Community-Based Learning Courses

Fall 2009 Courses

CBL 115: Gateway to Service (2)
This course introduces students to the philosophy, theory and best practices of academically based community service work. The students will work with Goucher faculty members from a wide range of academic disciplines, and will gain knowledge about community action and community service while developing first-hand practical skills and applications for effective work in the Baltimore area. Topics and skills to be learned include community building, effective mentoring, developing community partnerships, perspectives on learning development, and others. Gateway to Service will include one hour of in class work coupled with two hours of applied community service work each week. Instructor: Michael Curry

FRO 110.015: Education as Social Justice (3)
Through an embedded seven-week service-learning project tutoring elementary school students, Goucher students will examine, actualize and re-examine positions on the purpose of education, especially in its relation to issues of social justice and equity. Leadership skills, planning and teamwork in the project will complement reading, research and writing on topics such as core curriculum, supplemental programming and education in its definitive role as a means of maintaining and as a means of challenging the status quo. Instructor: Jennifer Bess

FRO 140: Frontiers in Spanish (4) Admission by Spanish placement exam only
¿Comprendes, hablas, lees, y escribes español? This course challenges you to use your listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills to embark in a cross-cultural journey around the Spanish-speaking world. Through individual and cooperative work, we will learn about the food, music, art, and literature of many of Spanish-speaking countries. We will also discover places of interest and learn about issues that affect Hispanic groups in the United States and abroad. Working from the premise that one cannot master a language without understanding the cultural contexts in which it is used, we will view grammar and vocabulary as learning tools that will help increase your interpersonal communication skills in Spanish. Activities that incorporate a variety of multimedia learning materials will reinforce and expand your knowledge of the language. An integrated twelve hour community-based learning component will provide you with meaningful opportunities to develop your skills while engaging with the local Spanish-speaking community. Instructor: Frances Ramos-Valdez

PCE 148: Nonviolence in America (4)
Survey of the history of nonviolent actions and principles in what is now the United States, including groups such as Indians, Quakers, abolitionists, pacifists, and those in the women’s suffrage, labor and civil rights movements. Study of the philosophical principles of nonviolence in relation to historical events and policies; assessment of justification of the principles and success or failure of the policies. Service component in Baltimore City Schools after-school programs. Instructor: Frances Donelan

PSY 226: Topics in Relational Psychology (3)(GEN.ED.#10)
Moving away from a framework of psychological research, theory, and evaluation that unduly values objectivity, independence, and personal achievement, students explore collaboratively the ramifications of a psychology that places human relationship, connection, community, and care at the center of psychological health and development, where mutual empowerment and empathy, rather than separation from others, are the goals. This feminist, antiracist, and critical psychology recognizes the powerful impact of the sociocultural context in impeding mutuality, and provides an interpretive framework for understanding and reshaping culture, lives, and theory. Specific topics vary from year to year, but include the following: the works of Carol Gilligan, the relational psychology of Jean Baker Miller and the Stone Center, the psychology of gender (e.g., girls’ development, the construction of masculinity), the psychology of oppression, and relational classrooms and environments. Prerequisite: PSY 111 or 114, or sophomore standing. Instructor: Rick Pringle

SP 230: Intermediate Conversation and Composition (4)
Development of conversation and writing skills through the study and discussion of texts, audio, short videos, and full-length films. Special attention is given to the acquisition and active use of everyday vocabulary. Grammar exercises are integrated with the readings and dialogues. Course includes a 12-hour service learning component. Prerequisite: SP 229 or equivalent placement. Instructor: Jeannie Murphy