Facilitating

Leading and facilitating discussion (20%)

Each week, two or three of you will be co-leaders for that week's discussion. You will be expected to

investigate the week's topic,
give your classmates a short synopsis of your findings, and
take an active role in encouraging and guiding discussion on the topic.

The instructor will create small group discussion topics for each week's facilitators, so you can coordinate your planning and decide who will work on which aspect of the topic, and will give you advance access to her own notes for the week (which may still be in need of updating -- she'll take your plans into account if possible).

To investigate the topic (or some aspect of the topic), you may rely on professional literature in print and/or online -- extra points if you can find relevant research! -- and your own evaluation of the best sources for children and teens in the area. Expectation for a B on this component of the assignment (35%): at least 2 useful professional sources and 3 useful sites for kids.

Q. What is research?

A. Scholarly or scientific research articles report on systematic inquiries that confirm or disprove existing knowledge or create new knowledge about the phenomena investigated. Typical research methods in this field include survey, experiment, focus group, quasi-experimental field studies, and participant observation.

Your synopsis should indeed be short -- it should fit in a discussion posting -- and it doesn't have to be comprehensive. It can be critical -- you might find that the available sources just aren't good enough, or that the journal literature doesn't report very good ideas for using them, or that research on a topic is flawed. On the other hand, you might find some fantastic sites I've missed, or some brilliant, creative ideas for using them. We aren't going to find everything (no search engine can retrieve more than a small percentage of everything that's out there), but together maybe we'll find a lot we can use. Expectation for a B on this component of the assignment (30%): a clear, well-written post, no more than 2 pages long.

When it comes to leading discussion, the gaps in our knowledge are probably all to the good -- they leave more for the rest of the class to say. And more for us to say, too, in follow-up. Expectation for a B on this component of the assignment (35%): at least 2 substantive follow-up posts, helping classmates make sense of the topic -- for instance, you can restate ideas, ask probing questions to elicit more, or offer counter examples.

A sign-up sheet will be circulated at the first class. Those of you who are not able to attend will choose last, but I hope all will get a reasonable date.

Criteria for grading

4. Above the Standard (B+ or A-)

	Content (35%): Gives interesting insights into assigned topic or subtopic; cites relevant research; may show originality in critique of existing resources, or suggestions for their use; introduces 2 or more useful professional sources and 3 or more useful resources for children and/or teens. The week's facilitators have worked together so their contributions are complementary.
	Synopsis (30%): Text is clear, well-written and formatted, easy to follow, and no more than 2 pages long. Citations are correct and URLs work (when sending a URL in a WebCT post, be sure to include the http:// and don't let any punctuation touch the URL). Presentation is stimulating and provocative, supporting good class discussion.
	Discussion (35%): Synopsis is posted by the first day for discussing the assigned topic. After posting synopsis, facilitator follows up by responding to classmates' discussion with at least 3 posts that restate ideas, ask probing questions, offer counter examples, or otherwise help classmates make sense of the topic and keep the discussion moving.

3. Meets the Standard (B)

	Content (35%): Gives insights into assigned topic or subtopic; may show originality in critique of existing resources, or suggestions for their use; introduces at least 2 relevant professional sources and 3 resources for children and/or teens.
	Synopsis (30%): Text is clear, well-formatted, and no more than 2 pages long. Citations are correct and URLs work (when sending a URL in a WebCT post, be sure to include the http:// and don't let any punctuation touch the URL). Presentation supports class discussion.
	Discussion (35%): Synopsis is posted by the first day for discussing the assigned topic. After posting synopsis, facilitator follows up by responding to classmates' discussion with at least 2 additional substantive posts on the topic.

2. Approaches the Standard (C+ or B-)

	Content (35%): May show imperfect understanding of assigned topic or subtopic; may introduce fewer than 2 professional sources or 3 resources for children and/or teens; sources and resources introduced may be less than useful or relevant.
	Synopsis (30%): Text may be unclear, poorly formatted, hard to follow, or longer than 2 pages. Citations may be incorrect or URLs may not work. Presentation may be boring or too stuffy and intimidating to spark class discussion.
	Discussion (35%): Synopsis may be posted late. After posting synopsis, facilitator may fail to follow up by responding to classmates' discussion within 10 days.