Welcome to CDFS 202 - Child, Family, and Community!
Spring Semester 2025

Hybrid course (34795)
Michele Gordon Johnson, Instructor

OUR COURSE: You have chosen an online course with a weekly in-person class. Regular attendance significantly enhances the quality of the learning experience and students' final course grade includes weekly class participation points. 

• Class meets: Tuesdays, 11:30am - 12:50am, SLO (4028)
• If you are earning a CDFS degree, I recommend taking CDFS 201 and 202 together.

STUDENT HELP HOURS: I am available to help you better understand child development & socialization concepts, terms, and theories! If you are having challenges, personal or academic, please contact me as soon as possible (via text or Canvas email). Click on the Virtual Classroom link, on the side navigation bar in our course, to meet with me during student hours. Text 805.776.3302 or email me in Canvas to schedule an appointment outside scheduled hours. Scheduled help hours TBA

Weekly Announcements: I will post a weekly to-do list, under Announcements (click on the side navigation bar), every Monday!

Canvas Conversations: On the user Dashboard (the first page that users see when they log in) there is an Inbox icon. Click the inbox icon to see messages from the course Instructor and reply or send messages to the instructor and other students within the course. The number of new messages is shown as part of the Inbox icon.

I am looking forward to our semester together! Our course syllabus explains my expectations, course policies, and the coursework, created with your success in mind! Please click on my parenting educator link to read my professional bio

Course Description: Introduces the processes of socialization focusing on the interrelationship of family, school, peers, and community. Examines the influence of multiple societal contexts. Explores the role of collaboration between family, community, and schools in supporting children’s development, birth through adolescence.

Student Learning Outcomes:
Upon completion of this course, the student should be able to:
1. Utilize Urie Bronfenbrenner's Bioecological Model to describe the socialization of the child, focusing on the interrelationship of family, school, media, peers, and community, within a cultural context.
2. Identify community resources, and the protective factors, that strengthen and support children and their families and describe culturally appropriate strategies for collaboration with families to support children's development.
3. Analyze oneself to gain personal insight related to family, life experiences, and cultural identities, and to appreciate the impact on values, attitudes, and norms.

Required Textbook: Child, Family, and Community (202) includes weekly reading; the textbook link is in the course welcome module and on our course home page. Students do not need to create an account to access the FREE online text and PDF. A printed version of the PDF is helpful when completing the exams.

Course Content: We explore a variety of topics that some students might find challenging, emotional, or difficult. Conversations may include trauma, racism, sexual orientation, gender identity, parental addiction, and memories from childhood. We will apply course concepts to our early childhood years. I am available to talk privately with you about any/all difficult topics and provide resources for further information/healing. There is a list of campus and community resources at the top of the Modules page in our course and the Cuesta Wellness HUB Canvas shell.

Students with Disabilities: If you need/are eligible for accommodations, please contact Disabled Student Program and Services (Building 3300) as soon as possible to ensure that you receive assistance in a timely manner. You may also discuss your concerns with me. Email verification for extended time on tests (from DSPS) is required before receiving a test accommodation.

Coursework is open Monday at 7:00 am & due Sunday at 11:59pm
Yes, late work is accepted! Students will receive a message (posted with 0 points) when work is not submitted by the due date. Students can receive full credit for the weekly assignments when the assignment is submitted before the final deadline (at the end of each Unit). Look for an announcement one week before the final deadline. Late discussion replies do not receive points because classmates have moved on from the conversation.

Respect for Diverse Views: We all come from unique backgrounds that have shaped our experiences and perspectives. Students in our class are diverse, including ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, country of origin, socioeconomic status, political beliefs, and other dimensions. Please be sensitive and respectful of one another’s values and viewpoints in our online discussions. Be curious as well as kind. If someone does offend you, please be gracious and let the instructor or student know privately and gently so they can have a chance to remedy the problem and learn from the situation. This is how empathy is developed and learning/personal growth occurs.

If you have a preferred name or pronoun that you would like me to use, please bring it to my attention. Add your preferred pronouns in Canvas (Account on the far left, settings, edit settings) so that I remember.

Class Participation (5 points for each class)
Students will receive 5 points for attending and participating in our traditional class. Students may request ONE “excused” absence. It is the student’s responsibility to request an “excused absence” in the class comment box and provide a legitimate reason. Please do NOT come to class if you are sick and might make others sick!

Weekly Assignments (15 points weekly)
Assignments are from the reading, websites, articles, and videos related to the Module topics and are a blend of discussions, auto-graded assignments (with unlimited time & multiple attempts), and written assignments. The weekly assignments open Monday morning and are due Sunday by 11:59pm. Students have three to four assignments each week. Students may resubmit all coursework that is auto-graded by the final deadline.

Community Agency Scavenger Hunt (25 points)
Students will investigate (online) the services of ten local family strengthening agencies to address the needs of a hypothetical family (a case study is provided). Detailed assignment instructions are in the Community Agency module.

