Field Seminar –Senior Year Block
SYLLABUS
Social Work 4443 CRN Field Education Seminar for Block Placement - Senior Year
2 credit hours
WEB Course
Instructor: Professor Althea M. Grant, LMSW, ACSW Semester: Winter 2012
Dates: Course starts January 9, 2012 Course ends: April 22, 2012
Online Sessions: Refer to Course Calendar for deadline dates
Office: 43 Thompson Home Office Hours: to be arranged
Phone: (313) 577-9886 Email:
Course Domain and Boundaries
Social Work 4443 Field Education Seminar for Block Placement is a two credit hour seminar held concurrently with SW 4998 Field Practice II (10credits). Students MUST be enrolled in SW 4998 Field Practice II in order to earn credit for this course. Social Work 4443BSW Field Education Seminar for Block Placementfacilitates students’ understanding of the learning experience through critical reflection on field and integration of content from completed courses. The course helps students reflect on their field experiences and to draw from their course content, all of which helpdefine them as social work professionals.
This course will support students in many ways:
- provide continued opportunities to integrate course content to skills learned in field,
- serve as additional support for students who may experience difficulty in field,
- inform students about agencies/services in the field placement of their peers,
- provide more opportunities for students to develop/strengthen professional skills of collaboration, consultation, and problem-solving,
- clarify expectations in field (learning plans, process recordings, and evaluations), and
- provide a forum for student discussion and the reception of feedback from peers and faculty members.
Performance Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, students will:
- recognize and evaluate own attitudes toward diversity, including gender, race, religion, ethnic, class, sexual orientation, age, and disability,
- demonstrate an awareness and knowledge of own needs and continue to explore motivations for becoming a professional social worker,
- develop individual strengths and continue to identify areas for growth as part of a continual process of personal and professional self-awareness and self-evaluation,
- demonstrate an understanding of how agency mission, operational policy and procedures, resources, and funding impact upon the delivery of social services, in particular, in their own field setting,
- understand and apply an ecological framework for assessment, problem identification, intervention, and evaluation,
- demonstrate and apply knowledge of a variety of intervention methods and techniques for use with individuals, families, small groups and for service delivery and change in organizations, neighborhoods and communities,
- understand the roles and contributions of multiple disciplines and specializations working in a collaborative effort, and
- demonstrate awareness of professional values and ethics
- apply problem-solving methods and techniques to client systems (e.g. individuals, families, groups, organizations, and/or communities),
- actively participate in meetings
- establish, maintain, and manage effective helping relationships
- seek and assess information essential for conducting an assessment
- guide clients to achieve changes/goals that are beneficial to them
- use interventions with clients appropriately
- demonstrate awareness of clients’/communities strengths and limitations and demonstrate ability to help clients/communities build on and use their strengths,
- demonstrate awareness of community resources and know how to contact these resources on behalf of clients,
- demonstrate knowledge and ability to work effectively with diverse populations, building on their strengths,
- demonstrate integration and application of knowledge acquired in the academic setting to practice situations,
- demonstrate an ability to use appropriate oral and written communication skills in organizing and recording necessary client information and completing administrative paperwork requirements,
- operate effectively within an organizational structure by demonstrating productive communication skills and making productive use of supervision and consultation.
Course Expectations in SW4998 Field Practice II
It is expected that students effectively utilize field instruction by:
- identifying own learning needs, areas of difficulty, and feelings of discomfort
- continuing to take responsibility to prepare and plan for supervision
- continuing to accept, integrate, and apply guidance and feedback received from field instructor
- continually re-evaluating the development of practice skills in light of field and classroom instruction
Course Organization
This course is structured in a Web format with fourteen online modules,first session beginning Monday, January 9, 2012 and last session ending Sunday, April 222012. You will have one week to complete all tasks in each module. The focus of the seminar includes class discussion in discussion boards, work groups, blogs, reflection journals and paper assignments.
Course Requirements
- Prompt attendance in every seminar session.
