Issues Dialogue Assignment RTM 300 Recreation and Community Development

Here is more detailed information on the issues that will be researched and then discussed in your dialogue group.  Guidelines for your presentation are at the bottom of the page.

Remember the dialogue group commitments summarized in your group contract and which may have some parallel to these below:

Dialogue Group Guidelines

1. Keep it fun – but serious when need to be

2. Stay on topic

3. Stay focused on the group - no cells, ipods, etc.

4. Respect other’s idea and views

5. Share speaking time for group members - noone dominates

6. Listen

7. Stay open minded in the discussion

8. Everyone take responsibility and comes prepared to give input

9.  Do not take anything personal - it’s just ideas, it’s not about you

10. Specific roles and duties:

*presenters/discussion leaders will email a copy of paper to fellow students a minimum of 36 hours before class time

*presenters will complete the discussion summary sheet and give to the instructor

*show up for discussions

Guidelines for Research and Presentations:

Check the course schedule to see when the dialogue group discussions are scheduled. It has dates listed for when discussions times will be taking place. Please note whether the dialogue is on-line or face to face. At this point there is one dialogue scheduled for face to face and 3 scheduled for online. If you group prefers face to face and wants to make a consensus decision you may schedule one more face to face but the other two must be online. `Since the class schedule has 3 listed on line, everyone in your group must agree to change one back to face to face.

Your time to complete the issue paper and lead your group's discussion is determined by the topic and group number that has been assigned to you by the class handout. Here is a grid telling you when you will be leading your discussion and when your paper is due.

For each topic for review and analysis the student must write a two to three page max (500-750 words) review.  The review will be written in a very structured format.  The first paragraph will identify the topic name and why it is important to the Community Development and/or Youth Development agenda.   The next several brief paragraphs (think of it as page 1) will be a summary of the key facts or data about the topic?  What do we know? White hat?  The balance of the paper is dedicated to your critical thinking which includes answering these types of questions:  What are the key issues around this topic?  What are the key challenges to be overcome?  What response should the RTM field have to this issue?  Who else (agencies, institutions, etc.) could be or must be a partner in addressing this issues?

References from academic publications (journals, books) other than the textbook should be used in the analysis portion of the paper. The reviews should include an APA style citation for references.  General web references are discouraged unless it is a link to a key intervention organization or a web site serving as a general depository of information.  In other words blogs, Face Book, Wikipedia and the like are not an academic source like a journal. You may reference them but you would need journal references as well.

 After the references in the paper - the student should list 4-6 key discussion questions to be used during the class time - these questions will be submitted to the instructor along with your paper.

 Grades will be based on content, adherence to the idea of the assignment, individual and original work, and class discussion of the review.  Here is a sample student paper from a previous semester that is one example of quality work.

 NOTE: A minimum of 36 hours before the class period scheduled for your discussion you will email your issues paper to all members of the discussion group and the instructor.  Have the following materials to assist with the group discussions:  Copy of your paper with your key discussion questions on a separate sheet of paper and a Hat Dialogue sheet that will be completed for the dialogue group's twenty to thirty minute discussion time.  Generally, there will be two presenters and discussions for each scheduled session. The first session will be face to face and the following sessions will be interactive on-line discussions.

Check the class schedule for your assigned date. 

Topics for the semester include:

Switching:   Any switching in topics must be done by the second week of class and must have a note with both parities indicating the switch of topics (make it clear who has what topic now – your name and topic name – the date of topic assignment remains the same. Switches are only allowed within your discussion group.

Key Links

 RTM 300 Course Page