CALS 183 Communication Methods
CALS 183: Students go to one lecture and one lab per week |
Professor Jonathan Leonard (Wed morning lab instructor) |
Lecture
A Tuesdays 12:30-1:45pm, room 207 Lafayette, code 90346 |
208H Morrill Hall, UVM |
Lab A01 Monday: 2:30-4:30pm, room L308 Lafayette, code 90347 |
656-2979 (Office) |
Lab A02 Wednesday 9:05-11:00am, room L411 Lafayette, code 90348 | 434-3787 (Home before 9:00 pm please) |
Lab A03 Wednesday 2:30-4:30pm, room L302 Lafayette, code 90349 |
jleonard@uvm.edu |
Office
Hours: Tuesdays |
|
Teaching Assistants: | |
Monday Afternoon Lab: | Wednesday Afternoon Lab |
Danielle Bois, dbois@uvm.edu | Lance Jennings, ljenning@uvm.edu |
Chauncey Smith, csmith11@uvm.edu |
Amanda Ochoa, aochoa@uvm.edu |
Speech date and lab roles and lab role responsibilities
Course Description: This course will develop your public speaking skills for presentations at UVM and in your life beyond. You will learn how to give excellent oral presentations that are appropriate for different audiences. While improving your public speaking skills you will conduct research and select appropriate media to make dynamic presentations. During our class you will give and critique many presentations as well as critiquing professional presentations outside of class.
Why is This Course
Important? In today’s complex
and ever changing world, the ability to communicate clearly is more
important than ever. Although communication takes on many forms,
humans communicate mainly through the spoken and written word.
You will have many opportunities to work on improving your
written communication skills during your college years, but few
opportunities exist specifically to help you improve your speaking
skills. Recent graduates of UVM and employers agree that the
ability to speak in public is an essential skill that every college
graduate should possess. In fact, oral communication is a
core competency
for the
General Course Goal: The overall goal of this Communication Methods course is to help you improve your public speaking skills.
Course Objectives: By completing this course you will:
1.
Develop critical thinking skills through reading, reflection,
discussion, oral presentation and writing.
2. Understand, use, and be able to critically analyze widely used
propaganda
techniques.
3. Demonstrate increased
confidence in speaking.
4. Understand different
types of presentations and different audiences, and be able to
appropriately match the two to meet specific speaking objectives.
5. Be able to critique and learn from
another person’s oral presentations.
6. Prepare appropriate
media for presentations.
7. Be able to research, construct and
present a dynamic and effective speech to a group.
8. Understand and utilize small group dynamics and the concept of
teamwork
both from a participant and facilitator standpoint.
9. Demonstrate teamwork and group presentation skills as a
contributing member of a team.
Texts
Lucas, Stephen E., The Art of Public Speaking, Eighth
or Ninth Edition,
Gelb, Michael J., Present Yourself!,
Jalamar Press, Torrance, CA: 1988 ISBN 0-915190-51-6
Speech Recording: Your formal lab presentations will be recorded on VHS video tapes, and/or SDHC-card media with a digital camcorder. You should buy for lab either a blank VHS Cassette tape, or a SCHC card (2-GigaByte minimum) and SDHC High Speed Card Reader (USB 2.0). Having both would give the option of having a backup. The VHS cassettes may be viewed at the Bailey Howe Media Library (downstairs). The SDHC card and reader can load the digital video into a computer's USB port and viewed with the latest version of Windows Media Player or I-Movie.
Attendance Policy: Unexcused absences from lecture or lab result in 1% reduction of your final course grade for each unexcused absence. Attendance will be taken each lecture and lab. This is not a class to cut and get notes from someone else . This is a class where you must come to lecture and lab on time every time and be ready to participate. Athletes are excused only for Varsity Games (and work is expected to be made up within one week). No students have earned an A in this course who have had more than three unexcused absences. If you can not make a class, you must notify your instructor before the class. Notification after the fact (Ex post facto) will result in a zero for that class and assignment. If you miss a speaking assignment without notifying your instructor before the class or if you miss a speaking assignment because you weren’t prepared, you will earn a zero for that assignment. Only extreme legitimate prior-notification absences (death in the family, serious illness, or accident) will be made up. For an excuse to be legitimate you must contact the CALS Deans Office (Rose Laba, 656-0289, rlaba@uvm.edu) and Rose will notify Dr. Leonard. This should be a rare occurrence.
Class
Behavior: Students are expected to have a
positive attitude and to arrive to lecture and lab a few minutes early and be in their seat when class time
begins. Talking on your cell phone during lecture or lab is not permitted. Only one person should be speaking during class at any time.
