Communication 1
PUBLIC SPEAKING
Spring 2014

Instructor: Anna Martinez, M.A.
Office #: Soc 38 (southeast side of campus)
Office hours: Tuesday 11-12, Wednesday 10-11, Thursday 11-12, Friday 10-12
Phone #: 638-3641 ext. 3680    Email: anna.martinez@reedleycollege.edu
Note: I plan to respond to your emailed questions within 48 hours.  
Class web address: http://blackboard.reedleycollege.edu – find the Comm 1 class listing and click it.
Required Textbook 
O’Hair, Dan, Hannah Rubenstein, & Rob Stewart.  A Pocket Guide to Public Speaking.  4th ed.  Boston:
Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2013. 
Purchase the text as soon as possible, or you will fall behind in class rapidly.  There is a copy on reserve in the Reedley College library. 
Course Advisory
It is highly recommended that you be eligible to take English 1A (already completed English 125) at the time you take this course.  This course involves research and organization skills that may be a challenge for you if you are not eligible for this English level.                                                 
Course Outcomes, Description, 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 the accompanying Assignment Detail Packet.  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.
Assignments
(For more details on these assignments, see accompanying Assignment Details packet.  For due dates, see attached Proposed Schedule.)	
Speeches
Speech #1	Any Ol’ Bag Introduction speech	0 points
Speech #2	How-to speech			100 points
Speech #3	Informative “Noun” speech		200 points
Speech #4	Persuasive speech			260 points
Speech total	560
Quizzes
The procedure for quiz-taking will be as follows: 1) Each student will take a brief quiz (10 questions) which will be turned in to me, then 2) in groups of 4-5 students, a second quiz will be taken (15 questions – the same 10 from the individual quiz plus 5 more) and the group decides which are the “correct” answers, then 3) group members then complete and sign a single answer sheet.  A student’s score is the total of the correct answers on her/his individual quiz plus the total number of correct answers on the group sheet.  Due to this system, there can be NO make-ups of the group part of quizzes – please be on time on quiz day in order to have a chance at the total number of points.   

Quiz #1	Parts 1-5 lecture/discussion/handout material				50
Quiz #2	Parts 6-9 plus lecture/discussion/handout material				50
Quiz #3	Parts 12-13, 15, 20-21 plus lecture/discussion/handout material		50
Quiz #4	Parts 10-11, 14, 23 plus lecture/discussion/handout material		50
Quiz #5	Parts 16-19 plus lecture/discussion/handout material			50
Quiz #6	Part 24 plus lecture/discussion/handout material				50	
Quiz total 300 
Papers
Self-analysis
	Each student will turn in a 2-3 page typed essay analysis of her/his experience of doing the first formal speech in front of the class.  This analysis will be due soon after we complete the how-to speeches.  In this report, you should discuss your experience (feelings, problems, successes, unexpected occurrences) of preparing and presenting the speech to the class.  The paper should be as thorough as possible, highlighting your: feelings about the speech (positive and negative), unexpected problems or joys, your process in preparing and researching the speech, and anything else relevant to the situation.  Rather than simply telling me what you did, explain to me how you felt about it all.  Evaluate yourself using the criteria I use to grade you; tell me what grade you’d give yourself and why.
 								Self-analysis total 40
Outside speech analysis (OSA)					
	Each student is asked to attend a speaking situation outside of the classroom during the semester and turn in a 2-3 page typed analysis of the experience.  This paper will be due toward the end of the semester.  You will receive some suggestions on speaking situations in class, but it is your responsibility to find one that fits your schedule.  There are three prohibitions – no student or teacher classroom speeches or lectures, no speeches given over radio/internet/ television, and no speech in which the primary purpose is to entertain.  In the paper, don’t simply tell me what the speaker said, you should critique the speaker – how did the person do in his/her speech?  What grade would you give him/her, and why?  
							Outside speech analysis total 50
  Participation
Throughout the semester, you will be involved.  This is not a class in which you will sit idle and absorb information.  You will be DOING.  On any given day, you can expect to do one or more of the following: give written and/or verbal critiques of your classmates’ speeches, engage in warm-up exercises for your body and/or voice, play a speech game, work in a group for analysis or presentation, give an impromptu individual speech, analyze a speech, etc.  These are all mandatory parts of the class.  Unlike other classes you may take at the college level, this class has a hard time functioning unless all students are present to give suggestions, offer praise, and get help/advice from other classmates throughout the semester.  You are expected to attend class and be on time in order to reap these benefits yourself as well as provide help to your peers.  Missing classes (regardless of reason, even when others are speaking), arriving late, leaving early, sleeping, texting…WILL hurt this section of your grade.  Some leniency in points may be granted up to the point at which you miss four class periods.  Then, you could lose as many as 5 points per class period for not being present to participate or engaging in non-participatory behavior.
Participation total 50
									GRAND TOTAL 1000
Additional points					
You will be given the opportunity to do ONE additional point assignment for your grade.  At least four assignment options will be given to you, and you may choose any one of them.  The assignments will be due toward the end of the semester.  I would advise that you do one even if you don’t think you’ll need it because I will not be offering any additional last-minute assignments later or extended due dates in this area.  Additional points are privileges given to students by instructors, not rights.  If you do not attempt all three of the graded speeches, you will not be able to do an additional points assignment.    
(Optional – Max. total of 50)
Grade Distribution 
Final grades will be based on the following scale:

