2009-10 Courses: Winter

Panic Attack!! A research paper is due by the end of the quarter! What do I do? Take the Research and Writing course and learn the basics of selecting topics, choosing appropriate information sources, and putting it all together into a solid presentation. Students will become less stressed by research assignments as they learn how to recreate themselves as serious researchers and writers.

In this course you will learn how to decipher the Cyrillic alphabet; read, write, and construct sentences; and eventually express yourself in Russian. Constant exposure to the authentic Russian language, literature, history and culture will enable you to move forward in your mastery of Russian grammar, vocabulary and communicative skills. A variety of activities including staging skits, acting out true-to-life situations, viewing Russian films and listening to a variety of Russian music will help you strengthen your comprehension skills and build the necessary confidence in using Russian.

Students will continue strengthening their language skills through intensive work on grammar, reading short stories and newspaper articles, engaging in conversation and comprehension exercises. They will also memorize Russian poetry and learn songs to enhance their other work in the program. Class is conducted largely in Russian by a native-speaking instructor.

In this hands-on course, participants will explore aspects of creating effective learning activities and “objects” (short instructional modules). Climate change will be our subject matter, but our emphasis on teaching while we ourselves learn is intended to prompt useful reflection on learning processes and instructional approaches for any topic. Previous knowledge of global warming, sustainability or teaching and learning theory is NOT required. This course will be a useful introduction for people considering careers in teaching, communications, public information, health promotion or community activism.

In this course, students will gain a basic foundation in Spanish vocabulary and grammar. The course work will focus on verbal, written and reading exercises to acquire essential vocabulary and develop communication skills. Many aspects of Latino and Spanish culture and society will be presented throughout. The course is taught primarily in Spanish and involves work in affinity groups. This course is the first in a series of three quarters of beginning level Spanish.

This interactive, student focused class emphasizes communicative activities and integrates the culture of the Spanish speaking world. This quarter covers stem changing verbs, irregular yo forms; ser and estar; saber and conocer. The Vistas (Vistas Higher Learning, 2008) Third Edition workbook and lab manual is used including practice activities on its website and an integrated fotonovela. Student access to internet required; activities, assignments, and practices will be posted on-line throughout the quarter.

This course is designed as a comprehensive review of the subjunctive mode and other selected grammatical topics. The main objective will be to prepare students for conversational activities using several audio-visual and reading materials to engage them in conversation. Songs from Latin America will be used to introduce vocabulary.

This course is designed for students seeking to expand and strengthen skills in speaking, writing, and reading Spanish.  The course takes place entirely in Spanish and is apt for students at intermediate and near-intermediate levels.  Course content is centered on practical Spanish for every day life, travel and study abroad.  Students learn about societies, cultures, and the environment in Latin America.  Conversation practice takes place continually in level-appropriate groups.  Readings and written exercises are tailored to students’ skill levels and needs.  Students will have opportunities to carry out individual and group research, and writing projects on topics of their choice.  Evaluation will be based on participation, attendance, completed work and progress in reinforcing Spanish communication skills.

This course will cover classroom management and behavior management techniques with special education students. Participants will explore the types of diversity in the classroom and working effectively with diverse learners. They will discuss various classroom management models and identify best practices for effective teaching and learning in individual, small group and large group settings. Assignments will include designing a learning environment that encourages participation and a daily routine that facilitates behavior management. Participants will also look at federal, state and local guidelines and laws regarding behavior management and discipline in the schools. They will learn to recognize students who are at-risk for violent behaviors and research behavior techniques for decreasing undesirable behaviors and increasing positive behaviors. Social skills, self-advocacy and self-management for the behavior disorder student will be covered. Students will be required to complete five 6 hour classes and 36 hours of practicum experience.

This course is intended as an introduction to statistics. It is understood that the student has limited mathematical skills, little if any formal exposure to data and data analysis, and no experience with statistics. This class will introduce the student to the statistical process - data collection, ways of organizing data, an introduction to data analysis and an opportunity to learn how practitioners present their findings. We will consider several case studies, explore how data is used in explaining common events, and develop a more critical understanding about how statistics allows us to understand the world around us.

In this class we will explore the concepts of inferential statistics. This class assumes that the student has a prior background in descriptive statistics. The class will discuss probability, especially in terms of probability distributions, and move on to hypothesis testing. In this context, the class will work with several distributions, such as t, chi square, F as well as the normal distribution, and work with ANOVA and multiple regression. The class will finish with an introduction to non-parametric statistics. In addition, the students will consider journal articles and research concepts, and will prepare a small presentation using the concepts from the class. Upper division mathematics credit awarded.

The major personality theorists will be presented sequentially within their cultural and historical contexts. This will provide the students with a broader understanding of the evolution of ideas concerning human nature. Exploration of theories will be limited to those that apply specifically to the practice of counseling. Attention will be paid to the interaction of the individual with the social milieu, the cultural biases within theory and the effect of personal history on theoretical claims. This upper-division course provides prerequisites for many graduate programs in psychology.

Each quarter there are some graduate courses offered through the Master of Environmental Studies program which may be open to advanced undergraduate students on a space-available basis. In the winter of 2010, these courses include:

• Ecovention: Urban Horticulture & Ecological Restoration (Frederica Bowcutt)
• Conserving and Restoring Biodiversity (Tim Quinn)
• Global & Regional Climate Change (Kurt Unger)

For more information about these courses, please visit the MES website: www.evergreen.edu/mes/.

Each quarter there are some graduate courses offered through the Master of Public Administration program which may be open to advanced undergraduate students on a very limited, space-available basis. For more information about these courses, please visit the MPA website: www.evergreen.edu/mpa/.

There is a sense of personal satisfaction and creative accomplishment to be gained from working with wood. The aim of this course is to provide a way to realize that intention through an understanding of the basic principles of designing in wood, the physical properties of the material, and the fundamental skills necessary to shape timber to a purpose.

This studio course is an introduction to ways of thinking about and working with three dimensional form as it applies to sculpture and design. Formative principles, ideas, and methods will be presented. Work will include reading, slide presentations, hands-on exercises, and assigned projects using a variety of materials and techniques. Open to all levels of experience.

This introductory course will help students to develop the clarity, coherence, focus and style necessary for good factual communication. Working in a supportive group environment, students will cultivate a systematic approach to a range of writing tasks, including descriptions, instructions, business correspondence, newsletter articles, short reports, resumes, job summaries, and oral presentations. The course also will include a review of paragraph and sentence structure, grammar, and punctuation.

This course is designed to assist Prior Learning from Experience students in writing their documents. We will explore various techniques for deriving, clarifying and expressing meaning from life experience. Students will identify specific knowledge they have gained and will explore various writing techniques available for self-expression. Students should be prepared to work collaboratively on creating their document content as they work in small groups to discuss ideas and give feedback on each other's writing.