Community/Macro Practice Classroom Activities

Social Work New Advanced Standing Bridge Course Macro Practice Exercise Fall Semester 2015

1

Overview of Class Session
Session Goal: Students will understand the use of town hall meetings as a tool for engaging communities and groups.
IO
Objective
Scope of Activity
Potential Outcomes
I
For students to understand the purpose and uses of town hall meetings in community practice.
Students will discuss the purpose and utilization of town hall meetings as an engagement tool with assessment, planning, and advocacy implications in the context of community practice. Students will discuss readings and/or watch a YouTube video of a town hall meeting. Students should be able to critique the strengths and challenges of the facilitation of the town hall as well as the environment and audience participation (30mins)..
Students will articulate the purpose and uses of town hall meetings in community practice.
II
For students to understand the importance of planning for town hall meetings as well as be able to identify potential planning considerations for such meetings.
As you take students into the community space for mock town hall meetings or a real school wide town hall meeting, consider discussing the space and context of the meeting in terms of considerations and planning (15mins).
Students will articulate the important planning aspects associated with town hall meetings.
III
For students to gain beginning level meeting facilitation skills.
In groups have students facilitate a town hall meeting to students at OU in regards to an important issue of student or community concern. Have students develop engagement oriented questions for the audience, and take terms facilitating the rest of the class or other students present in the space (90-120mins).
Students will practice facilitation skills in a town hall meeting format.
IV
For students to process the strengths and challenges of their own and peer facilitation of town halls.
Students will evaluate their town hall meetings together in the larger group to evaluate practice. You may also provide them with assessments to fill out for the activity (15-20mins).
Students will use constructive feedback techniques to deliver feedback to one another about facilitation skills in order to improve in the future. Self feedback may also be utilized in a praxis format.
Suggested Setting: Large community space such as exists in Zarrow Hall. Try to find a space that students have to set up or consider how they would set it up in the context of their mini-town hall meeting.
Supportive Readings/Media
http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/assessment/promotion-strategies/overview/main
SAMSHA (2010). Community briefing prevention toolkit: Town hall meetings. Retrieved from: http://www.stopalcoholabuse.gov/twnhallmeetings/pdf/CommunityBriefingPreventionToolkitTHMs.pdf
In class example of town hall - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZHTJaQuE-Y




Overview of Class Session
Session Goal: Students will gain beginning level competency in utilizing nominal group techniques to make informed decisions
IO
Objective
Scope of Activity
Potential Outcomes
I
For students to understand the theory behind nominal group technique in community and organizational practice.
Students will discuss the importance of participatory decision making in the context of using nominal group technique. Students should be able to identify guiding philosophies and theories behind nominal group as well as it's purpose in practice (15mins).
Students will articulate understanding of basic process and theories associated with NGT when called upon.
II
For students to understand the major elements and process of nominal group technique.
Students will understand the major steps of NGT as well as considerations for using it in organizations, groups, and communities. Students will understand the drawbacks and limitations of NGT (15mins).
Students will recall and articulate the major process for facilitating a NGT process when called upon.
III
For students to attain experience utilizing nominal group techniques in practice.
In groups have students discuss their own projects and use NGT to come to a consensus about the scope or other decisions necessary to begin semester projects. You may also have them use NGT to provide feedback about a current community or school issue (60mins)
Students will successfully engage in a NGT process in order to reach consensus on a task or assignment.
IV
For students to evaluate their nominal group process individually and as a larger group in order to identify strengths and areas for future growth.
Students should fill out a brief assessment of their NGT experience either a short survey or paragraph. Ask them if they followed the process, if not, what happened, and if they felt like everyone's perspective was taken into account. Ask about what worked well and what was challenging (45mins).
Students will do self assessments of themselves and their group members verbally or in written form in order to evaluate their NGT process.
Suggested Setting: Community spaces in libraries are often much better than classrooms for this activity; however, it can be done in the classroom. If working with a larger class, move some groups into other spaces to create a more conducive atmosphere for this exercise.
Supportive Readings/Media
Community toolbox (2015). Section 6: Generating and choosing solutions. Retrieved from: http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/analyze/analyze-community-problems-and-solutions/generate-solutions/main
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2006). Gaining consensus among stakeholders through the nominal group technique. Retrieved from: http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/evaluation/pdf/brief7.pdf
Kaner, S. (2014). Facilitator's guide to participatory decision making. Retrieved from: https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=q-gRBAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA99&dq=kaner+participatory+decision+making&ots=eV0QLSWTpc&sig=F2w_i5r-xTgmzY6t2r-RXt3-yXE - v=onepage&q=kaner participatory decision making&f=false
YouTube video example of Nominal Group: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9y9869QWzto


