Family 220: Parenting Syllabus

Please read through the syllabus and make sure you understand it thoroughly. It will help you understand the course and the things you will need to do throughout the semester. Once you are finished, please take the syllabus quiz.

Course Description

Outcomes

The primary purpose of this course is to help (current and future) parents raise healthy children and establish close family relationships. To accomplish this, students will acquire a broad understanding of effective principles associated with the guidance of children and demonstrate an understanding of how to apply those principles. Specific objectives include:

  1. Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of good parenting on the development of children, including doctrine and gospel principles that emphasize the important role of parenting.
  2. Outline long-term family and children outcomes to work toward strengthening one's family.
  3. Understand theory, research, and gospel principles related to a nurturing and supportive parent-child relationship and the socialization of healthy children.
  4. Learn the process of identifying and articulating effective parenting principles/lessons from research, theory, and class discussions.
  5. Demonstrate an understanding of how to apply effective parenting principles.
  6. Develop insight into one's upbringing, including ways in which the practices of one's parents may influence one's own parenting practices.

Learning Model Architecture

This online course is structured using the learning model at BYU-Idaho. Students will prepare by reading and reflecting on the assigned reading material and by completing other assignments. Students will be assigned to a semester-long group and will teach one another on a weekly basis by sharing their thoughts and insights through discussion boards and other learning activities. Students will have opportunities to ponder and reflect on course reading materials and insights of others; they will record personal insights in a journal on a weekly basis. Students will prove what they learned through online quizzes and other assessments of learning.

Requirements

Time Requirement: This course requires approximately 9 hours of work each week. While BYU-Idaho online courses offer increased flexibility, you will still be required to complete assignments with specific weekly deadlines.

Assignment to a Group: You will be assigned to a group and will work within the group during the semester. This is an important component of the course as you meet to share your insights and help others learn. Your contribution to the group will be evaluated by yourself, the instructor, and other group members.

**Note: Many of the interactions and activities with group members will be done using discussion boards at times during the week convenient for you. However, some activities will require meeting with others; for these you will be expected to be available for group discussions at a time of your group's choosing.

Deadlines: There are two critical deadlines to remember - Wednesday and Saturday. Check your course calendar for specific times in your local time. All postings to discussion board, quizzes, activities, journal entries, etc. are due at one of these two times. Make sure you meet the specified due date, as outlined below, or as highlighted in the learning activities for a given week. You are encouraged to submit your work and complete the reading well before the time it is due. Late work on weekly activities and postings to discussion board will not be accepted. In addition, quizzes will not be administered after the due date. Larger assignments or papers (this does not include weekly assignments) will be accepted. If late, however these assignments will be penalized 20% per day unless other arrangements are made with your instructor ahead of time.

Technology needed for FAML 220 online: Since we will be meeting virtually in this class, it would be advantageous to use a webcam (optional) and a microphone (required) during those meetings.

Honesty: Above all else, your integrity is most important and is certainly more important than a few points or even a grade. In a course such as this, there are many ways a student could be dishonest, but you are being trusted to be honest. Remember, honesty is a foundational requirement for enrollment at BYU-Idaho.

Required Materials

Steinberg, L. (2004). The Ten Basic Principles of Good Parenting. New York: Simon & Schuster. (ISBN: 9780743251167)

Other reading materials on I-Learn.

Compare prices for your textbooks through the University Store Price Comparison site. They will show you all of the options from the University Store plus several online options to help you find the best price.

Learning Methods

Prepare

Reading Points: The assigned reading material and video clips have been carefully selected to help students enrich their learning. Students have an obligation to thoroughly read the assigned material and to view video clips before their deadline posted in your course calendar, worth 5 points in your weekly quiz. These points cannot be made-up. In addition, partial credit cannot be received for only reading a portion of the assigned reading, therefore make sure you give yourself plenty of time to complete the assigned reading and to watch the video clips before deadline posted in the course calendar.

Individual and/or Group Activities: Each week there will be individual and/or group activities to facilitate active learning and to help students make connections between course materials and their personal lives. Some of the activities will be in the form of a reaction paper. Activities must be completed before deadline posted in your course calendar, (Worth 5-10 points per activity)

**Note: As mentioned above under "Course Expectations", many of the interactions and activities with group members will be done using discussion board during the week at times convenient for you. However, some activities require you to meet in your small groups and you will be expected to be available at your groups' meeting time.

Parenting Style Paper: One of your assignments will be to write a paper summarizing the philosophy and guidance techniques used by your parents or caregivers. The purpose of this paper is for you to provide insight to your upbringing, including ways in which this upbringing may influence your own parenting practices. Be sure to share real anecdotes or examples to help concretely illustrate the concepts you want to convey. This summary is comprised of five parts: (Worth 30 total points)

Teach One Another

Discussion Board: You will teach others (based on your thoughts and insights about the reading) in your assigned group two times per week using discussion boards. Your goal for this activity should be to solidify your thoughts and to enhance the learning of others. You will be graded on the depth of your thinking and your ability to clearly articulate your thoughts. To meet this objective, both entries should be at least 150-250 words (i.e. one-half to a full page of typed, single spaced text). In both entries, stay focused on the learning objectives for the week. To help you stay focused, reflection and discussion questions have been prepared to help you think about the preparation materials and articulate your thoughts, share personal insights, brief personal experiences, observations, ways the material specifically applies to you and other students, concerns, and questions for other group members to consider. In addition, be sure to incorporate reading material in your comments. Keep two critical deadlines in mind:

Click on each of these links for examples of a proper posting and proper responses.

