PROFESSOR: Rebecca A. Marcon, Ph.D.
OFFICE: Bldg. 39, Room 4072 (620-1639)
OFFICE HOURS: MW: 10:45 - 11:15 am; 2:45 - 3:30 pm; AND by appointment
EMAIL: rmarcon@unf.edu
SITE: Episcopal Children's Services Head Start Program
SITE SUPERVISOR: TBA and Ms. Rosa Haslip (726-1500; FAX: 726-1520)
email: rhaslip@ecs4kids.org
PREREQUISITE: DEP 3054 (Lifespan Developmental Psychology)
and permission of instructor
REQUIRED TEXTS: Zigler, E., & Styfco, S. J. (1993). Using research and theory to justify
and inform Head Start expansion. SRCD Social Policy Report, 7(2),
1-21.
Sweitzer, H. F., & King, M. A. (2004). The successful internship:
Transformation and empowerment (2nd Edition). Pacific Grove,CA: Brooks/Cole.
SUPPLEMENTAL Mills, K. (1998). Something better for my children:
TEXTS: The history and people of Head Start. New York: NAL/Dutton.
(UNF LibraryReserve)
Zigler, E. F., & Muenchow, S. (1994). Head Start: The inside
story of America's most successful educational experiment. New York:
Basic Books. (UNF Library Reserve)
GOALS: The purpose of this course is to:
(a) provide students with practical experiences in applied developmental
psychology that will foster understanding of contextual
influences on development;
(b) familiarize students with the history of Head Start and the national
and local impact of this comprehensive and multigenerational,
early intervention program;
(c) increase appreciation of individual differences in development; and
(d) enhance confidence in one's ability to "make a difference."
See Head Start orientation packet for additional goals.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
LEARNING CONTRACT: Within the first month of your practicum you will develop (with your
on-site supervisor) a personal learning contract. Your contract will state personal goals (i.e., what YOU
want to learn in this practicum), activities YOU will be involved with in order to realize each goal, and how
YOU will measure success in attaining each goal. Each contract must be approved by Dr. Marcon, so turn
in TWO signed copies with your first journal on Friday, September 26. Modifications may be requested. At midterm, you will review your learning contract with your on-site
supervisor and make any needed updates or modifications. Changes in learning contracts must be
submitted to Dr. Marcon (in a timely manner) for approval.
HOURS: For each credit hour of practicum, you are required to spend 3 to 4 hours on-site at Head
Start for 15 weeks. An orientation has been arranged for Friday, August 22 (8:30 am - 2 pm)
at Episcopal Children's Services - 100 Bell Tel Way, Suite 100, Jacksonville, FL. At this orientation you will be assigned to a specific site where you will go through three rotations (5 weeks each).
Mini-orientations will be held ~1:15 to 2:45 p.m. at UNF on Friday, September 26, and Friday, October 31. Class meetings and orientations don't count toward the minimum total of 135 hours (3 credits) or
90 hours (2 credits) or 45 hours (1 credit). All hours are to be documented in your journal, on the syllabus time sheet, and by your on-site
supervisor's final evaluation of your performance. [Note: Be sure to turn in your Head Start "in-kind"
time sheet and mileage on a monthly basis as per Ms. Haslip's instructions.]
For the Fall 2003 semester you are expected to be at Head Start from Week 1 through Week 15
(last week of classes). You are not required to be at Head Start during Finals week. You are not
expected to be at Head Start on a UNF holiday (9/1, 11/11, 11/27, 11/28, but would make up
time missed if any of these days reduced your regularly scheduled on-site hours. The same would be
true for any Head Start holidays. Be sure to check with your on-site supervisor in advance of planning
make-up hours. And if you are unable, for any reason, to be present as scheduled or will be delayed,
please let your on-site supervisor know (in advance if possible).
WEEKLY REPORTING: By 9 pm EACH Friday, please provide your unit leader with a weekly update of how you are doing (either by email, phone, or in person). Your unit leader will give your instructor an update over the weekend so that any concerns can be promptly addressed. For each week that you check in by 9 p.m. Friday, you may count your drive time to the center as part of your weekly hours. If you fail to make a weekly report, you must make up the "drive time hours" the very next week. You need to check in each Friday, even on days that we meet as a class at UNF. Do not assume your unit leader knows how you are doing just because you were at the center on the same day. Check in each week even if you didn't go to the center.
