RLST 2800L: Laboratory in Recreation Leadership      Fall 2003

Instructor: Dr. Gwynn Powell                             Office: 353 Ramsey Center

Telephone: 542-4332                                          Class hours: T 3-4:45

Classroom: 117 Ramsey Center                          Office hours: M 6-6:30; T 1:15-2

E-mail: gpowell@coe.uga.edu                            Other times by appt. (30% of my time is research)

                                                                                                          (10% Public Service)

Course Description (From Undergraduate Bulletin)

Techniques of leadership in recreation and leisure settings. Co-requisite: RLST 2800

 

Textbook

Michaelis, B and O’Connell, J.M. (2000). Game and Play Leader’s Handbook. State College,

PA: Venture Publishing. (ISBN 1-892132-02-8)

Liability Insurance (available for $7 from www.pageinc.org)

 

Dress Code: This laboratory will be conducted in environments where proper footwear and attire is essential for safety and optimal learning. Please wear rubber-soled, closed-toed shoes and loose fitting clothing (e.g., shorts, t-shirts, sweats) to all lab meetings. There are locker rooms available for those who need to change clothes prior to or after class.  Please be aware that t-shirt content and dress will be evaluated by CCSD personnel, and could be grounds for dismissal from the after-school project.

 

 Attendance and Due Dates: Attendance will be taken on a regular basis and reinforced by in-class quizzes, activities, discussion, and skill development.  There is a strong connection between class attendance and comprehension of material and grade performance.  Make-up and acceptance of late work will be allowed for excused absences only. Excused absences must be cleared with the instructor in advance (e-mail/phone message acceptable), unless documentation is provided after an unexpected illness/emergency. Make-ups for any assignment that is collected or occurs during the class meeting will not be allowed for an unexcused absence.  In the case of an excused absence, the paper or a make-up written assignment for in-class activities is due the next class week. All assignments must be turned in at the beginning of class; otherwise, they will be considered late.  Late assignments will result in automatic lowering of the grade 10% for each 24-hour period.  On the days you are implementing at the elementary school, there is no way to make up those points if you miss them without prior notice.

 

Criminal Background Check: Each student will be required to undergo a criminal background check in order to participate in the Recreation Programs.  I will not know the nature of anything discovered, but will simply be notified that a particular student is not able to participate.  An alternative assignment will be developed that does not require contact with the public.

 

Written assignments: All assignments are to be TYPED, 1-inch margins, 12-point font, follow APA formatting guidelines (double-spaced, in-text references, reference list).  Spelling, grammar, and formatting mistakes will count against the overall grade of the assignment. 

 

Academic Integrity: “Academic honesty is vital to the very fabric and integrity of UGA.  All students must comply with an appropriate and sound academic honesty policy and code of honest behavior (p37-38 Undergraduate Bulletin).”  “All students are responsible for maintaining the highest standards of honesty and integrity in every phase of their academic careers. The penalties for academic dishonesty are severe and ignorance is not an acceptable defense (A Culture of Honesty).” All academic work must meet the standards contained in "A Culture of Honesty."  Each student is responsible to inform themselves about those standards before performing any academic work.  See: www.uga.edu/ovpi  

 

Special Needs: Any student with special needs should speak to the instructor the first week of class.  Every effort will be made to effectively accommodate disabilities and special needs.

Course Assignments

 

1.      Activity Resource File and Facilitation (20%)

Everyone will sign up to facilitate a recreation activity (For example: You lead a game of

Blob Tag). Facilitation of the activity should include: 1) providing the materials and equipment 2) providing clear and concise instructions and/or rules 3) supervision of the activity 4) debriefing/processing of the activity. In addition to facilitating the activity, you need to turn in a one-page description of the activity with all of the information someone would need to facilitate the activity. This page can count in your resource file. Everyone will be responsible for collecting, compiling, and organizing an activity resource file that includes 60 activities. Resource files will follow the same format as that of the activity facilitation.

 

2.      Quizzes and Peer Feedback based on Chapter Readings (20%)

Each week, you will be asked to give feedback to your peers.  This feedback will be based on the concepts covered in the chapters due that day as well as general information.  So, each week there will be a quiz on the content form the chapters due.

 

3.      Leadership Style Reflection Journal (20%)

The most important part about being a leader is getting to know yourself and developing self-reflection skills.  You will keep a journal that will be collected and graded in sections (Getting to know myself; How I feel about the service learning project; How the service learning project is going; Self-reflection critique: How did I do?).  The purpose is to write a paper that describes your leadership journey during this class…a self-reflective process. 

 

4.      Service Learning Activity Facilitation (40%)

During October-November, you will be responsible (with a partner, your choice) to implement a 1 hour recreation program, one-day a week (your choice) during a Elementary School After-School program.  You’ll need a theme, and appropriate activities for a group of 8-10 elementary schoolers…you will work with the same group for the month and reflect on your learning in your journal and you will be evaluated by the after-school program staff, a UGA graduate student or me.  You must successfully complete the in-class facilitation and pass with 90% or better a written orientation quiz to be allowed to go to the on-site location.