Overview of Class Session
Session Goal: Students will attain beginning level competency in presenting and advocating for policy change to stakeholders.
IO
Objective
Scope of Activity
Potential Outcomes
I
For students to understand how to locate statistics and evidence for the purpose of policy advocacy.
Students will discuss the importance of policy advocacy to social work practice. Students will utilize knowledge of policy research to quickly find information on a current policy issue impacting the local, state, institutional, or federal level (30mins).
Students will identify proper sources for trustworthy information on policy issues. Students will identify a relevant policy issue.
II
For students to understand how to communicate effectively to elected officials and decision makers.
Students will put together a short 3-4 minute brief speech geared towards an elected official or decision maker utilizing talking points identified in the previous research step (30mins).
Students will be able to synthesize and analyze policy data in order to effectively present an issue to a decision maker.
III
For students to gain experience advocating to elected officials and decision makers.
Students in groups or individually will present their 3-4 minute policy issue and stance to an elected official or decision maker. *This exercise will be more meaningful is you actually have an elected official come in for the activity (60-90mins).
Students will effectively communicate a policy issue, stance, and proposed action to an elected official/decision maker.
IV
For students to be evaluated by a guest decision maker. Feedback will be provided either orally or in written form.
Students should receive direct feedback from the elected official verbally or by way of a short assessment card about how well they did identifying their issue, articulating the issue, and advocating for action (20-30mins).
Students will utilize constructive expert feedback to improve future practice.
Suggested Setting: This exercise should be carried out in a nice office space or simulation space or at the actual office of an elected official. This activity could be broken into two sections, one that is completed in class in preparation for the facilitation, and the other would take place during social work day at the capital. Students would bring their brief policy issue speaking script and present it to a policy maker.
Supportive Readings/Media
Hoefer, R., & Chigbu, K. (2015). The motivation and persuasion process (MAP): Proposing a practice model for community intervention. Journal of Community Practice, 23, 51-75. doi: 10.1080/10705422.2014.986596
University of Kansas (2015). Community toolbox. Section 10: Conducting research to influence policy. Retrieved from: http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/advocacy/advocacy-research/influence-policy/main
University of Kansas (2015). Community toolbox. Section 10: General rules for organizing for legislative advocacy. Retrieved from: http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/advocacy/direct-action/legislative-advocacy/main
Oklahoma Policy Institute
NASW Policy Papers
United Nations International Policy Institutes
United States Library of Congress
Overview of Class Session
Session Goal: Students will utilize basic tenets of ABCD/strengths approach to conduct a walking survey of the community.
IO
Objective
Scope of Activity
Potential Outcomes
I
For students to understand the basic principles of community observation within the framework of Asset Based Community Development.
Students will discuss the basics of ABCD and the underlying theories that guide it. Students will also discuss how observation should be undertaken in an ABCD approach (30mins).
Students will core features of ABCD and how it should guide community observation.
II
For students to understand the strengths and limitations of walking/windshield surveys, including ethical implications.
Students will discuss how to approach their walking surveys in the community with an emphasis on culturally sensitive and humble community engagement/assessment (15mins).
Students will identify ethical considerations of doing walking surveys as outsiders and ways to minimize marginalization while promoting culturally sensitive/humble practice.
III
For students to conduct walking surveys of their existing communities in order to gain skills in community assessment.
Students in groups will each conduct a walking survey of a portion of the community. Students should each walk a different portion of the community. Students should jot down observations with an eyes to the potential assets that a community possesses. Consider allowing students to take pictures and upload them to a class Facebook or Instagram page for use in processing (60-90mins).
Students will complete a walking tour/observation of the community utilizing an ABCD approach.
IV
For students to present findings and compare, contrast, and analyze it with one another.