CLASS MEETINGS: In addition to the orientation, there will be four scheduled full class meetings
at UNF (39-1002). On Friday, August 29, and Friday, November 21, we will meet from 1:30 to 2:45 p.m. On Friday, September 26, and Friday, October 31,
we will meet from 12 noon to 2:45 p.m. Please be on time because we have a lot to cover during these four class meetings. Additional meetings may be scheduled by
the instructor or unit leaders as needed. Our final class meeting is our Practicum Party (December 5, 4:30-7:30 p.m.).
If you are unable to attend the Practicum Party, please make arrangements in advance to have one of your
classmates turn in yuor final paperwork directly to instructor (reaction paper, syllabus time sheet, grading check
sheet, final journal, and supervisor's evalutation) by 6 p.m. on December 5. Do not leave your final paperwork on
or under your instructor's office door or in faculty mailbox.
JOURNAL: A journal of your experiences and reactions will be kept throughout the practicum. It may be handwritten or typed. Follow APA Ethical Guidelines in maintaining confidentiality of persons included in your journal. A "practice" journal covering your experiences during the August 22 orientation is due on Friday, August 29 (use the form included in this syllabus to reflect upon what you learned). Your regular journals will be turned into the professor three times during your practicum: 1st due September 26; 2nd due October 31; and 3rd due December 5. Your journals should include all completed assignments as listed elsewhere in the syllabus (i.e., neighborhood assessment, reaction to readings, answers to The Successful Internship questions). Remember this is a 4000-level course so your journals need to show you have reflected about your experiences and what you are learning.
Spend at least 30 minutes relfecting and writing a journal entry after EVERY day you go to your internship. Start
each day's entry on a new page and allow enough room for comments by your intstructor (double space if typed,
big margins if hand written). Se your Sweitzer and King textbook to learn more about what goes into each
journal entry. Start with a paragraph describing what you did that day. Following that paragraph, start a new
section to address the following four categories in each entry:
(a) knowledge - "new ideas and concepts you were exposed to and how you can use them";
(b) skills - new things you learned to do;
(c) personal growth - "what you learned about yourself and your attitudes, values, reaction patterns,
and personality" as you reflect on your thoughts and feelings about the day; and
(d) career development - "what you are learning about the field of human services and your place in it."
SUPERVISOR'S EVALUATION: An evaluation (use form in your syllabus) from your on-site supervisor is needed by 6 p.m., December 5. Be sure to schedule an appointment with your supervisor(s) prior to turning in this evaluation so that (s)he may discuss it with you. An "I" letter grade will be assigned if you have not discussed your evaluation with your on-site supervisor.
NEIGHBORHOOD ASSESSMENT: Each student will conduct a neighborhood assessment
(use form in syllabus) for his/her Head Start center prior to the September 26 class meeting. It is highly
recommended that, in addition to driving around your center, you arrange to ride the bus that brings chidlren to
and from the center. This will allow you to see neighborhoods where children actually live - which may differ
from the neighborhood in which the center is located. The completed Neighborhood Assessment
Form should be included with your first journal. Be prepared to discuss your observations in class.
ROTATION SUMMARY SHEETS: Complete a Rotation Summary Sheet (please use form included in
syllabus) at the end of each 5-week rotation and include it in your journal as you are finishing up a rotation.
FIRST rotation: begins August 25 and ends September 26
include Summary Sheet with journal due September 26
SECOND rotation: begins September 29 and ends October 31
include Summary Sheet with journal due October 31
THIRD rotation: begins November 3 and ends December 5
include Summary Sheet with journal due December 5
WRITTEN OBSERVATION/DOCUMENTATION: During the Education Rotation students will be
required to add at least one documented observation of their assigned children's social/behavioral development
to the portfolio/Galileo files. This will be further explained during training for the Education Rotation. Students
are encouraged to regularly document all aspects of children's progress resulting from work with an intern by
adding written observations to children's portfolio/Galileo files.