 

Topical Outline and Reading Assignments

 

 

Date

Topic

Assignments Due

Tues

Aug 19

Introduction and Overview

Sign up for facilitation day

Tues

Aug 26

In-Gym Facilitation

Preface, Ch. 1, Ch. 2, Ch.. 10, Ch. 11

Peer Feedback; First 5 activities due

Tues

Sept 2

In-Gym Facilitation

Ch. 3, Ch. 4, Ch. 5

Peer Feedback ; Next 10 activities due

Tues

Sept 9

In-Gym Facilitation

Ch. 6, Ch. 7, Ch. 8

Peer Feedback ; Next 10 activities due

First Journal Section due

Arranged Day

Sept 15-19

Observation on-site

Program Plan due 6pm Friday

Arranged Day

Sept 22-26

Observation on-site

 

Revised Program Plan due on Thursday in 2800

Tues

Sept 30

Program Plan Critique &

Risk Management

Final Program Plan due on Thursday in 2800

Second Journal Section due

Arranged Day

Oct  6-10

On-Site Implementation

Prepare & Conduct Activity

 

Oct 13-17

No implementation due to Intersession

Arranged Day

Oct 20-24

On-Site Implementation

Prepare & Conduct Activity

Arranged Day

Oct 27-31

On-Site Implementation

Prepare & Conduct Activity

Arranged Day

Nov 3-7

On-Site Implementation

Prepare & Conduct Activity

Tues

Nov 11

Leadership Reflection

Third Journal Section due

Tues

Nov 18

No Class

Completed activity notebook due by 4pm; feel free to turn it in early…be sure to personally give it to Brenda.

Tues

Nov 25

Learning Roundtable

Fourth Journal Section due

Tues

Dec 2

Learning Roundtable

 

 

The course syllabus is a general plan for the course; deviations announced to the class by the instructor may be necessary. It is your responsibility to check the e-mail account you provided at least twice a week.


In-Gym Activity Facilitation

 

Nuts and Bolts of Assignment: This assignment will allow you to demonstrate your ability to prepare and lead a small group activity. Each student will be graded on facilitation of one (1) activity during the semester. Students will integrate the following elements into their own unique leadership/facilitation style: (a) material from textbooks, (b) class discussions of leadership skills, (c) observation of instructors’ leadership skills and styles, and (d) observation of classmates’ leadership skills and styles. You can earn up to 25 points on your facilitation of activity. Additionally, you will be asked to provide peer feedback at least three (3) times during the semester. You will be graded on the feedback you give to your peer. In your feedback, be sure to address (a) the quality, interest, and appropriateness of the activity; (b) the performance of conceptual, interpersonal, and technical leadership skills; (c) inclusively of activity; and (d) the strengths, growing edges, and suggestions for the facilitator.

 

Grading: Students will receive a grade based on instructor/teaching assistant evaluation. Activity facilitation will be evaluated on the following components:

 

1.      In-gym: Instructor rating of a one-page (typed) summary of activity. Include (a) Student’s Name, (b) Name of activity (c) Target Population, (d) Materials and equipment needed, (e) Cost of activity, (f) Specific, clear instructions (detailed enough so a stranger could implement activity), (g) Risk management guidelines, & (h) Possible adaptations to accommodate persons with impairments that would prevent maximal participation.

 

2.      Instructor ratings on the following:

·        Preparedness & Organization—did student have all materials ready?; know rules w/o a “cheat sheet”?; have enough materials for all participants?

·        Activity Selection—the quality, interest, and appropriateness of the activity

·        Instruction Clarity—did student give clear instructions & directions? Did student give opportunity for questions?

·        “Attention-Getter”—did student have one and use it?; was it pleasant & effective?

·        Leadership Skills—performance of conceptual, interpersonal, and technical leadership skills

·        Inclusively of Activity—were any people disrespected or excluded from meaningful and full participation in the activity? Were modifications or adaptations made to the activity when needed?

·        Closure/Debriefing—did student close the activity smoothly?; Did the facilitator suggest adaptations for situations where disability, gender, race, money, sexual orientation, etc. would potentially limit participation in activity?

·        Activity—was it enjoyable? Did it engage participants the entire time?

 

Activity Resource File

 

Purpose of Assignment: To provide you with one of the most useful tools in your career…really, I still carry an index card in my wallet with a list of games on it….and have a bag of tricks in my garage.

 

Assignment: Please submit a notebook (or otherwise bound copy) or a card file box full of index cards (5 x 7 cards will work if you have small and neat handwriting; if I can’t read it you can’t earn points) of 60 activities. Ten (10) activities should be appropriate for groups with 0-10 people. Ten (10) activities should be appropriate for groups with 11-20 people. Ten (10) activities should be appropriate for groups with 21 or more people. Ten (10) activities should be physically active. Ten (10) activities should be physically non-active activities. In this category, you may include drama, art, music, or other non-sport types of activities. Ten (10) activities should be games or activities from another country or culture (i.e., something other than activities that are well known to the majority of European Americans living in the United States…be sure to specify the country or culture.

 

For each activity in the resource file, prepare a one page (typed; you can use the front & back side of page) or one card (again use front and back) summary of activity. Include the following information:

1.      Name of activity, category of organization

2.      Target population (age, skill level, special needs, optimum number of people, etc)

3.      Materials and equipment needed,

4.      Cost of activity,

5.      Specific, clear instructions (detailed enough so a stranger could implement activity),

6.      Risk management guidelines,

7.      Possible adaptations to accommodate persons with disabilities,

8.      Source (title of book, author, year of publication, etc) or where you learned it

 

How I will grade it: It is really hard to mess this one up…the key is to do your own work and make sure you have all the required categories, organize it, and present it well.  You should earn full credit if you follow the directions and use some creativity!  Each activity is worth 4 points (include all required information for each activity…they each count ½ point); Overall organization is worth 25 points (include diverse and feasible activities; have the required number of activities as outlined above; table of contents or section dividers, well organized and durable).

 

Due Dates:

Due dates are spread out during the semester.  In the first three weeks you will have many due and I will grade the first five you turn in detail and return them very quickly, so that you will know if you are on track (and can adjust if you need to).  The complete notebook or card file is due by 4:00 November 18th.  Notice that we do not have class that day, so feel free to turn them in early to Brenda in the RLST office (i.e. do not leave them outside my door or in my box…give them directly to Brenda---I don’t want them to get lost…you will have worked way to hard on them!!)