LIFE Social Skills 101: Communication, Recreation, and Leisure Fall 2012/Spring 2013 Tuesday-Thursday 2:15pm-3:30pm Friday 1:00-3:30pm Class Meetings: Classes will meet approximately four times weekly. Class will be held in the ClemsonLIFE classroom (200A Godfrey Hall) on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday afternoons. The class will also meet on Friday afternoons for a leisure activity at various locations around campus and the Clemson community. The mission of the ClemsonLIFE Program at Clemson University is to provide a coordinated course of study that includes career exploration and preparation along with self-awareness, discovery, and personal improvement through a framework of courses, job internships, and community participation. Academic Integrity Policy "As members of the Clemson University community, we have inherited Thomas Green Clemson s vision of this institution as a high seminary of learning. Fundamental to this vision is a mutual commitment to truthfulness, honor, and responsibility, without which we can not earn the trust and respect of others. Furthermore, we recognize that academic dishonesty detracts from the value of a Clemson degree. Therefore, we shall not tolerate lying, cheating, or stealing in any form." Students at Clemson are expected to wait 15 minutes if an instructor is late. Instructor(s) Information Instructor: Heather Conn Office: 201-C Godfrey Hall Phone: E-mail: hconn@clemson.edu Office hours: Monday-Thursday 3:30-4:00pm Instructor: Cathleen Tupper Office: 201-D Godfrey Hall Phone: E-mail: ctupper@clemson.edu Office hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:00-10:00am Course Description: Students will receive classroom instruction, participate in role-play activities, and engage in hands-on practical application of communication, social, and leisure 1
skills. Students will learn about social norms and demonstrate appropriate behaviors in school, home, and employment settings. Students will also independently plan and implement an appropriate recreational activity for the entire class that will utilize local campus and community resources and last approximately two hours. Required Materials: Students need to have a cell phone, class notebook (3-ring binder), paper, pens, pencils, lap top (or access to computer). Course Rationale: This course provides practical experience in communication skills under the supervision of program instructors and staff. Upon completion of the course, students should demonstrate appropriate communication behaviors and an understanding of the social norms of young adults in various settings. Students should also demonstrate the communication skills necessary to live independently. Instructional Strategies Employed: direct instruction, classroom lecture, whole and small group instruction, cooperative learning, individual and group reflection, role-play, video modeling, individual hands-on practical application of skills, progress monitoring Technology Skills Required: Students must be able to utilize their cell phones, access e-mail and blackboard regularly, locate internet Web sites, and use computers for professional presentations. Attendance Policy: Regular and punctual attendance at all scheduled classes is the responsibility of each student. This course proceeds at such a pace that regular attendance is necessary to obtain maximum benefits from instruction. If it is necessary to be absent from class, it is the student s responsibility to make up resulting deficiencies. Students are responsible for all material presented in class meetings, including announcements about changes in course procedures or schedule. Absences must be cleared with the professor prior to missing class. Credit for assignments will be awarded only on due dates unless prior permission is granted by the professor. It is the student s responsibility to contact the professor and make any arrangements that may be necessary when special circumstances arise. Objectives: Students should fulfill the following course objectives to the extent appropriate: Students will 1. Practice habits of a good roommate, including but not limited to: sharing space, respecting boundaries, privacy and others property 2. Independently find and select social and recreational activities during free time 3. Plan and implement a two hour leisure/recreational activity for the class using campus or community resources 4. Use community resources, including but not limited to: laundry facilities, post office, library, health center 5. Practice appropriate and professional use of their cell phone and social media accounts 6. Recall their personal information, including but not limited to: full name, address, telephone number, SSN and discriminate between safe and unsafe disclosures of identity information 7. Identify and practice safe and appropriate behaviors relating to dating 2