- Report:An agency report on the field placement setting due Monday, February 20, 2012. A written report, minimum of 5 pages, must be submitted using outline below. This report addresses performance outcomes related to the field placement (practicum) setting. This report builds on the assignment required in SW 4020 Social Work Macro Theory and Practice. The following content must be addressed:
. Governance structure (describe in detail, e.g. public or private, board, committees,
etc.)
. Funding source(s)
Mission/purpose of the agency
Overview of the population served
Your role within the agency
Other disciplines represented within the organization and your (or social work) interaction with each discipline
How clients access/enter the system, eligibility, intake policies, and procedures, etc.
How clients progress through the system
How clients leave/terminate the system
Discuss the agency’s commitment to the community and surrounding areas it serves and examples of how this is achieved
- Paper:
Evaluation of your practice, building on the competencies and information gleaned from your agency, due Monday April 2, 2012. This report will continue to address performance outcomes related to the field placement setting. A written report, minimum of 5 pages must be submitted using the outline below focusing on application, analysis and reflection when considering practice at the field placement setting. The following content must be addressed:
How do I evaluate my practice with client, or group or community systems? / 20 pointsHow do I know that what I do with client, or group or community systems has an impact? / 10 points
What skills do I need in order for me to work in my current field placement setting? / 20 points
Are the population and field of practice a good fit for me? Why or why not? / 10 points
What can I do to improve my social work practice with client systems? / 10 points
How have my experiences at this agency contributed to my knowledge of ethical social work practice / 10 points
How has this placement helped me to understand the values of the social work profession and how has it assisted me in the development of ethics for social work practice? / 20 points
TheAgency Report and the Evidence of practice paper will be graded based on the rubrics
accessed through thecourse menu on the Blackboard Home page.
Class Sessions
Module I (January 9 – 15, 2012)- Introduction and orientation to the course
- Student introduction
- Review of course syllabus
- Review expectations of all parties
- Discussion on field assignments: learning plan, process recordings(6-8 to be submitted to faculty advisor) , evaluations
- Defining and describing agency services
- Learning to ask for help
- Effective use of supervision (weekly and daily supervision)
- Review of professional behavior and demeanor
Module III (January 23-29, 2012)
- Responsibility and ethics in Social Work
- Relationships and boundaries
- Time management skills
- Self care
Module V (February 6-12, 2012)
- Group discussion and problem solving
- Understanding the perspectives of the client
- Reflecting feelings and integrating skills
- Group discussion and problem solving
- Reporting child abuse and neglect
Module VII (February 20-26, 2012)
- Communication skills
- Realistic expectations
- Observation, encouraging, paraphrasing and summarizing skills
- Conversation versus interview
ModuleIX (March 5-11, 2012)
- Reflecting feelings and integrating skills
- Confrontation
- Online article review
- The New Social Worker online
Module XI (March 26-April 1, 2012)
- Understanding critical thinking
- Using application, analysis and evaluation of self
- Understanding of community
- Xtranormal movie lecture
Module XIII (April 9-15, 2012)
- Field Instructor Assessment of Student
- Final reflections- bumper sticker exercise
- Transition – Employment, Graduate School
- Licensing (applications/exam)
- Professional development
Role of Student and Instructor
Students are expected to attend all online class sessions; absences from class will affect the student's grade, particularly excessive absences. Students are expected to be prepared at class time for discussions based on assigned readings as class participation enhances the learning experiences. Three or more absences from the online class will result in a student being asked to withdraw from the course and may also impact the student’s field placement. For further details about the role of a student, see the University’s “Statement of Obligations of Faculty and the Instructional Process” in the Wayne State University Graduate Bulletin.
Assignments must be received by the identified deadline dates in the Course Calendar located on the course menu on the Blackboard Home page. To complete all assignments,the online modules of this course will require adherence to the periods specified in the Course Calendar. Students who are late in their postings will lose points for each assignment in accordance with the Grading Rubrics located in the course menu. There is no extra credit for assignments in this course. For a missed session at instructor’s discretion,(considered only in extreme cases – life events beyond one’s control), student may be allowed an optional make-up assignment (i.e., a 3-5 page paper with minimum of 3 sources and using APA format focusing on topic covered on session missed OR another assignment identified by the instructor). Students who elect this option and successfully complete the makeup assignment will receive partial points (minus late points) for missed session. Students who miss a second session and who did a first make-up will not have an option for a second make-up – these students would lose the points for the second missed session. Students who miss three classes and do no make-up work should drop the class.
