Welcome to FCS 461:  Methods and Strategies in Family and Consumer Sciences Education.  It has been a wonderful challenge looking at this course and designating the information and assessments that are priority for those looking to instruct individuals, families and communities in the content within Family and Consumer Sciences.  It is my hope that you will be provided with useful tools and resources that can be implemented into various educational settings.  The learner that will benefit from the instruction that you will provide in the future can have diverse needs and require multiple creative instructional strategies in order for success to result. 

First, it is essential that ALL FCS Educators can communicate a personal philosophy of family and consumer sciences education to stakeholders that may require a rationale for the existence of a program, course, or participation within an FCS related setting.  Within this philosophy, an individual should be able to identify family and consumer sciences education target audiences, reflect upon course content selection, describe the critical science approach to knowledge, and describe a classroom example that uses the three facets of the critical science approach.  I will include a detailed description of the process to be followed for the development of this essay.  Each topic required will be described through a presentation and resources will be provided. 

Second, it is essential that educators develop a "tool box" full of various strategies, methods, resources, theories, and techniques that can be used during instruction of diverse learners.  In this course various theories will be presented:  Critical Science Approach, Practical Problem Approach.  Content will also focus on various theories about learners:  Multiple Intelligences, Learning Styles, etc.  The section of the course that focuses on methods and strategies will provide background information on various strategies, such as Cooperative Learning, Practical Reasoning, Concept Attainment, Synectics, etc.  Once strategies are presented, then recommended procedures for developing unit plans, lesson plans, and Webquests will be presented. 

Third, an actual "tool box", file box will be developed by students that can be taken to various settings to provide education to individuals, families and communities.  This resource aids the future educator in gathering, collecting, and organizing information that will be useful in planning, facilitating, and disseminating FCS curriculum.  Items can include, but should not be limited to, brochures, pamphlets, books, cartoons, flyers, newspaper and magazine articles, websites, etc.  It is helpful to organize materials based on content area within FCS (i.e. Financial Management, Foods and Nutrition, Child Development and Parenting, Textiles and Clothing, etc.).  Each of the potential resources can be found at grocery stores, community organizations, Cooperative Extension Publications, etc. 

As a cumulative assessment students will create a portfolio with a minimum of the following items:

Family and Consumer Sciences Philosophy Paper  due November 20

Unit Plan  First submission due October 17, 2008 by midnight; Final product in Portfolio Dec. 9

Methods and Strategies Lesson Plans due throughout the course

Tools and Resources, Tool Box is due December 5

Video of Teaching

If student prefers, a multimedia portfolio can be created and submitted electronically.  An example is a website including each element required.