8. Practice appropriate skills for communicating with an employer and others of authority including, but not limited to: telephone calls, emails, text messages 9. Make and keep appointments (doctor, counselor, job interview, etc.) 10. Practice independently attending appointments (doctor, counselor, job interview, etc.) and be prepared with the information/paperwork necessary for the occasion 11. Practice prosocial skills, including but not limited to: a. Introducing yourself b. Introducing others c. Following instructions d. Asking for help e. Knowing and expressing your feelings f. Understanding the feelings of others g. Dealing with someone else s anger h. Appropriate eating habits/table manners i. Negotiating j. Responding to teasing k. Dealing with criticism l. Avoiding trouble with others m. Keeping out of fights n. Making and answering a complaint o. Being a good sport p. Dealing with embarrassment q. Dealing with being left out r. Standing up for a friend s. Responding to failure t. Dealing with contradictory messages u. Dealing with an accusation v. Getting ready for a difficult conversation w. Dealing with group pressure x. Dealing with fear y. Using self-control z. Dealing with stress aa. Standing up for your rights bb. Concentrating on a task Assessment Strategies: Formal and informal assessments will be utilized to monitor student s progress. In both the beginning and at the end of the program, students will be assessed on independent living skills using the Adaptive Behavior Assessment System (ABAS), a behavior rating scale that provides a complete assessment of adaptive skills across the life span. In the classroom, student s mastery of objectives will be assessed in a variety of ways, including but not limited to: performance tasks, observations, interviews, formal paper tests, multiple-choice and short-answer questions, and quizzes. 3
Schedule/Tentative Sequence of Course Topics Fall 2012 Week Dates Topic 1 Aug 22-24* Introduction/Syllabus Icebreaker Games Welcome to college: becoming an adult Being a good roommate Respecting others privacy and property 2 Aug 27-31 Deciding on something to do Using Recreational Facilities and Community Centers 3 Sept 3-7 Cell phone etiquette Introducing yourself, introducing others 4 Sept 10-14 Knowing my personal information: name, address, ssn, etc Protecting my identity Recreational Activity Instructors Charlie Knox William 5 Sept 17-21 Social Media-do s and don ts Hilary 6 Sept 24-28 Following instructions Asking for help McIver 7 Oct 1-5 Knowing and expressing your feelings Understanding the feelings of others Jaclyn 8 Oct 8-12 Dating; Asking someone on a date Hope 9 Oct 17-19* Dealing with someone else s anger Negotiating Jacob 10 Oct 22-26 Responding to teasing Avoiding trouble with others Shane Keeping out of fights 11 Oct 29-Nov 2 Communicating with your boss and others of authority Arielle 12 Nov 5-9 Making and answering a complaint David 13 Nov 12-16 Making a doctors/dentist appointment What to bring and how to behave at the doctor/dentist 14 Nov 19-20* Asking the pharmacist for advice 15 Nov 26-30 Dealing with criticism Collette 16 Dec 3-7 Being a good sport Michael Spring 2013 Week Dates Topic Recreational Activity 1 Jan 9-11* Dealing with embarrassment *male 2 Jan 14-18 Understanding the causes of stress Dealing with stress Charlie 3 Jan 22-25* Dealing with being left out Knox 4 Jan 28-Feb 1 Giving or getting a ride to/from somewhere William 5 Feb 4-8 Standing up for a friend Hilary 6 Feb 11-15 Eating/Table Manners McIver Bria 4
7 Feb 18-22 Responding to failure Jaclyn 8 Feb 25-Mar 1 Dealing with contradictory messages Hope 9 Mar 4-8 Dealing with an accusation Jacob 10 Mar 11-15 Getting ready for a difficult conversation Shane Spring Break 11 Mar 25-29 Dealing with group pressure Arielle 12 April 1-5 Dealing with fear David 13 April 8-12 Using self-control Bria 14 April 15-19 Standing up for your rights Collette 15 April 22-26 Concentrating on a task Michael & *male *denotes a week with less than 5 days Bibliography BRIGANCE Transition Skills Activities. (2012). North Billerica, MA: Curriculum Associates, LLC. Gilsan. E. P. (2008). Life Skill Lessons. Verona, WI: Attainment Company, Inc. LifeSchool 2000. (1994). Belmont, CA: Fearon/Janus/Quercus. McGinnis, E., Sprafkin, R. P., Gershaw, N. J., and Klien, P. (2012). Skillstreaming the Adolescent: A Guide for Teaching Prosocial Skills. Champaign, IL: Research Press Publishers. 5