The University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work SW 360K Instructor: Michael Lauderdale, PhD Clara Pope Willoughby Centennial Professor Assisting Faculty Noel Landuyt, PhD Research Assistant Marisa Lauderdale Unique No. 66115 Office Location: SWB 3.130J Semester: Spring 2008 Office Phone: (512) 471-9246 Time: M 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Office Hours: 9:00 –12:00 a.m. Friday Location: School of Social Work & O’Henry Middle School Web: http://www.longhornleaders.com SW 360 – Leadership in Communities I. Course DescriptionThis course is a structured class and field effort in collaboration with and spon-sored by the Greater Austin Crime Commission, the Austin Police Department, the Austin Independent School District and Men’s and Women’s Varsity Athlet-ics Academic Programs. The course will be open by instructor’s permission to se-lected upper class students that have developed specific skills and public profiles to apply these skills to work with middle school aged children (approximately 12 to 15 years old). Each student must have taken SW 311, SW 324 or SW 360. These courses cover fundamental material on the criminal justice system, youth development and community systems. The course involves students working in a research class that has several goals. The goals include providing leadership in a middle school setting to assist middle school students and the school to identify leadership skills in students and pro-mote the effective development of these skills. Each student will provide a brief presentation on his or her personal experiences during middle school and how correct decisions around school work, school at-tendance, avoiding gangs and drugs and staying in school were important to gain-ing entrance to college. The student will speak briefly about college schedules and the challenges of work as a student athlete, meeting class expectations and participating in campus life. Each student will make two presentations during the semester at a single school each time. In addition to the student presentations the middle school students will be asked to participate in a weekly diary where they will provide the class with their experiences during the week in staying in school, achieving high grades, participating in extracurricular activities and avoiding de-cisions that might lessen school success. The middle school students will post their diaries on a restricted, secure web site and class students will read these dia-ries and provide coaching as needed. Each student will have the lead responsibil-ity twice during the semester of reading and providing responses in writing on the web site. If middle school students raise issues that are beyond the experience and expertise of the class members, the Instructor will work with the relevant middle school to locate appropriate assistance for the middle school student. All contacts between class members and the middle school students will be either at the middle school or via the moderated web site. Middle school students will not be provided tele-phone numbers, addresses or e mail addresses of the class members. This is to re-spect the time and privacy of the class members as well as to avoid any compro-mising situations. The activities of the course will require lectures and readings in the areas of early adolescence development, group dynamics including the impact of reference groups and the peer culture, public speaking and some techniques of counseling with adolescents. II. Course Prerequisites Previous successful coursework with the course instructor is required. The con-tent of this class deals with complexities in three areas: adolescent individual and social development, community processes and the criminal justice system. II. Course Objectives By the end of the course the student should be: 1. Familiar with the major concepts and dynamics of development in early adolescence; 2. Familiar with the important decisions that occur during early adolescence; 4. Able to address effectively a young audience about decisions that support school success and those steps that enhance the likelihood of college admis-sion and success; 5. Understand the fundamentals at the psychological and small group level of leadership concepts and leadership style alternatives; 5. Understand the steps in creating a personal retrospective presentation; 6. Be able to moderate a web-based discussion group and assess potential problems in interpersonal communication with young adolescents. III. Teaching Methods The format will be lecture and discussion with individual assessment of knowl-edge and skills, group problem solving exercises, and case study analyses. The SW 360 Problems in Community Leadership at The Middle School Spring 2008 Professor Michael Lauderdale -2-class will operate as an upper level seminar with students prepared to discussion assigned material. IV. Required Text and Materials Required: Lauderdale, M. (2005) Annual Report of the Longhorn Leaders, Austin, Tx. Lauderdale, M (2007) Brief Leadership Concepts McWhirter, J. et al (2004) At Risk Youth, Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. V. Course Requirements and Grading Policies 1. Student Video Script, Selection of Performance Tape and Preparation of Presentation Video: All students will work collaboratively on a web log chronicling the semester. Approximate Time: 6 hours 2. Personal Script Presentation Each student will prepare a one minute presentation focusing upon each student’s own personal experiences that illustrate the tasks during adolescence and impor-tant decision that lead to college success. Approximate Time 3 hours 3. Presentation at a Middle School Classroom Each student will participate in two presentations at one middle schools of the tape; his/her personal story and conduct a question and answer session with the middle school students. The School Principal will ask each student at the end of your presentation to sign an agreement to work to achieve the goals that you will articulate in your presentations Approximate Time 2 hours each time 6 hours 4. Moderating a Web-based Discussion Group. Each student will post a weekly journal on Blackboard about class progress. Approximate Time 10 hours 5. Participation at Community Luncheon All will be required to attend a luncheon to meet community leaders and class sponsors. Various students will be called upon for short remarks. Approxmate Time 2 hours