Evaluation: Making substantial postings to other group members is an important way of participating in the class. The regularity and quality of your weekly postings on the discussion board will be evaluated as specified below (under "Preparation and Group Participation"). Please note that your discussion board posts will also be randomly graded three times throughout the semester by your instructor based on the specifications outlined on the discussion board criteria/rubric.

Preparation and Group Participation: In the peer-to-peer method of learning, preparation, and group participation becomes a primary means of learning, whether the interaction involves technology for group discussions or sharing thoughts in written form. Therefore, a portion of your grade is based on preparation and group participation. Participation includes actively contributing to the learning community and involves the use of discussion board and other technology to share thoughts and insights, pose questions, teach others, respond to comments of others, facilitate group discussions, present material in group discussions, etc. As the semester progresses, it will be especially important to show progress in your ability to think critically and share insights that build upon previous ideas and moves the group discussion towards more and deeper learning. Assessment of preparation and participation will be completed by each individual student, other group members, and the instructor three times during the semester. You can find the grading rubrics on which to base your evaluations under the "Resources" tab of the left-hand menu. (Worth 60 total points).

Presentation on Parenting: Toward the end of the semester you will facilitate an online group discussion about an issue or topic related to parenting using Adobe Connect. There are all kinds of topics on parenting you could choose from. For example, potential topics include: issues couples should be aware of as they transition into parenthood; ideas for "potty training" a young child; issues involved in deciding whether to breast-feed or bottle feed a baby; helping a child cope or manage with a special need; ways to support a child academically through parental involvement with school; how to communicate effectively with teenagers; how to help a child learn balance when playing electronic games; steps parents could take to protect children from the media, internet, or technology that may be potentially harmful; teaching children about sexuality at a given age; how to help children learn to effectively manage money; or further research on a specific area studied in class. Along with facilitating a discussion, you are to study the topic and share relevant information with group members. It is expected that for this activity you will research your topic more deeply. If you choose to do further research on a topic covered in class, you must demonstrate additional learning through your research. Also, you may build upon, but not duplicate or recycle, research you have done for any other class.

In preparation for this activity, read/study five credible articles/chapters that discuss the issue you want to learn about. Begin to structure how you will facilitate the discussion and share information by preparing a one-to-two page outline. At least three of the five sources must be from non-Church related sources and of a scholarly nature. (If there is any doubt, seek guidance from your instructor). In your outline, identify and organize 2-3 key or central ideas you want group members to learn/discuss, followed with supporting detail using bullet points. Remember that this activity is to be an interactive group discussion rather than a lecture; make sure you include in your outline thought-provoking questions, activities, or other meaningful ways to engage group members. Plan time for questions and interaction in your presentation. Also, when sharing information summarize rather than read material, unless you have a specific quote you want to share. Part of the discussion needs to be focused on application - be prepared to answer how the information is relevant and applied to parenting. When looking for credible sources, here are a few resources we encourage you to use:

This assignment should be something original, it cannot be just a compilation of work from other classes. (Reusing assignments for credit falls under the classification of "self-plagiarism" and is against the law - even if it is your own words/work.) Readings from FAML 220 cannot be counted for the 5 sources, but they may be used to supplement your sources.

Note

Be wary of information/articles you get off random internet sites. Just because it's been published online doesn't necessarily mean that it is credible. Again, if there is any doubt, your instructor will be able to help you.

Make sure you give credit after each idea in your outline by using proper citation (i.e. in parenthesis, list name and date of article publication). At the end of the outline, include a reference section listing all of the references used. A couple of helpful websites to help you cite sources are:

Your presentation must be kept with 10-12 minutes in order to give everyone sufficient time to present their research as well. In preparation for the presentation, distribute a copy of your outline to group members and to the instructor 2-3 days before you give your presentation. Students will use the following criteria and form to evaluate themselves and other group members (see attachment). When evaluating one another, please be responsible in the points you assign. Just trying to be "nice" is not an honest or fair assessment, and does not help your classmates in their learning and growth. An honest evaluation is a reflection of your integrity. Assign the score you believe accurately reflects each persons' performance. All scores will be kept confidential. (25 points.)

Summary of Guidelines for Learning Activity:

  1. Read/study five articles/chapters, three of which are non-Church related, scholarly sources. (These will be due around Lesson 10)
  2. Create a 1-to-2 page outline using the following guidelines:
    • Focus on two or three central ideas that you want the group to learn/discuss.
    • Give supporting details.
    • Include a section on the application of principles/concepts.
    • Use proper citation, including a reference section at the end of the outline.
    • Be sure to integrate into your outline thought-provoking questions and ways to involve group members by having them share their thoughts, insights, observations, experiences, etc., for the given topic. People will learn better and be more interested in your topic if you allow them to participate in the learning and teaching experience.
    • (This outline is due during Lesson 12 and you should send it out to your group members 2-3 days in advance so that they have it for the presentation.)
  3. In your group, facilitate an interactive discussion on the topic for 10-12 minutes.
  4. Distribute a copy of your outline to group members and also send a copy to the instructor 2-3 days before your presentation.