900 & above=A, 899-800=B, 799-700=C, 699-600=D, 599 & below=F.

I will post frequent grade updates on Blackboard so you can ALWAYS check your current grade in the class.  To log in, go to http://blackboard.reedleycollege.edu and use your college ID# as your username.  Your password is likely your college ID# as well unless you’ve changed it in another class. 

Late Assignments
	MY LATE ASSIGNMENT POLICY IS A STRICT ONE!  I do not waste valuable time dealing with reasons or excuses for late work.  Good news: I will accept late work.  Bad news: Regardless of reason, late work will be given a penalty.  In other words: even if you are sick, on a college-sponsored trip, or dealing with hard times at work or home, you WILL receive a penalty if any of your work is late.  Specifically:
•	Written assignments (outside speech analysis or self-analysis) -- late ones will be lowered one full letter grade (10%).  
•	Quizzes -- miss these and you lose your opportunity to participate in the group portion of the quiz.  You can still make up a different format of the quiz, but your score may be significantly lower than if you had taken it with the class (since you will not reap the benefit of group help).   
•	Participation – if you miss, come late, leave early, text/sleep/chat in class, etc. on ANY day, you risk losing these points.  These cannot be made up.  Leniency will be granted up to the equivalent of about 4 class periods, but after that, you will see your points dwindle with subsequent violations.
•	Speeches -- here’s the big one: If you do not do your speech on the day it is due, you will receive a 20% grade dock on the speech!  This is a huge penalty and could make or break your grade in this class.  Due to the nature of the class, I MUST enforce this or it will put everyone behind.  You must not waste my or any of your classmates’ valuable time with lateness on these speeches.  Period. 
Additionally, be aware that there is a time limit with which to turn in any late work.  There will be a TWO-WEEK GRACE PERIOD to make up any quizzes, do any speech, or turn in any papers.  It is during this grace period that the point docks will occur.  After this grace period is over, it will be too late; and you will receive a zero (0) on that assignment.    
	I do not search you out for make-ups if you miss an assignment.  It is your responsibility to approach me and schedule an appointment.
Drop Policy
If you miss the second day of class without notifying me in advance that you will be gone, I will drop you and add someone from the wait list.
If you miss 4 or more class periods (consecutive days or otherwise, regardless of reason) in the first nine-weeks, I reserve the right to drop you from the course.
Advice
The college’s policies regarding student conduct in classes, including cheating and plagiarism, are located in the college catalogue and the schedule of courses.  You should be aware of these policies and abide by them.  Be aware that I may run your speech/outlines/ papers through anti-plagiarism software (e.g. Turnitin.com, SafeAssign, Google) if I suspect plagiarism.  If plagiarism is detected, I may also go back to re-evaluate work you have previously submitted for the course.  
Students with disabilities are reminded that it is your responsibility to identify yourself to the Reedley College Disabled Students Services and to your instructor(s) so reasonable accommodation for learning and evaluation within the course can be made.

