Reedley College
Communication 1 – Public Speaking – Spring 2014
(52437) MW 8-9:15 SOC36

INSTRUCTOR: Jennifer Graber-Peters		Office hours: in Comm Lab by appointment
Phone: 559-859-6455 (text preferred)		Email address: rcspeechone@yahoo.com
									jenny.graber-peters@reedleycollege.edu

Last Day to Drop w/Refund: January 24		Last day to drop w/o a W: January 31
Final drop date: March 14

TEXT:

O’Hair, D., Rubenstein, H. & Stewart, R.  (2012). A Pocket Guide to Public Speaking. 4th Edition.  

ISBN: 978-1-4576-0184-2 

COURSE ADVISORY:

It is recommended that you are eligible to take English 1A (already completed English 125) at the time you take this course. This course involves research and organization skills which may be a challenge for you if you are not eligible for this English level.

COURSE OUTCOMES, DESCRIPTION AND RATIONALE:

The primary objective of this course is to help you to improve and expand your communication skills.  To accomplish this objective, you will gain new knowledge about human communication and be given the opportunity to apply this knowledge in a series of in-class presentations.  These presentations will vary in type and length and are described in detail in this syllabus. This course is oriented toward practical experiences based on sound communication theory and is built on the assumption that students need to develop confidence in their abilities as public communicators.  Confidence is developed through a combination of a) understanding the theoretical material presented in the textbook and class lectures, and b) applying this understanding to the in-class speaking assignments and eventually to your professional careers.  In addition to the specific course objectives listed here, more detailed learning objectives will be provided for each assignment. 

Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

•	Construct and deliver dynamic and competent presentations that are adapted to the purpose and audience.
•	Utilize research materials that incorporate sufficient, credible, and relevant evidence.
•	Choose appropriate organizational patterns.
•	Analyze the effectiveness of communication through constructive critique.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

It is your responsibility to check Blackboard for instructor absences, announcements, schedule changes, grades, etc. To log in, go to http://blackboard.reedleycollege.edu and use your college ID# as your username. If this is your first time, your password is also your college ID#. If you have used BB before, be sure to update your Blackboard account and check to see that your email address is correct. Many phones now allow you to link to blackboard and/or receive email. You may want to consider this option. 

Attendance: is required. Attendance is crucial in a communication course. Not only does attendance count toward your participation grade, but it shows respect for the speaker and regular attendance has been shown to increase overall course grades. Excused absences are allowed for illness or documented, unavoidable circumstances only. Absences for any other reason may be discussed prior to class. It is your responsibility to notify me by phone or email if you will be absent and to make arrangements to get notes and/or turn in the days assignments. A grade of “0” will be assigned if you miss a speech without an acceptable excuse. Work related excuses are not acceptable. 

More than a week of unexcused absences will result in a reduction of 2 participation points for each additional absence. Since we only meet once a week, that means if you miss one class without an acceptable excuse, you will lose participation points for each additional tardy or absence. You will also forfeit your right to complete extra credit. Any student who misses more than 3 classes before the final drop date will be dropped from the course.

DO NOT BE LATE. Excessive tardiness will result in a reduction of participation points from your final grade. If you are late on a speech day, please wait outside until the speaker has finished. Failure to do so will result in a reduction of points from your speech that day.

Participation: In addition to attending class, you are expected to actively participate in all classroom activities and group discussions. Class participation is essential in a course of this nature where we work in groups, pairs, etc. You are expected to listen to both the instructor and your fellow classmates. You will also be asked to give peer evaluations on speech days; both oral and written.

Therefore, plan on arriving to class on time and remaining until class is dismissed. If you arrive late or leave early, you will have participation points deducted for the day. If you arrive late or leave early on a day an assignment is due, you will have 25% deducted from your grade for that assignment. 

Disruptive and rude behavior will not be tolerated. Please turn off all phones for the class period. Anyone seen texting in class will be asked to leave for the day. This also applies to homework, laptops, and any other devices or materials you may have with you. When you are in the classroom, you are here to learn. When someone is speaking, your desk must be cleared of all other materials.

Computer Access: Since you will be spending considerable time researching and collecting sound evidence, you must have access to a computer (either in the RC library or at home). You should also have a basic knowledge of Word and Power Point.

Blackboard: You must have a basic knowledge of BB in order to complete assignments, check your grades and communicate with both your instructor and fellow students. You will also be able to find the course syllabus, course documents, student examples of assignments, a place to ask questions and more.
It would be wise to become familiar with Blackboard early on in this class. 

Communication Lab: Check out our Communication Lab in Soc 37 (right next door) for help with all of your assignments.  Lab hours will be posted on the door. Be sure to take all your course materials with you and sign in when you arrive. You may also want to check out the Tutorial Center in the library and/or the Writing Center in Hum 59.  

