal characteristics required for effective parent-teacher relationships.
4.      develop and evaluate a variety of appropriate strategies that promote communication, family involvement, and participation.
5.      demonstrate sensitivity to differences in family structures and social and cultural backgrounds.
6.      demonstrate understanding of the importance of empowering and supporting families in their parenting role.
7.      use documentation to promote families’ understanding of child development and learning.
8.      understand the importance of effective communication with other professionals concerned with children and agencies in the larger community.
9.      understand and use the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct to analyze ethical dilemmas in relation to working with families.
Course Topics:

  • Professionalism: NAEYC’s Code of Ethics
  • Parenting/Family development
  • Family, culture, and diversity
  • Parent involvement: benefits and techniques
  • Parent-teacher partnerships
  • Parent-teacher conflicts
  • Working with families of diverse backgrounds and families of children with disabilities
  • Family and community
  • Documentation

Specific Course Requirements:
1.  Engage in online threaded discussions
2.  Website Summary of related Early Childhood Information
3.  Related Assignments
          (1) Seek to understand the family’s goals for the child;
          (2) Communicate frequently with the family;
          (3) Facilitate the family’s involvement in the program.
These assignments may include a parent newsletter, a parent documentation board about curriculum, parent-conference forms, and a special parent event.
5.  Complete exams on terms, concepts, and strategies of family relationships.

 

Required Textbooks:
Please visit the RODP Virtual Bookstore for course materials.
Supplementary Materials:
Please visit the RODP Virtual Bookstore for course materials.

 

Hardware Requirements:
PC users- A minimum computer system to successfully access all the tools in this course is a Pentium 166 or better with 32 Megabytes of RAM or better and Windows 95 or higher.  A modem,56k or better.
Mac users - Minimum system requirements are a 604 Power PC processor, preferably a G3 (iMacs are included) or G4 processor computer running Mac OS 8.5 or above.  A minimum of 64 Megabytes of RAM, preferably 128 with at least 25 Megabytes assigned to your browser.  A modem, 56k or better
Software Requirements:
 PC users- Communications software: Internet Explorer version 5 or Netscape version 4.58 or later.  Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint and Adobe Acrobat software.
Mac users -  Communications software:  Internet Explorer 5.0 or Netscape 4.75.  Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint and Adobe Acrobat software

 

Testing Procedures:
All quizzes will take place within this course.  Your will be allowed to take your quizzes online according to the due dates. 
Grading Scale:
Each module is worth 100 points
TOTAL =1300  points
*Bonus Points (you may earn up to 50 points)
The following scale will be used to determine your final grade:
                             A = 1250 -1300 points
                             B = 1100 - 1249 points
                             C = 949 - 1099 points
                             D = see instructor
                             Please contact instructor if you are below 325 points
*You will receive a midterm progress update following the mid-term exam.

 

Assignments and Projects:
See statement under “Specific Course Requirements”.
Class Participation:
You are expected to participate in all interactive aspects of the course.  For example, you must communicate with other students via emails and discussion board exchanges.  You are expected to communicate with your instructor on a regular basis and check the course bulletin board frequently for announcements.  You must actively participate in threaded discussion events. The class is designed to support student interaction.
Online Punctuality:
You are encouraged to work at your own pace, however deadlines are placed on class activities, assignments, quizzes and exams.  You should become familiar with the Class Calendar to determine when materials are due and adjust your study schedule accordingly. 
Assignments will be presented as noted in the course Calendar.  You will have until the due date on the calendar to complete each assignment.
You are expected to communicate with other students in team projects, learn how to navigate in WebCT, and stay aware of course announcements.
You should use your assigned WebCT email addresses for all communication.
You should address any technical problems immediately.
You should observe course netiquette at all times.  Plagiarism, cheating, and other forms of academic dishonesty are prohibited.  For further clarification see the "Academic Honesty"  statement
Online Attendance
Students are expected to check their e-mail at least every other day and to work on their assignments regularly. 
Email:
When using email keep the following in mind:

  • Always include a subject line with your last name, and the assignment or subject of the communication.  Even if you are submitting your work as an attachment WebCT requires that something be written in the message panel.
     
  • Remember your reader cannot see you, without facial expressions some comments may be taken the wrong way.  Be careful in wording your emails.  Use of emoticons :) might be helpful in some cases.
     
  • Use standard fonts.  Special formatting such as centering, audio messages, tables, html, etc. should be avoided unless necessary to complete an assignment or other communication.
  • Respect the privacy of other class members.
     
  • Submit only one assignment per e-mail.  Multiple assignments in one e-mail are difficult for the instructor to manage.

Discussion Groups:
When using the discussion group keep the following in mind:

  • Review the discussion threads thoroughly before entering the discussion.  Be an observer then a discusser.
  • Try to maintain threads by using the "Reply" button rather than starting a new topic.
  • Do not make insulting or inflammatory statements to other members of the discussion group.  Be respectful of other's ideas.
  • Be patient and read the comments of other group members thoroughly before entering your remarks.
  • Be cooperative with group leaders in completing assigned tasks.
  • Be positive and constructive in group discussions.
  • Respond in a thoughtful and timely manner.

Web Resources:
[Note: Websites will be presented in your units]
The Tennessee Virtual Library is available to all students enrolled in the Regents Degree Program.
Qualified students with disabilities will be provided reasonable and necessary academic accommodations if determined eligible by the appropriate disability services staff at their home institution.  Prior to granting disability accommodations in this course, the instructor must receive written verification of a student’s eligibility to initiate contact with their home institution’s disability services staff and to follow the established procedures for having the accommodation notice sent to the instructor.
The instructor reserves the right to make changes as necessary to this syllabus.  If changes are necessitated during the term of the course, the instructor will immediately notify students of such changes both by individual email communication and posting both notification and nature of change(s) on the course discussion board.

 

Telephone Support:
If you are having problems logging into your course, timing our of your course, using your course web site tools, or other technical problems, please contact the RODP Help Desk by calling
                                      1-866-550-7637 (toll free)
Or go to the AskRODP website at:
                                      http://help.rodp.org