Students will view one another's pictures and/or discuss their findings in various areas of the community. What assets and observations were similarly noted and different? How could these assets/observations be useful to practitioners across levels of practice (30mins)?
Students will identify similarities and differences in community observations as well as compile and contrast assets and potential gaps in resources.
Setting: This activity works best if you have students venture into the community. Students can also focus on the campus community.
Suggested Reading/Materials:
YouTube video on Cultural Humility
University of Kansas (2015). Community toolbox. Conducting windshield and walking surveys. Retrieved from: http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/assessment/assessing-community-needs-and-resources/windshield-walking-surveys/main
University of Kansas (2015). Community toolbox. Qualitative methods to assess community issues. Retrieved from: http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/assessment/assessing-community-needs-and-resources/qualitative-methods/main
ABCD Institute (2015). What is ABCD development? Retrived from: http://www.abcdinstitute.org/docs/What isAssetBasedCommunityDevelopment(1).pdf

Overview of Class Session
Session Goal: Students will conduct a basic needs assessment of a community.
IO
Objective
Scope of Activity
Potential Outcomes
I
For students to understand the basic principles, process, and role of needs assessment in community practice.
Students will discuss the basic principles, theories, and purpose of needs assessment from a community development perspective (20mins).
Students will understand the basic role and steps in conducting a needs assessment.
II
For students to develop proper semi-structured questions for needs assessment.
Students will recall prior knowledge on developing survey and interview questions in order to create a protocol for their needs assessments. Consider doing this as a larger group in order to come to consensus on the questions in order to be able to combine data (30mins).
Students will develop a survey/brief interview protocol that can be agreed upon by the class for assessing community needs.
III
For students to gain experience in conducting basic needs assessment in a community or university community.
Students in groups will go into the community ( or university) and interview community members using their needs assessment protocol (60-90mins).
Students will complete a needs assessment of smaller geographic areas of a community.
IV
For students to present findings and compare, contrast, and analyze it utilizing basic research methods for analysis.

Students will utilize basic research skills to analyze and prioritize community needs. Group results should then be combined and discussed.
Students will utilize research methods to analyze needs assessment data. Students will be able to organize results in a meaningful way.
Setting: This activity works best if you have students venture into the community. Students can also focus on the campus community. Have student groups each go into a different portion of the university or community for this exercise.
Suggested Reading/Materials:
University of Kansas (2015). Community toolbox. Conducting needs assessment. Retrieved from: http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/assessment/assessing-community-needs-and-resources/conducting-needs-assessment-surveys/main
Communities Empowering Youth Program & Department of Human Services (2010). Conducting a community assessment. Washington D.C.: National Resource Center. Retrieved from: http://strengtheningnonprofits.org/resources/guidebooks/Community_Assessment.pdf






Overview of Class Session
Session Goal: Students will create a professional career path plan.
IO
Objective
Scope of Activity
Potential Outcomes
I
For students to discuss the role and purpose of professional path planning in career development.
Students will be reoriented to the many different career paths that professional social workers can take. Students will learn the role and importance of path planning in career development (30mins).
Students will understand the role of path planning in professional development.
II
For students to understand how to create measurable and achievable goals and objectives.
Students will learn how to draft observable, feasible, and measureable goals and objectives (30mins).
Students will be able to identify and articulate properly constructed goals and objectives.
III
For students to create a starting path plan of short-term, intermediate, and long-term career goals and objectives.
Students will complete a professional path plan that will include goals and objectives for various stages of their career with the understanding that it is a dynamic document (60mins).
Students will complete a professional path plan complete with proper goals and objectives.
IV
For students to process path plans in groups and receive feedback.
Students in groups will process and share their path plans with one another in order to solicit feedback on goals and objectives as well as to learn from one another about potential career paths in social work (20mins).
Students will gain constructive feedback from peers about their path plans and receive answers to questions related to the profession.
V
For students to share reflections and insights about path planning and career development in order to gain greater perspective from peers and the instructor.
Students will evaluate their experience doing path planning and ask questions related to the process as well as questions about social work career paths (30mins).
Students will assess the process of path planning and lessons learned from engaging in the activity.
Setting: This activity can take place in the classroom, but students should be encouraged to find their own spaces when writing path plans.
Suggested Reading/Materials:
Brady, S.R. (2015). Professional career advising resource planning sheet. Retrieved from: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FsuklKs2r0gLaZrHjBKXAitvRj0R1SEqUw4dhWiRcUM/edit?usp=sharing
National Association of Social Workers (2015). The social work career center. http://careers.socialworkers.org/
YouTube video on professional development in social work






