Psy 423. Community Psychology

Reading & Assignment Calendar

See the Snoopy Catalog for a list of recommended readings on reserve in the Library.

Tuesday, January 24

Definitions of Community

Tuesday, February 3

Topic:  Higher Education

Written Assignment Due :  Executive Summary of the Assigned Readings

Readings Due:

  • Arthur Warmoth.  "Technology and the Postmodern University
  • Greater Expectations (A report of the Association of American Colleges and Universities)
    • Student Executive Summaries of Assigned Readings

    Tuesday, February 10

    Topic: Goals & Evaluation

    Written Assignment Due:

    1)  A summary of your personal and professional goals for your education, 
    2) A draft of your Service-Learning Contract

    Exercises:  Value & Goal Clarification, SWOT Analysis

    ==>CLASS MISSION & GOALS

    Readings Due:

  • Arthur Warmoth, “The Perfect Storm:  Globalization Meets Political Gridlock in California”
  • Barry Godolphin & Arthur Warmoth, “On Grades & Grading”

    • Tuesday, February 17

    Topic:  Self-Assessment

    Homework: Keirsey-Bates Temperament Sorter

    Reading Due:

  • Natural Learning Rhythms Readings

    • Tuesday, February 24

    Topic:  Self-Assessment, Psychological Development & Curriculum Planning

    Homework:

    1) What is self-knowledge? (2 pages minimum)
    2)  Autobiography (2 pages minimum)
    3)  Begin Service-Learning Journal & Time Log
    4)  Read DRAFT MISSION & SYLLABUS (will be posted by 2/17) and send at least one e-mail comment to the group

    Class Exercises:

    Adopt Mission and review Syllabus
    "ReasonableBeing" Meditation

    Readings Due:

  • Arthur Warmoth, "Culture, Somas and Human Development"
  • Natural Learning Rhythms on "ReasonbleBeing"

    •  

    LINKS:

    MISSION AND GOALS DRAFTS

    SYLLABUS A

    SYLLABUS B

    THE ART OF INQUIRY (Submitted by Tissa)

    Tuesday, March 2

    There seems to be a general consensus in the mission statements the value of being effective social change agents.  There is also agreement in the draft syllabi that service-learning contracts should be presented as early as possible in March.

    I do not believe that it is possible to become an effective social change agent in a generic sense.  Rather, one focuses on an specific field of action in which one wants to achieve specific changes, and one achieves those changes by self-knowledge and mastery within that field.  Furthermore, the underlying philosophy of the service-learning movement is that the community service experience should be more thoroughly integrated into the curriculum goals than is the case with the typical internship experience.  Therefore, I am asking each student to identify with one of three essential fields of action in the comjunity, and to read the corresponding assignment for March 2:

  • Politics:  John Heider, The Tao of Leadership*
  • Economics:  Wendell Berry, In the Presence of Fear*
  • Education:  Michael Reber, “Community Learning Centers and Sustainability:  Reengineering Education for the 21st Century”
    • *Now available at North Light Books in Cotati.

    In addition, I will distribute in class a packet of material on contracting for service-learning experiences that has been assembled by the Office of Community-Based Learning.

    Thinking about your service-learning contract should include:

  • Reflection on your personal, academic, and professional goals,
  • Reflection on your community involvements and commitments,
  • Defining (a) significant outcome(s) you want to achieve, and defining the evaluation of its (their) success.

    • We also need to be thinking about the evaluation parameters for the course.  What grade do you want to achieve? What criteria are appropriate to your attainment of that grade?  How does your attainment of that assessment process fit with your personal, academic, and professional goals?  Your service-learning project can be an integral part of your overall assessment, or it can be a separate component that is given a specific weight (e.g. 25%).

    We should complete the contracting process and the design of the syllabus for the remainder of the semester by March 16.