If you need to leave class early, notify the instructor BEFORE the class begins. You will be asked to leave the class and you will loose at least one percent of
your course grade each time you: 1. continue to talk while the recognized
speaker is talking, 2. fall asleep during class, 3. read the newspaper or do
other assignments not related to our class, 4. leave the class early
without prior permission of the instructor, 5. talk on your cell phone
during class, 6. are late for class. Being late to class, leaving early
without notifying the instructor, hurtful or strong negative criticism of
others, is not appropriate or welcome. Whining or excessive complaining
about this or any other UVM course is not appropriate in class.
You are expected to come to class with a pen and notebook and
to take notes. It is appropriate and acceptable to raise your hand
and ask questions during class. You may eat food and drink water during
class.
Religious Holidays: (University Policy) Students have the right to practice the religion of their choice. Each semester students should submit in writing to their instructors by the end of the second full week of classes their documented religious holiday schedule for the semester. Students have two weeks to complete the assignments missed due to religious holidays. If assignments are not completed within the two week time period, students will earn no credit for the assignments missed.
Oral Assignments: It should be no surprise that students who spend lots of time preparing for their oral presentations do better than students who throw something together at the last moment or, worse yet, just “wing it.” Studying for this class is not passive (like reading a textbook or studying for an exam), instead it is active (practicing your presentations in front of friends and receiving feedback).
Plagiarism : Students are expected to read
the
examples of plagiarism and know when to use quotations and
references in writing.
Academic Honesty Policy:
From
The Cats Tale
Graded Assignments |
% |
1. Class Introduction |
5 |
2. Present Yourself Quiz | 10 |
3.
|
10 |
4. Dramatic Reading | 5 |
5. Informational presentation |
5 |
6. Group current event and/or political analysis presentation |
10 |
7. Persuasive presentation |
10 |
8. Choice presentation (informational, persuasive, entertaining) |
15 |
9. Three speech reflection papers (5% each) |
15 |
10. Critique student presentations/Class Attendance & Participation/Attitude |
5 |
11. Final written exam |
10 |
TOTAL |
100 |
Grading: Students begin with no points (0), and earn points. Students never lose points on an assignment; instead, they earn them.
Assignments in Detail : Download Excel Grading Template Here.
1. Introduce yourself to the large class, (5%). Students’ names will be called randomly throughout the semester to introduce themselves (2 to 3 minutes) to the large lecture class. If your name is called and you are absent, you earn a zero for this assignment. Topics to be covered include:
Name
Family Background
Where you are from
Academic major
Interests/Hobbies
Why you chose UVM
Plans after graduating
Something about yourself no one else in the
room knows
Grading Sheet for your Formal Introduction in Word format is here.
2. Quiz on the book, Present Yourself, (10%) Individual and group quizzes will be averaged. The quiz on the booklet "Present Yourself" scheduled for lecture on Tuesday September 30. Cell phones, I-pods, or any electronics with ear buds or screens are not permitted during exams.
3. Attend and critique a formal speech given outside of class (10%). Submit a four to six page paper. Here are the details. Due no later than Friday 4pm October 31, 2007. Papers handed in after the due date will receive 10% reduction the first week, 20% the second week, and no credit, 0% if any later. Papers need to be edited by a fellow student in your lab. You must hand in the edited first draft with your editor's signature, along with the final draft of your paper.
4. Give a dramatic reading including voices (5%). Pick a favorite story to read in front of your lab. The story should be for adults, not for children. Your dramatic reading should be between 5-10 minutes long and include you adopting the voices of those speaking in the story. Here is the grading sheet.
5. Give an eight to ten
minute informational presentation to an audience of student peers
(5%). You will be given adequate lecture, handout materials
and text assignments to help you prepare for your presentations. Each
presentation will be videotaped, and your cumulative grade will depend
on your speech as well as a 3
(1)
the speech I prepared for
(2) the speech I gave
(3) improvements for next time
The subject of your presentations should be something that you are interested in (indeed, have a passion for!). It should be and “appropriate for your audience.” If in doubt, ask. Here is the checklist for grading your informational presentations. In addition, you need to hand in your notes or an outline of your speech along with the reflection paper. Please hand in your materials in a pocket folder with your name, title, and the date you delivered your presentation prominently displayed on the outside.
6. Be part of a team that gives a group critical analysis presentation of a political or current event (10%) . The world of work that you will be entering consists of teams working together . You will be assigned to a small group during the semester to prepare a 12 - 15 minute critical analysis symposium presentation scheduled for the last two labs of the semester.
Your group needs to select a controversial political or current event topic that everyone in your group is interested in. Find a minimum of two articles (in journals, newspaper, magazines, books, or the web) that take opposite viewpoints and use the Guidelines for a Critical Analysis of an Article to orally critique each article in your presentation. Discuss the conclusions your group can make about your chosen topic as a result of this analysis.