Overview of Class Session
Session Goal: Students will learn how to utilize census level data to inform practice.
IO
Objective
Scope of Activity
Potential Outcomes
I
For students to learn the basics of various types of census data and how to conduct basic searches.
Students will be given a tutorial on how to gather relevant information about communities and issues from
Students will understand the basic role and steps in conducting a needs assessment.
II
For students to compile a basic demographic profile for a community unit using census data.
Students will work together in groups to identify useful data sets for a given community utilizing census data. Students will create tables or documents of the most relevant data points they found interesting or useful for understanding the community from a professional perspective.
Students will do queries of community places utilizing census data. Students will assess various data tables for usefulness and organize relevant data into a useable format.
III
For students to interpret and analyze data for implications for practice.
Students will identify key statistics and observations and articulate how they could inform their practice.
Students will analyze data and articulate implications for practice.
V
For students to process the benefits and limitations of using census data in comparison to other approaches of community assessment and intervention.
Students as a class will analyze the benefits and limitations of census data for practice and discuss how it can be used with other tools of practice.
Students will learn the benefits and drawbacks to using census data in practice.
Setting: This activity will need to be conducted in a library or computer lab to ensure all students have access to technology.
Suggested Reading/Materials:
U.S. Census Bureau (2015). American community survey. What is the ACS? Retrived from: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/
U.S. Census Bureau (2015). Using census data to help local communities. Retrived from: http://www.census.gov/library/publications/2003/comm/clo03-cic.html
YouTube Tutorial on using American fact finder
YouTube Tutorial on Using American fact finder part II






Overview of Class Session
Session Goal: Students will understand how to generate ideas for community interventions based on data.
IO
Objective
Scope of Activity
Potential Outcomes
I
For students to understand the necessarily elements of evidence informed planned intervention in community practice.
Students will discuss the stages of generalist practice in the context of community practice and how previous stages can be used to inform the development of an intervention.
Students will articulate the purpose of intervention in community practice and how it relates to other steps/stages of the generalist practice model or community practice.
II
For students to create an idea for a beginning level intervention that is based on assessment data.
Students individually, as part of a small group, will develop intervention concepts based upon assessment data collected in one of their previous assignments. Students will need to be in the same group as they were in one of the previous exercises or you can use this as part of a larger semester project. Concepts should include a well-articulated goal with 3-4 measureable objectives and a plan for how you would fund the intervention as well as how it would be delivered.
Students will generate intervention concepts that are grounded in data previously collected in the community.
III
For students to use NGT to process intervention ideas in order to understand ways to improve the concept.
In groups have students facilitate a NGT in order to ensure the full participation of the group in order to fully develop and revise the final concept.
Students will revise intervention concepts and improve upon them as a result of engaging in NGT.
Suggested Setting: Classroom space or allow students to roam and find spaces that inspire their creativity.
Supportive Readings/Media
National Association of Community Health Centers (2012). Community needs assessment and data supported decision making. Bethesda, MD: NACHC. Retrieved from: http://www.nachc.com/client/documents/2012 Data Supported Decision Making.pdf
University of Kansas (2015). Community toolbox. We don't know what to do to solve the problem. Retrieved from: http://ctb.ku.edu/en/dont-know-how-to-solve-problem
Centers of Disease Control (n.d.). Writing program goals and objectives. Retrieved from: http://www.cdc.gov/std/Program/pupestd/Developing Program Goals and Objectives.pdf
YouTube video on the basics of goals and objectives within logic models.





