Intro to SOcial WOrk Expectations

7/28/2019 Intro to SOcial WOrk Expectations

1/10

Ken Murra De artment of Social Work murra k@a su.edu 931-980-9496

SWRK 2110-W1 Orien tation and

Student Expectat ions

Ken Murray, (credentials upon request)

Adjunct Instructor, Department of Social WorkAustin Peay State University


2/10


Welcome

Welcome to the online Introduction to Social Work class. I look

forward to challenging your opinions, improving your academic

abilities, and fostering an environment for critical thinking.

At the end of the semester, I expect students to not simply know the

role of social workers as professionals, but to also understand the

way we think and the ethical principles that guide practice.

The course will be a whole lot of work, and I will challenge each

student to learn and grow, hopefully pushing your academic horizons

further than they have been previously.

This is the entry point on a journey to a profession. Critical thinking

and evidenced based reasoning starts in this course.


3/10


Disclaimer

If someone advised you that this is an easy course, or something

other than a rigorous, challenging academic pursuit, you may be in

the wrong place. Seriously. Wrong place. For real.

If you have difficulty writing at the collegiate level, are unfamiliar with

APA 6thedition, or have never used the librarys academic reference

databases, you may need some assistance. Perhaps an online

venue isnt appropriate for all people.

Social work is a profession that I take very seriously, and this is a

gatekeeper course- not a fluffy Easy-A elective. Check your

motivation.

Plan to dedicate several hours a few times a week to this course, at

a minimum, including some scheduled online group activities


4/10


Ways to Con tact Me

Via email. I [email protected]. It comes straight to myphone, and I can respond to your questions quickly.

Via in course email. I only check that when I log into D2L.

Via Blackboard Instant Messenger. Install it. Do it now. If my littleavatar light is green, I am fair game.

Via cell phone. 931-980-. I have a toddler at home, so usediscretion when dialing the numbers. If you get voicemail, leave adetailed message including your first and last name, and I will returnthe call as soon as I am able.

In person, if you see me on campus or somewhere else (like gettingmy oil changed) please come say hi.

Please call me Ken in both spoken and written communicationbetween us. Ive worn a lot of titles, but prefer my name.
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


5/10


Got Issues?

This is adult learning. Each student is responsible for their ownactions, as I am for mine.

If something forseeable will prevent you from completingassignments (childbirth, loved one returning from combat zone, etc),I am far more understanding on the front side than on the back endof a missed assignment.

If something completely random happens (D2L crashes, your houseburned down)- I will certainly work with anyone affected as far as thecourse goes.

Two consecutive missed assignments is dropped from the rolls, in

accordance with university policy.

Two consecutive substandard assignment responses may result inactivation of the Academic Alert system for the struggling student.


6/10


Guid ing Documents

Syllabus

It is my contract with you. Read it. Reference it. Understand it. Its in

the course content section.

Assignment guidelines

For everything I grade, my expectations and helpful tips are written in

documents obviously titled in the course content section

Grading rubrics

Nothing up my sleeve. I have shared the way that I grade assignments

in the course content section.

Discussion Boards

I share a great deal of guidance in my responses to students within the

discussion board area. Dont miss reading it.


7/10


8/10


What the heck is c r i t ical thinking?

critical thinking noun :disciplined thinking that is clear, rational,

open-minded, and informed by evidence: The questions are intended

to develop your critical thinking. (Random House, 2011).

Very simply, I am less interested in what you believe (that would be

ideology) and far more interested in what you have discovered

through your studies. Evidence is the works you choose to cite.

There is a hierarchy when it comes to credible sources. Roughly

from top to bottom:

Peer-reviewed journals

Trade journals

Government websites

Credible news sources

Popular magazines

The internet in general

Use these

Not these


9/10


Peer Reviewed Journals

Peer Review is a process that journals use to ensure the articles theypublish represent the best scholarship currently available. When anarticle is submitted to a peer reviewed journal, the editors send it out toother scholars in the same field (the author's peers) to get their opinionon the quality of the scholarship, its relevance to the field, itsappropriateness for the journal, etc.

Publications that don't use peer review (Time, Cosmo, Salon) just rely

on the judgment of the editors whether an article is up to snuff or not.That's why you can't count on them for solid, scientific scholarship.

Peer reviewed articles undergo more review by experts than any othersource of information.

Here is the bottom line: The internet is filled with loads of informationthat is bogus, biased, generalized or slanderous. For academic writingand opinions to matter, the EVIDENCE to support them must come fromcredible sources. The most credible are peer-reviewed scholarlyjournals.


10/10

Ken Murra De artment of Social Work murra k@a su edu 931 980 9496

Okay- I get it . How do I get them?

Use this link for SOCIndex, a commonly used database in human

services. Check the box limiting your search to peer reviewed articles

only. Then get after it! http://library.apsu.edu/inform/EBSCO/21SocIndex.htm

There are others you are welcome to use. I have found that I prefer

to use SOCIndex, EBSCO, PSYCHInfo, and Proquest. A complete

list is here: http://library.apsu.edu/inform/2_0.htm

You are able to copy the APA citation for your reference page directly

from the source and paste it into your document.
http://library.apsu.edu/inform/EBSCO/21SocIndex.htmhttp://library.apsu.edu/inform/2_0.htmhttp://library.apsu.edu/inform/2_0.htmhttp://library.apsu.edu/inform/EBSCO/21SocIndex.htm