COURSE POLICIES:

Cheating and Plagiarism: Cheating and Plagiarism will not be tolerated in this class. Any act of cheating or plagiarism, whether large or small, will be treated the same. Students who are caught cheating or plagiarizing will receive an “F” on the assignment in question, will be reported to the proper authorities, and will be required to drop the class. 

Changes to the Syllabus: The instructor reserves the right to make changes to the syllabus throughout the course of the semester. Any changes made to the course syllabus will be done in the best interest of the students. Changes may be announced verbally or online. It is your responsibility to make sure you are informed about any changes that occur. 

Students with Disabilities: If you have a verified need for an academic accommodation or materials in alternate media (Braille, large print, electronic text, etc.) per the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, please contact me as soon as possible. 

COURSE ASSIGNMENTS:

Interactive Notebooks: You will create a personal textbook for this class. You will keep daily, organized notes as well as collect and process information in meaningful ways. You MUST have your notebook with you EVERDAY in class. Notebooks will be collected five times during the semester for grading. These will not be unannounced which means you must keep your notebook up to date for every class. More details will be handed out in class.

Fakebook: You will introduce yourself to the class in a fun way. This will have an Interactive Notebook portion as well as an Oral component. Further details will be given in class.	

Readings: You will be responsible for all of the readings assigned form the text. Weekly reading assignments are posted on the class schedule and should be read before class.

Quizzes: There are no exams! You will take true/false, multiple choice, short answer quizzes. Each quiz will cover information from the readings and lectures and will focus on two or three previous lessons. Quizzes will be given at the beginning of class. YOU MUST BE IN CLASS ON TIME IN ORDER TO TAKE THE QUIZ.  No make-ups will be granted for any reason. If you miss a quiz you may complete an extra credit assignment.
	
Speeches: As with anything, “Practice may help you make perfect!” Therefore you will be given several opportunities to master your skills at public speaking (both graded and non-graded assignments). We will start small and build in length, quality, etc. as the semester progresses. There will be 4 minor and 4 major speeches. The minor speeches will include a toast, accepting an award, a eulogy, and a persuasive impromptu. Minor speeches will be 1 minute in length. Minor speeches may be graded by your peers. Further details will be given in class. The major speeches will consist of a “celebration of culture,” storytelling, an informative “How To,” and a persuasive speech. Major speeches will be 2-8 minutes long. A grade of “0” will be assigned if you miss a scheduled speech day. There are no make-ups for speeches without an excused absence. If you miss a major speech and believe your absence warrants being excused, you must email me with the details within one class period of the absence. I will make a determination and respond by email. Make-ups for excused speeches will be on the Make-Up day and are contingent upon available time.

Abstracts/Outlines: You are required to turn in an abstract and outline for each major speech. Briefly, an abstract is a summary of your research materials. Abstracts and outlines MUST be submitted on their due date. Further details will be given in class. Do not come to class with your disk/flash drive saying you were unable to print the file. Plan ahead and be responsible for your work. All work turned in face to face, must be typed.

Reflection papers: After each Major Speech you will spend some time reflecting on both the content and delivery of your performance. Then in your Interactive Notebook you will attach a 1-2 page self-evaluation discussing what you did well, what you could improve upon, and how you can make improvements. Further details will be given in class.

FINAL IMPROMPTU:  Your final exam will be an impromptu speech. It will be cumulative in the sense that you will utilize all of the skills you have learned during the semester. Further details will be given in class.

Extra Credit: There are several extra credit assignments listed in groups (by due date) on the syllabus. You may complete one from each group. This is your opportunity to make up any missed work. Further details will be discussed in class. Remember, extra credit means “extra effort, extra work, and extra care.” Late assignments will not be accepted for any reason. Additionally, if you have more than a week of unexcused absences, you will not be eligible for extra credit.

GRADES:
All grades will be posted on Blackboard		
Quizzes (30 pts. Each)				150 points			A = 900-above
Interactive Notebook (5 - 50 points each)		250 points			B = 800-899
Major Speeches									C = 700-799
	(Storytelling = 40 pts) 								D = 600-699
	(Celebration of Culture = 50 pts)						F = 599-below	
	(How To = 100 pts)								
	(Persuasive = 150 pts)			340 points					
Abstracts						
	(10 pts each)					40 points
Reflection Papers (10 points each)			40 points
Minor Speeches					
	(5 pts each)					20 points
Participation (attendance/peer evals)			50 points
Fakebook (10 written/10 oral)				20 points
Final Impromptu					90 points

							Total points = 1,000

Let’s make this a positive and fun experience.

This means NO PUT-DOWNS or PERSONALITY ATTACKS. Honest disagreements are welcomed – challenge an idea, but never a person. Profane, obscene, or derogatory language is not acceptable.

Keep an open mind, relax, and make some new friends!

Things to live by in Public Speaking
PREPARATION, THOUGHT, CREATIVITY, AND ENTHUSIASM!!!