Extra help 
Please feel free to visit our new Communication Lab in Soc 37 for help on any of your assignments.  You can work with any lab assistant/tutor/instructor who happens to be in at the time as he/she will be familiar with my assignments and can give you great advice!  Additionally, you can make use of the Tutorial Center located in the library and/or the Writing Center (located in Hum 59).  Names of specific outstanding tutors you can contact will be given in class.
The Blackboard site will include lots of help for you throughout the semester.  Not only will you be able to check your grades anytime, but you will also find:
•	the course syllabus
•	copies of handouts (in case you lose one or need an extra copy of anything)
•	example assignments (from real students in past classes)
•	speech topic suggestions
•	quiz reviews
•	links to helpful research sites
•	…and much more!
Please use this site – it is there for YOU.  If you do not have Internet access, please make use of the computer labs on campus as I will not always have extra copies of handouts, etc. in class.  Using Blackboard for this class will make your Public Speaking class experience MUCH easier!  Again, to log in, go to http://blackboard.reedleycollege.edu and use your college ID# as your username.  Your password is likely your college ID# as well unless you’ve changed it in another class.
A Note on My Teaching Style
I cannot and will not re-teach a class you miss. A student who misses a class must assume total responsibility of informing him/herself of class notes, announcements, and assignments.  It is also your responsibility to monitor your progress in this class.  I do not search out students to inform them of their grades—I expect that they are watching Blackboard or keeping track of it themselves.  It is a good idea to keep all graded assignments that I pass back to you as proof of your status, at least until you receive your final grade at the end of the semester (that’s good advice for all of your classes).

Let’s become better speakers!   

PROPOSED SCHEDULE – Comm 1 #52434, MW 12:30 – Spring 2014

You are expected to have the read/scanned the unit (Part) in the text before we analyze it in class.

Date		ACTIVITY				     	     		ASSIGNMENTS DUE

M	1-13	Course introduction, icebreakers, Part 1
W	1-15	Syllabus quiz & Part 2						Must have syllabus read
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
M	1-20	HOLIDAY – NO CLASSES HELD  	
W	1-22	Part 3-4
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
M	1-27	Part 5 & Quiz 1	
W	1-29	Any Ol’ Bag speeches
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
M	2-3	Any Ol’ Bag speeches & How-to speech signups
W	2-5	Part 6, 7, 8
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
M	2-10	Part 9 & Quiz 2							How-to topics DUE
W	2-12	Part 12, 13, 15
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
M	2-17	HOLIDAY – NO CLASSES HELD      		
W	2-19	How-to speeches						Speech outline DUE ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
M	2-24	How-to speeches						Speech outline DUE
W	2-26	How-to speeches						Speech outline DUE
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
M	3-3	How-to speeches						Speech outline DUE
W	3-5	Part 20 & Info speech signups					Self-analysis paper DUE
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
M	3-10	Part 21 & Quiz 3
W	3-12	Part 23		    	 (Last day to drop Fri 3-14)	
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
M	3-17	Part 10-11							Info topics DUE
W	3-19	Part 14 & Quiz 4
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
M	3-24	Informative “noun” speeches					Speech outline DUE
W	3-26	Informative “noun” speeches					Speech outline DUE	
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
M	3-31	Informative “noun” speeches					Speech outline DUE
W	4-2	Informative “noun” speeches					Speech outline DUE	
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
M	4-7	Part 16 & Persuasion speech signups
W	4-9	Part 17, 18, 19  
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
M 	4-14	HOLIDAY – NO CLASSES HELD 
W	4-16	HOLIDAY – NO CLASSES HELD	
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
M	4-21	Quiz 5 & Persuasion handouts									
W	4-23	Persuasion handouts						OSA paper DUE
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
M	4-28	Part 24								Persuasive topics DUE
W	4-30	Part 24			
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
M	5-5	Persuasion speeches						Speech outline DUE
W	5-7	Persuasion speeches 						Speech outline DUE ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
M	5-12	Persuasion speeches						Speech outline DUE
W	5-14	Persuasion speeches 					Speech outline & Additional points DUE ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
* M 	5-19	12:00-1:50	Quiz #6 				
* We only meet one day during finals week.