THANKSGIVING FOOD DRIVE: In November all Practicum students will assist with the UNF Psychology Department's Thanksgiving food
drive to benefit Episcopal Children's Services Head Start program. Help is needed with obtaining the soliciting permit from UNF (prior to October 31), campus publicity, upkeep of food storage area in Psychology Department, transportation
of food to Episcopal Children's Services, and filling of food baskets. We will form committees and begin organizing for this drive on September 26. If you are
willing to work on obtaining the soliciting permit for this drive (Nov. 5-19), let Dr. Marcon know ASAP. We will
transport food and fill baskets on TH, Nov. 20 (one week before Thanksgiving).
READING ASSIGNMENTS: Everyone is required to read the SRCD Social Policy Report by Zigler and Styfco by Friday, August 29 (before class meeting) and be ready to discuss it in class that day. Your reaction to this report is due on August 29 with your practice journal (use the form included in your syllabus to record your notes, comments, and questions). Your reaction should be sufficiently detailed to demonstrate you have carefully read and reflected upon the material covered in this Policy Report. Remember, this is a 4000-level course.
Everyone is also required to read The Successful Internship by Sweitzer and King. Specific reading assignments
are included on a separate page of this syllabus along with numbers of the assigned questions from each chapter's
"For Further Reflection" section. Include your written response to these questions in your journal.
SUPPLEMENTAL READING: [For students enrolled in 2- or 3-credit hours of PSY 4945]
Those interested in earning an "A" in this course will read and report on ONE of the two supplemental texts listed in
this syllabus (Mills OR Zigler & Muenchow). The maximum possible course grade that can be
earned without reading and reporting on a supplemental reading by due dates is a "B." A schedule
for these readings is included on a separate page of this syllabus. As you complete each chapter, write about it
in your journal (i.e., brief summary of chapter, more lengthy notation of your reaction to what you read and any
questions or comments you may have). For each chapter write at least one paragraph that includes reflection on
what you have read. Your report on the first half of the book is due with the first journal (9/26).
Your report on the second half of the book is due with the second journal (10/31). Late work
will receive feedback but no credit. Your practicum experience would be enhanced by reading the selected
book earlier in the sememster, so feel free to read at a faster pace than outlined in the Supplemental Reading Schedule.
REACTION PAPER: A final reaction paper is due by 6 pm on Friday, December 5, along with your
syllabus time sheet, grading check sheet, final journal, and supervisor's evaluation. In this typed reaction paper you are to
(a) indicate how you accomplished the overall goals for this course, (b) evaluate the extent to which you
accomplished personal goals outlined on your learning contract, and (c) reflect upon the personal impact of
this practicum experience. [End-of-rotation summary sheets do not take the place of your Final Reaction Paper.]
GRADING:
[For students enrolled in 2-credit hours or 3-credit hours of PSY 4945]
Successful completion of all required tasks (in a timely manner) and a letter grade of B or higher from your
on-site supervisor will result in the student earning a "B" in this course. Successful completion of all
required tasks (in a timely manner), reading one of the supplemental texts AND turnign in summaries according to the
reading schedule AND a letter grade of B+ or
higher from your on-site supervisor will result in the student earning an "A" in this course. Any deviations
and/or difficulties which are reported by the on-site supervisor OR poor quality of task completion (i.e., journals and/or questions and/or reading
reactions lacking in dtail or reflection) will
result in a lower grade. Failure to contact your unit leader on a weekly basis may result in a lower grade.
[For students enrolled in 1-credit hour of PSY 4945]
Successful completion of all required tasks (in a timely manner) AND a letter grade of B or higher from your
on-site supervisor will result in the student earning a "B" in this course. Successful completion of all
required tasks (in a timely manner) AND a letter grade of A- or higher from your on-site supervisor will
result in the student earning an "A" in this course. Any deviations and/or difficulties which are reported
by the on-site supervisor or poor quality of task completion (i.e., journals and/or questions and/or reading reactions lacking in detail or reflection)
will result in a lower grade. Failure to contact
your unit leader on a weekly basis may result in a lower grade.