Overview of Class Session
Session Goal: Students will learn how to utilize appreciative inquiry in community practice.
IO
Objective
Scope of Activity
Potential Outcomes
I
For students to learn the basics of appreciative inquiry and how it compares and contrasts to other types of interviewing as well as how it can be used in practice.
Students will discuss their understanding of appreciative inquiry and how it can fit into engagement, assessment, and intervention planning in community practice. Instructor will use the miracle question as an example of one way to use appreciative inquiry in community practice (30mins).
Students will be able to articulate the basic functions of appreciative inquiry and main features of conducting generative interviews.
II
For students to learn how to use appreciative inquiry in the context of community practice.
Students will work in groups of 2 or 3 for this exercise. Students will come up with one or two questions and a series of prompts that are rooted in appreciative inquiry technique. Students will take turns interviewing one another for 15-20 minutes, while the third group member takes observational notes of the interview, until all members have participated in each role (60mins).
Students will be able to conduct a beginning level generative interview with a novice level competency.
III
For students to learn how to utilize strengths and assets as tools for assessment and intervention planning.
Students will process each interview for 15mins before beginning the next interview in order to identify person strengths and community assets described by the interviewee. (45mins).
Students will be able to conduct basic reflective processing of generative interviews, including the ability to identify strengths and assets.
V
For students to process the appreciative inquiry activity in the context of other tools and theories informing community practice.
Students as a class will analyze the benefits and limitations of appreciative inquiry in the context of other tools for community practice in order to understand future use in practice (30mins).
Students will be able to identify situations or contexts when they might use appreciative inquiry in the future.
Setting: Students will need space to do this activity and quiet. Encourage them to go outside or find a quiet comfortable space for this activity.
Suggested Reading/Materials:
Lee, S. (2010). Appreciative Foundations and Practice. Chapel Hill, NC: North Carolina Chapel Hill. Retrieved from: https://www.unc.edu/faculty/faccoun/reports/2010-11/specrepts/2010UNCAIWorkbookSallieLee.pdf
YouTube video on appreciative inquiry
YouTube Ted Talk on Appreciative inquiry
Hollingsworth, L., Allen-Meares, P., Shanks, T. R., & Gant, L. M. (2009). Using the miracle question in community engagement and planning. Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services , 332-336.


Overview of Class Session
Session Goal: Students will learn how to compile asset inventories of community member assets.
IO
Objective
Scope of Activity
Potential Outcomes
I
For students to learn or recall the basic elements of ABCD development and the role of assets in community development and practice.
Students will discuss their understanding of assets in the context of ABCD and community development. Students will watch a short video on asset inventories or assessment. (30mins).
Students will be able to identify what assets are and list types of assets that community members may possess.
II
For students to understand how to develop appropriate questions to assess community assets.
Students will work in groups to develop a series of 6-10 questions related to identifying community member assets (30mins). Groups may consider using a NGT process to develop and refine questions.
Students will develop 6-8 asset focused questions.
III
For students to gain experience using asset based assessment skills.
Students will conduct an asset inventory by surveying as many people as they can in the community or school setting (60mins).
Students will be able to engage community members and assess member assets using ABCD principles.
V
For students to learn how to compile assessment data and use it to gain further insights about a community.
Students as a class will analyze the benefits and limitations of appreciative inquiry in the context of other tools for community practice in order to understand future use in practice (30mins).
Students will be able to identify situations or contexts when they might use appreciative inquiry in the future.
Setting: Students will need to venture into the surrounding community or campus community for this assignment.
Suggested Reading/Materials:
Kretzmann & McKnight (1997). A guide to capacity inventories: Mobilizing the community skills of local residents. Chicago, IL: ABCD Institute. Retrieved from: http://www.abcdinstitute.org/docs/CapacityInventories(1).pdf
University of Kansas (2015). Community toolbox. Identifying community resources. Retrieved from: http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/assessment/assessing-community-needs-and-resources/identify-community-assets/main
YouTube Ted Talk on ABCD