Killing the Death Penalty

In your weekly reading assignments, read the article written by Brad J. Bushman, Ph.D. entitled “It’s Time to Kill the Death Penalty.” Dr. Bushman indicates eight (8) reasons why he believes the United States should join over 140 other countries in abolishing the death penalty. In response to the article, write a letter to Dr. Bushman either in support of, or in opposition to, his position. Your paper should be two (2) pages, written in APA format.

To view your assignment rubric, please click here.

Self-directed learning is an effective way to increase engagement in the classroom and reduce behavior problems. As an early childhood educator, what is important to consider when you are supporting young students in identifying self-directed learning goals that align with your identified learning objectives? Why are these important to consider?

Receiving feedback on their learning helps students to understand what they have learned, and what changes they may need to make to improve their learning. A part of facilitating student self-directed learning includes providing the student with opportunities for both teacher provided feedback and self-monitoring feedback on learning. What do you consider to be the pros and cons of each type of feedback and why?

Summative assessment of self-directed student learning is more than just giving students a list of culminating projects from which to select. Allowing students to select a project to demonstrate their mastery of concepts, supports the idea of self-directed learning, gives students ownership of how they grasp the material presented in class, and is an effective strategy for differentiation.

Teachers need to plan how culminating projects will assess learning objectives that are tied to state learning standards. Teachers also need to plan how they will guide students in understanding the learning objectives on which they will be assessed, and how they can provide students with meaningful feedback on their learning. It is also important for teachers to consider methods for assessing the same learning objectives across a variety of culminating projects.

For this assignment, select a grade level K-3 and create a project information sheet to be distributed to students and their families. Because the deliverable will be completed in the home environment, the information sheet must be complete enough for students and families to use as a guide.

The project information sheet must include the following in child-friendly language:

  • Explanation of the purpose of the culminating project.
  • A minimum of three learning objectives students will need to demonstrate in their projects. The objectives must align with your state’s learning standards in either literacy, mathematics, science, or any combination of the three content areas, for the grade level selected.
  • A list of four possible culminating projects from which students can select. At least one must include technology.
  • Expectations of the project deliverable including the use of technology.
  • Explanation of how students will present the project to their peers during class time.
  • A student-friendly rubric that aligns with the expectations, including a line for the presentation deliverable. The rubric must address how you will formatively check for understanding during the student presentation and a summative overview of the project as a whole.

APA format is not required, but solid academic writing is expected.

This assignment uses a rubric. Review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite.

Responding to the social problems that affect the populations you serve as a social worker is only one aspect of the professional responsibility you must undertake. The ability to be proactive by identifying disparities and gaps in policies is just as important. However, in order to be an effective advocate and to fully participate in the policy process, it is important that you be able to connect theory and research to policy-making decisions. Having the knowledge and skills to implement new policies and policy alternatives without creating new disparities is a skill all social workers need to possess.

For this Assignment, consider what you have learned about the possible causes of the social problem you selected.

By Day 7

Assignment (2–4 pages, APA format): Your paper should include:

  • A description of the known explanations or causes of the issue you selected in your Social Issues paper in Week 3
  • A description of the theoretical explanations and approaches scholars and policy analysts used to discuss this issue
  • A description of the policies that have resulted from these discussions and an explanation of whether they are effective at resolving the issue

Support your Assignment with specific references to the resources. Be sure to provide full APA citations for your references

Submit by Day 3, a 4- to 5-page written account of your agency visit. In the paper, address each of the following areas and support your ideas with evidence from course resources and additional research.

· Describe the agency. Including:

o Services offered

o Mission of the agency

o Clientele or population served

· Describe the social worker’s job activities and professional roles

· Explain what brought the social worker to the field and their work history

· Explain opportunities for advancement and what the social worker does for professional development

· Describe the social worker’s overall job satisfaction and strategies they use for self-care

· Analyze your experience. Specifically,

o Discuss your thoughts and feelings related to the agency, clientele, and type of work.

o Reflect on why you may have experienced these reactions to the agency, clientele, and type of work.

· Explain which social work values and ethics were evident (or not evident) during the interview.

· Explain how social and economic justice relates to the services provided or population served by this agency.

· Explain how cultural competence was demonstrated (or not demonstrated) within the agency or by the social worker.

Submission and Grading Information

To submit your Project, do the following:

· Save your Project as a “.doc” file with the filename “WK6Proj+last name+first initial.doc”. For example, Sally Ride’s filename would be “WK6ProjRideS.doc”.

· To upload your Project, click on Projects on the course navigation menu, and then click the “Project Turnitin – Week 6” link.

According to the Council on Social Work Education, Competency 5: Engage in Policy Practice:

Social workers understand that human rights and social justice, as well as social welfare and services, are mediated by policy and its implementation at the federal, state, and local levels. Social workers understand the history and current structures of social policies and services, the role of policy in service delivery, and the role of practice in policy development. Social workers understand their role in policy development and implementation within their practice settings at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels and they actively engage in policy practice to effect change within those settings. Social workers recognize and understand the historical, social, cultural, economic, organizational, environmental, and global influences that affect social policy. They are also knowledgeable about policy formulation, analysis, implementation, and evaluation.

 

Required Readings

Birkenmaier, J., & Berg-Weger, M. (2018). The practicum companion for social work: Integrating class and fieldwork (4th ed.). New York, NY: Pearson.

· Chapter 8, “Social Work Practice in the Field: Working with Organizations, Communities, and Policy” (pp. 186-206)

 

Website

Website of Organization Chosen that works with Veterans with PTSD and any Trauma

https://www.resiliencemn.org/

 

To prepare: identify a social problem ( Social Problem Chosen are Veterans and Combat Veterans with PTSD) that is common among the organization  At Veterans Resilience Project  (or its clients) and research current policies at that state and federal levels In Minnesota that impact the Veterans with PTSD. Then, from a position of advocacy, identify methods to address the social problem (i.e., how you, as a social worker, and the agency advocate to change the problem). You are expected to specifically address how you and the agency can effectively engage policy makers to make them aware of the social problem and the impact that the policies have on the agency and clients.

 

The Assignment (2-3 pages):

· Identify the social problem in Minnesota

· Explain rational for selecting social problem

· Describe state and federal policies that impact the social problem

· Identify specific methods to address the social problems

· Explain how the agency and student can advocate to change the social problem

 

Use APA format and intext citation and references. Required Reading and Website of Organization, Also outside creditable sources and Plagiarism Checker. 

After viewing the films, discuss two specific physical characteristics and two specific behaviors of the non-human primates.  Why is it important to understand these traits/behaviors? What can we learn from them? Give examples to illustrate your understanding.

1. https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/video/pygmy-marmoset-stalks-along-branch-then-catches-stock-video-footage/1B05347_0002

2. https://pmdvod.nationalgeographic.com/NG_Video/215/195/0000014d-2f5e-dbde-a5cd-7f7ee2540000-swing-through-the-trees-with-amazing-spider-monkeys__630717.mp4