    Politics Group Assignment:

    Homework for March 2nd

    Read Tao of Leadership

    Read Service Learning Agreement

    Email Art your questions about service learning specifics, i.e. Roseland

    Email Art your "autobiography abstract," a condensed paragraph of the autobiography we handed in on February 25. Can sign it with your initials if you prefer.

    Write draft of your own Service Learning Contract

    Prepare to discuss grading scale/methods in class. (Re-read essay on grades; consider weight of service learning component; bring thoughts, notes, etc.)

    Education Group Assignment:

    The self directed homework assignment we came up with, allowing for much flexibility, is as follows:

    1. A paper on how to raise the bar on the relationship netween the community and service learning.  More specifically, how do we raise the bar on the relationship between our local community and the learning community of SSU with regard to service learning?

    and/or

    How do we draft students as agents of social change in an authentic, effective manner?

    and/or

    WHY  service learning?  What is it and why, if it is, is it important?  In what ways?  Use examples

    2. A reflection paper on the group process from our class on Tuesday.  How did it feel?  Was it useful?  What did you learn?

    3. Read the essay by Michael Reber, “Community Learning Centers and Sustainability:  Reengineering Education for the 21st Century” found on our class web page.

    "SOME CHARACTERISTIC OF  SUCCESSFUL INTENTIONAL COMMUNITIES"

    Tuesday, March 9

    Read any of these you have not already read:

  • Politics:  John Heider, The Tao of Leadership
  • Economics:  Wendell Berry, In the Presence of Fear
  • Education:  Michael Reber, “Community Learning Centers and Sustainability:  Reengineering Education for the 21st Century”

    • Review draft syllabi (SYLLABUS A & SYLLABUS B) and be prepared to decide what the syllabus should be for the remainder of the semester.

    Tuesday, March 16

    Tuesday, March 23

    Note the SSU Health Care Crisis Conference coming up on Friday evening, April 23, and Saturday, April 24.

    Homework due:

  • Complete Service-Learning Contract according to our discussion in class
  • Draft your own course evaluation contract based on the template reviewed in class.
  • E-mail your nominations for a Glossary of Key Terms to the members of the class.
  • Review the Draft Calendar for the remainder of the semester, based on my notes.

    • Tuesday, March 30

    GLOSSARY

    SSU Budget Crisis Summit

    Web Search on Intentional Community

    Read "Politics of Trust" brochure, especially section on "Blueprints"

    Tuesday, April 6 - Spring Break - NO CLASS
    Tuesday, April 13

    Service-Learning Check-In

    Lecture on Community Psych (Art)

    Round Table Discussion

    Homework due:

  • Review the current version of the Glossary on the web site.   If you have not already done so, contribute at least three new terms and e-mail them to the class by Friday, April 9.
  • Submit any questions or issues you would like me to discuss in my talk on April 13 to art.warmoth@sonoma.edu by Tuesday, April 6
  • Submit a final (or at  least well developed) version of your Service-Learning Contract and a draft of your Grading Contract in class on April 13.  See the Guidelines for Grading Contracts published on the class web site.  Failure to submit either document in hardcopy in class will result in the deduction of .3 grade points from the final grade as arrived at according to your Grading Contract.
  • Review the calendar for the remainder of the semester, and if you believe it needs modification, e-mail your suggestions to the class by Friday, April 9.

    • Check out the Guidelines for Grading Contracts

    Read & discuss:  Tao of Leadership

    Tuesday, April 20

    Service-Learning Check-In

    Local Currency Conference or alternative field trip

    Read "Complementary Currency" documents

    Tuesday, April 27

    Service-Learning Check-In

    Review 4/20

    Tuesday, May 4

    Service-Learning Check-In

    Self-Reflection/Meditation/Sound Journey (Tibetan Bowls)

    Legacy:  Discuss Readings

    Tuesday, May 11 - Last Class

    Review Legacy

    Presentations

    Tuesday, May 18 - Final

    Overflow Presentations

    Pot Luck