The instructor will closely monitor all postings, offer additional questions to guide discussions
and help maintain focus if the class has difficulty focusing on the topics. All assignments must
be completed on Blackboard and not submitted by email to theinstructor.
The instructor will respond to student questions and other issues (other than assignments) by
email. The grade points will be posted within a reasonable time period after the deadline of each
assignment.
During the course, the instructor will give students individual emailfeedback on their progress in
the seminar.
Cheating and Plagiarism
Academic honesty is expected therefore, all submitted work must be original. The presentation of another’s words or ideas as one’s own without giving credit to the source with a properly noted citation, is regarded as plagiarism. Any work that is submitted in this class found to contain portions that are plagiarized will receive a ZERO.
Confidentiality
Members of the class, including the instructor, will request confidentiality of others as not to repeat or share personal, professional, or assignment related issues discussed or disclosed in class.
Student Disability Services
Students with a documented disability that requires accommodation will need to register with Student Disability Services for coordination of their academic accommodation. The Student Disability Services (SDS) Office is located at 1600 David Adamany Undergraduate Library in the Student Academic Success Services Department. SDS telephone number is (313) 577-1851 or (313) 577-3365 (TTD: telecommunication device for the deaf; phone hearing impaired students only). Once the student’s accommodation is in place, the instructor will meet with the student privately to discuss the student’s special needs. Student Disability Services’ mission is to assist the university in creating an accessible community where student with disabilities have an equal opportunity to fully participate in their educational experience at Wayne State University.
Technology Needs
Students need to be familiar with the Blackboard system since the entire course is posted on the Blackboard Computer Management System. If you do not own a computer or your system is unavailable, you have access to the computers in the libraries on campus as well as the Thompson Home computer lab. Please contact the C&IT Help Desk at 313-577-4778 or for any technological questions or concerns.
Grades
Grades for this course are based on the following formula:
Discussion board participation 20 points
Group discussions15 points
Journals 10 points
Blogs 10 points
Quiz 2.5 points
Annotated article 2.5 points
Agency Report 20 points
Evidence of Practice paper 20 points
Total 100 points
Grades for Social Work 4443 Field Education Seminar for Block Field Placement:
Students may pass the course with a grade of D but must maintain [achieve] a C (2.0) average during the junior and senior years. (See Undergraduate Bulletin, Wayne State University, p.471).
Grade distribution range
100-95 A / 94 - 90 A- / 89 - 87 B+ / 86-83 B / 82 - 80 B-79 -77 C+ / 76 - 73 C / 72 - 69 C- / 68-65 D+ / 64 - 60 D
Posting Guidelines
Students are expected to use appropriate netiquette, to respond to each other in a kind, respectful, non-judgmental manner in all postings online. Text language is not allowed, and proper grammar and spelling must be used. Students are to follow the Blackboard Protocol Guidelines that can be accessed in the course menu on the Blackboard Home page. Students must write in their own words, not material taken directly from text or from professional literature unless they are quoting for affect with the proper citation. All responses, (discussion board, blog, journal, group and papers), are evaluatedin accordance with the grading rubrics. The rubrics are based on content as well as on basic writing mechanics, spelling, grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, clarity, organization and timeliness. See the Grading Rubrics button on the course menu on the Blackboard Home page.
Being a responsible student in the online seminar entails regular active class participation with consideration for others. When students participate actively in online class discussions, learning is enhanced. To be able to participate actively and with relevance to the course subject matter, it is important that you complete assignments prior to each class session. It is the student’s responsibility to keep abreast of assignments and class discussion.
Textbooks
Required
(All students are able to download the manual from the School’s web site)
The Field Education Manual, 5thEdition (2010). Wayne State University, School of Social Work.
Recommended
Sweitzer, H. & King, M. (2004). The Successful Internship: Transformation and Empowerment in Experiential Learning. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.
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