University of Louisiana at Lafayette

School of Human Resources

HUMR 439(G): Parent Education [Fall 2004]

 

Instructor: Dr. Nancy Coghill                                        Office Hours: M-F 9-11 (Nursery School)

Office: 319 Hamilton Hall                                                                 T1-2; W 3-4

Telephone: 482-6576; NS 482-5369                                Other times by appointment.  Appointment     

Email: ncoghill@louisiana.edu                                                   recommended for all meetings

 

UL Lafayette Bulletin course description (2003-05):   Parenting practices involving and educating parents in a program setting.

 

Required Text: 

     Berger, E. (2004). Parents as partners in education, (3 rd ed,). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/ Merrill Prentice-Hall.

 

Objectives:

 

(1)      To develop an understanding of the developmental and interactive process of parenting.

(2)      To investigate various parenting issues throughout the total parenting experience.

(3)      To develop effective strategies for working with parents.

(4)      To design events and products with a parent education goal and purpose.

(5)      To build awareness of parenting advocacy skills and implications for public policy.

 

Course Scope and Sequence

 

August           23    Introduction,

30  Chapter 1. Family Involvement (select interview groups)

September     6    No Class/ Labor Day

                    13    Chapter 2. Historical perspective, part of the system   (select interviewees)

  20   Chapter 3. Family & Community (newsletter groups & data)

 27  Chapter 4. Effective Home-School Relationships

October          4   Exam 1. Chapter 5. Communication

11     Communication, (Continued)

18     Chapter 6 Working with parents

25  Chapter 7 Parents in schools and centers (newsletter draft due)

November     1     Chapter 8. Home-based programs

8     Exam 2.  Begin Chpater 9

15  Chapter 9  (newsletter due)

22  Chapter 10 Abused child

29 Chapter 11 Advocacy

 

December      10    (Friday) Final Exam  (1:30-4)

 

Course Instruction Methods: Lecture, discussion, video, student presentations, laboratory projects, quizzes and other in-class evaluation experiences.

 

Emergency Evacuation Procedures:  A map of this floor is posted near the elevator marking the evacuation route and the Designated Rescue Area.   This is an area where emergency service personnel will go first to look for individuals who need assistance in exiting the building.   Students who need assistance should identify themselves to the instructor.

 

Course Evaluation:

 

            Exams (3)                    300 points

            Newsletter                      35 points

            Interview                        40 points                    Grade determined on  90%, 80%, 70%, 60% basis.

            Class participation            100 points

                                                475   total   points

 

 

Attendance Policy:

     All students are required to be in class and on time.   A professional attitude is to be maintained during your participation in class.   Attendance is defined as alert presence beginning at 3:00 and ending at 5:50.   University regulations regarding no tobacco, no eating, no drinking (water excepted)  in class will be observed.  Students behaving inappropriately will be asked to leave the learning environment.   Beepers and cell phones must be turned to the silent position during class.

 

Assignment Policy:

     Assignments will not be accepted after the due date, however, they will be accepted any time prior to that date.   Projects required for this class are expected to be prepared in a professional manner.

 

Course Assignments:

(1)    Students are responsible for all classroom material presented, assigned readings, and class handouts.  This responsibility extends to classes attended and classes missed.

 

(2)    Students (in pairs) will design and prepare newsletters for preschool parents.   Content information will be provided by the instructor.   Twenty copies of the newsletter will be produced by the student.   Grade will be based on: quality of production; accuracy of information; initiative & creativity indicated by product. Due – October 25 and November 15).

 

(3)    Students will conduct an interview with a parent (format provided) and parent information gathered will be presented as part of a panel on assigned day.   Evaluation will be based on completeness and   quality of presentation.

 

Interview categories and date of presentation

Expectant parent (first child) Oct. 4

Parent of infant or toddler  Oct. 11

Parent of school-ager  Oct. 18

Parent of adolescent  Oct. 25

Parent of young adult  Nov. 1

Parent of chronically ill child  Nov. 8

Single parent  Nov. 15

Minority parent  Nov. 15

Child of elderly parent  Nov. 29

 

All parents within the group represent various categories (family structure/ gender/ ethnicity/ education levels)

 

(4)    There will be 12 unannounced in-class exercises which will be worth 10 points each.  Students’ highest 10 scores will be added together to determine Class Participation points. These in-class exercises may not be made up.

 

(5)    There will be 3 exams, each worth 100 points.   Make-up exams will be given at the convenience of the instructor and only upon the instructor’s receipt of a valid written medical excuse.













Parent Interview Form

 


1.  Parent category
2.  Other parenting categories
3.  Ages/ sex of children
4.  In what ways did you prepare yourself for being a parent?
5.  Where (or to whom) do you go for support in your parenting role?
6.  What is the biggest difference between how you were parented and how you do the job?
7.  What is your favorite part of parenting?
8.  What has been the most difficult part of parenting in your past experience?
9.  What is the most difficult part of your parenting experience now?
10. What parenting challenges do you anticipate in the future?
11. What is your greatest hope or dream for your child(ren)?
12. If you were to write a book about parenting, would it be a comedy, a drama, a mystery, or science fiction? Why?
13. Why do you think people want to become parents?
14. How acurrately do you think prime time T.V. presents the issues of parenting?
15. What is the one best thing the government could do to help you be a better parent?
16. In what ways is _________ parenting different from __________ parenting?
17. What words of advice would you give a person thinking about becoming a parent?
18. Do yo have any other comments about parenting you would like to make?