Socialization Video Project (75 points)
Share your story with the class about a significant socializing agent, event, or experience from your childhood that has greatly impacted who you are today, using a creative format. Students will present their socialization projects to classmates, via video, and students will receive points for watching their classmates’ videos.
● Project proposal (10 points)
● Video project (50 points)
● Replies to classmates (+15 points)

Personal Dimensions of Diversity Project (75 points total)
Eleven dimensions of diversity are explored. Students will submit a photo (one you take or one you have) & detailed caption for each dimension (typically a weekly submission), building the journal page by page. 

Identity Conversations (15 points each, 45 points total)
Students will post a page from their Dimensions of Diversity projects, in the Identity Conversation discussion, and reply to six classmates.

IMPORTANT: Students must submit the
● Socialization Video Project and
● Dimensions of Diversity Project
to receive an A or B in the course, regardless of total points earned. Alternate assignments are not available.

Students must submit the virtual
● Community Agency Scavenger Hunt
to receive a C in the course, regardless of total points earned. Alternate assignments are not available.

Exam 1 (75 points) and Exam 2 (75 points each)
The exams will include questions from the weekly readings, assignments, and discussions, including concepts, terms, and theories. A study guide is available for both exams. If you do not know the answer to a test question, look it up! All exam questions can be found in our textbook and course modules. I allow two opportunities to take the same exam; the highest score is automatically recorded. A printed copy of the chapters is helpful (free printing is available at the SLO and NCC libraries)

Standards for written work: Please submit all assignments in Canvas; emailed assignments are not accepted for credit. Technical and Instructor support is available to assist students with Canvas. Points are deducted for misspellings and grammatical errors when errors distract the reader. Please use apostrophes and capital letters, I not i, when appropriate. Cuesta College has Student Success Centers for support and assistance.

Academic Honesty: Plagiarism, cheating, and other violations of ethical student behavior are serious actions in a learning community. Students who abuse the online learning system may receive a zero for the assignment or may be removed from the course, per Cuesta College policy. 

Grades: I strongly encourage students to check their Grades weekly, throughout the semester, to read my grading comments (conversation icon under Grades), and to regularly check for missing work. I typically post points the week following the due date. Student grades are awarded based on total points earned at the semester's conclusion; see Grades for the final course grade (including + and -). Grades are not “bumped up” by the instructor; there are three extra credit opportunities offered to all students.

Drop Policy: Non-participating students and students who are earning less than 60%, at any point in the semester, may be dropped from the course without notice. Check your Canvas email for my note of concern and reply immediately. Students dropped after the census date (see course calendar) will receive a “W” on their transcript.

Canvas Support: There is a Help & Resources link at the bottom of the Canvas navigation column. Select "Chat with Canvas Support -Student" from the pop-out tab. A Canvas technician will analyze the problem in real-time and provide a solution.

Cuesta College Technical Support: Help is available via support@my.cuesta.edu or (805) 592-9824. In the email, include your name, class, section number (CRN), the instructor's name, and describe the problem you are experiencing. 
Walk-in available at the library Monday - Friday before 4:30pm

Online Resources | Cuesta College
Common Glitches: If you are having difficulty viewing the course in Canvas, or you have a partial view, it may be because you are using your phone or a non-optimal browser such as Internet Explorer. I encourage you to access the course from a desktop/laptop, using Firefox or Chrome.

Course Expectations:
● Deadlines: Assignments in this course have clear due dates and firm final deadlines. While I do accept late work, before the final deadline, students are expected to submit their work on time. Of course, life happens, and occasionally work is submitted late. Please communicate with me if circumstances prevent you from submitting work on time.
● Computer literacy: This course is online, and students are expected (and supported) to learn how to navigate our course in Canvas, attach and submit documents, leave a comment in the assignment comment box, and contact the instructor. The instructor is available to support a student’s learning and Cuesta provides additional technical support.
● Preparation: (per Cuesta policy for all lecture classes) Students should expect two hours of independent work done out of class per each hour of lecture. Students in a 3-unit class should expect six hours of independent work each week.
● Problem-Solving: Although our first inclination is often to throw up our hands in despair, and send me a quick email or text, a better choice may be to pause and trust that you can figure it out. Can you search online for the answer? Is the answer on Cuesta's website (cuesta.edu)? Can you ask another student? Can you call Cuesta or Canvas tech support to troubleshoot?

Wellness and Academic Support: Resource links are posted at the top of the Modules page, in the Welcome Module, and in the Student Service HUB! I am very familiar with Cuesta and community resources, personal and professional, please ask!

Course Calendar: We move through the material as a class, following the course calendar. Rather than open a module early for individual students, students may submit assignments late (until the final deadline). Refer to the due dates under the Syllabus tab. I will provide an organized and predictable course and encourage you to stay on track.

Success tip: Designate a day/time each week to complete your CDFS 202 reading, assignments, and quizzes. Please contact me as soon as possible if you fall behind in our course.

Thank you for reading the entire syllabus! You will be more prepared to succeed in CDFS 202!