Ponder

Reflective Journal: During the semester you will keep a weekly journal. The purpose of the journal is to help you capture key principles and concepts from reading material and interactions with other students, and to articulate in writing parenting principles you want to remember as a parent. It is especially designed to help you record impressions and lessons specifically taught to you by the Holy Ghost. To make your journal a meaningful learning tool, you are encouraged to share fun stories, inspirational thoughts, commitments or cautions to yourself, hopes, dreams, goals, your family mission statement as it evolves throughout the semester, key principles, or prophetic counsel on parenting, etc. Your journal will be meaningful as you seek to be taught about parenting and family life by the Holy Ghost and record your thoughts. The important thing is that the journal becomes an important learning tool to you as a parent. Take advantage of this activity's opportunity to compile something that will be a great resource to your parenting efforts. If your journal appears to be busywork rather than a valuable learning tool, points will be deducted.

Weekly journal entries are posted to the Reflective Journal Blog, and are due by the deadline poasted in the course calendar. Be creative in how you organize your journal; however, make sure it is well organized with easily identifiable key principles or concepts. Your journal will be self-evaluated two times throughout the semester (around the midterm and conclusion of the course), and also at the final by your instructor, who will be reviewing and making any necessary adjustments those scores according to the criteria/rubric. Please make sure to use the following criteria as you build your Reflective Journal throughout the semester: (60 points total)

** Here's a link with some Journal Samples – Journal Examples

Prove

Quizzes: Students will take quizzes on their preparation materials each week, which must be taken before the deadline posted in your course calendar. Quizzes are closed book, meaning NO materials may be consulted while completing the quiz, including other students, reading material, or notes. As with other aspects of the course, you must choose to be honest. Quizzes may include items that are true and false, multiple-choice, matching, fill in the blank, and short essay questions. They will cover assigned reading and other learning material for the specific section. You will have 7 minutes to complete each quiz, which should be more than enough time. Generally there will be approximately 5 items per quiz. (5 points per quiz; 55 points total)

General Guidelines (A Note about Quality)

This is a college-level course; therefore you are expected to produce quality, college-level work. Everything you do must reflect sincere effort and thought. In all of your assignments, please be sure to check carefully for spelling/grammar errors, complete sentences, and include your name. All assignments should be submitted in Times New Roman, 12 point font, and double spaced. Refer to the "Resource" link for rubrics and other guidelines. If you do not fulfill the requirements given, including marking your work with your name, you will be penalized.

Grades

Grading: Grades will be based on the following points. For your reference, keep track of your points. Quizzes = 55 points

Parenting style paper = 30 points

Parenting presentations = 25 points

Reflective journal = 60 points

Reading points = 55 points

Participation on Discussion Boards = 60 points

Individual or group activities = 5-10 points each

Original Family Mission Statement = 10 points

Final Project: Revised Mission Statement = 15 points

 

Grading Scale

A

93% - 100%   

A-  

90% - 92%  

B+

87% - 89%

B

83% - 86%

B-

80% - 82%

C+

77% - 79%

C

73% - 76%

C- 

70% - 72%

D+

67% - 69%

D 

63% - 66%

D-

60% - 62%

F

59% - 0%  

University Policies

Student Honor Code

Student Honor is following the path of discipleship and learning to be more like Christ - learning to think, to feel, and to act more as He does. Following the Honor Code is of great importance as you strive to be a disciple of Christ. Academic honesty and integrity is expected of all BYU-I students.

By adhering to the Honor Code you will create a learning environment, “consistent with the ideals and principles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints” (Honor Code webpage).

Student Policies

You are responsible for understand all university student policies. Read the Student Policies and Procedures which include Student Honor, Students with Disabilities, Sexual Harassment, Complaints and Grievances, etc. There is also a University Policies page in your course with helpful contact information.

Disclaimer

This syllabus and the course schedule may be changed at any time prior to or during the semester as the need arises, based upon circumstances. Any changes will be available to view on the course documents.

Student Support

Tutoring and Academic Support

Tutoring options for online students are available through the Academic Support Centers. There are tutors available to help you with your writing questions and there might be course-specific tutoring available. Check the Online Tutoring page for more details.

Online Support Center

The Online Support Center provides many links and contact information for services such as: technology support, registration, academic support and other student resources.

Sexual Harassment

If you need assistance or information related to allegations of sexual harassment, please contact the Dean of Students, Kip Harris, using the following information:

Students with Disabilities

Disability Services Contact Information:

Website: Disability Services

Disclaimer

The instructor reserves the right to change any part of this syllabus any time during the semester in order to adapt to changing course needs. You will be notified prior to any changes that may take place.