Your grade will be determined by the depth and coherence of critical analysis of each article, the quality of the group presentation, the support and interaction among group members, as well as your personal participation in the group project as rated by your peers. Here is the checklist for group critical analysis presentation grading requirements.
Each team member bears personal responsibility for group participation. If you miss team meetings and fail to participate fully in the group presentation, then you have not met objective number nine for this class and you will be graded accordingly. It is your responsibility to make group meetings and fully participate in the group project.
7. Give an eight to ten minute persuasive presentation (10%). This speech will also be videotaped to use in writing a reflection paper to be handed in the following week. For your reflection paper, use the same three sub-heading format as above. The subject should be something controversial that you feel strong enough about that you want to persuade others to understand and adopt your viewpoint. Here is the checklist for persuasive grading requirements. Remember to hand in your notes or outline with your reflection paper. Please hand in your materials in a pocket folder with your name, title, and the date you delivered your presentation prominently displayed on the outside.
8. Give an eight to ten minute presentation of your choice (informational, persuasive, humorous or entertaining ) (15%). This is your final individual presentation and the culminating speech to demonstrate your competency in public speaking. You may choose to give either an informational, persuasive or entertaining presentation (or a combination) on the subject of your choice. Here is the checklist for grading your choice presentation. Again, after your speech, write a reflection paper based on a review of the videotape and student comments and your personal reflection of the experience. Hand your notes or outline with your reflection paper in a pocket folder with your name, title, and the date you delivered your presentation prominently displayed on the outside, the following week.
9. Write three reflection papers(15%, three @ 5% each). Outlined above, these papers are to show reflection and learning from the three individual speech experiences. The three papers, three to five pages in length, should be written after viewing the videotape of your presentation, reading the student critiques and honestly reflecting on the experience. Use the following three headings to frame your paper, and address the sub headings below in your paper:
a. The speech I prepared for : Why you chose your topic…how your conducted your research…the credibility of your sources, especially web –based sources…the objectives of your speech…how you went about constructing the speech…the amount and type of practice you did…who you practiced in front of, and how many times...the feedback you received…any other preparation.
b. The speech I gave : Give details of how your speech went…comparison of the speech with the one you practiced…what was going on in your head during the speech…what the video tape showed…things you did right…things you did wrong…student critique comments…anything else concerning the actual speech and how it felt to you
c. Improvements for Next Time : Things
you wish you had done differently to give the ideal speech…what would you have done differently in
preparing for and delivering your speech…what
will you do next time to improve…anything
else that you wish you had done and would do in the future.
Hand in your
reflection paper in a POCKET FOLDER with your name, speech title, and
date delivered on the front cover. Inside the folder, in the
pockets should be: 1. Your reflection paper (speech I prepared for,
speech I gave, improvements for next time, with page numbers), 2. First Mind Map
draft, and updated re-drafted Mind Map. 3. Detailed speech outline. 4.
Presentation outline (detailed outline reduced down to minimum in big font.
5. Research materials (articles, photocopies you made, and copies of visual aids
(images, overheads, etc.). 6. Student critiques from those who
watched your presentation.
7. List of Objectives: what you want your audience to
know or do because of your talk, how the audience will be changed by your talk. Your Pocket Folder is due at the beginning of lab the week after you present (if late -10% the
first week, -20% the second week, No credit afterwards).
10. Critique student presentations, class participation, attendance & attitude (5%) Being a critical listener and being able to give constructive feedback is an important communication skill and will help you develop as a speaker as well. You will have the opportunity to give written and oral feedback to your fellow students. Signed written critiques will be given to the student presenter for feedback. Your grade will reflect how well you critically analyze and give helpful feedback (both positive and negative) to your colleagues.
Unexcused absences from lecture or lab result in 1% reduction of your final course grade. Attendance will be taken each lecture and lab. Students will also be graded on their overall participation and attitude toward the class. Those showing enthusiasm for learning and helping their fellow students to learn will receive a high score, while those who argue each grade, refuse to participate, regularly come to class late and/or seem disinterested in the class will fare poorly.
11. Final written exam (10%). This will cover all readings, labs, lectures, and any guest speakers. Cell phones, I-pods, or any electronics with ear buds or screens are not permitted during exams. To do well, you must come to class, take notes, do all the readings and study. The final exam is scheduled for Tuesday December 16 Lafayette L207, time 8:00 AM.
Dress. For the dramatic reading, informational, persuasive, choice, and group presentations you will be graded on your dress. Your clothing should be clean, neat, and conservative. Slacks, skirts, ties, dress shirts, sweaters, and dress shoes are appropriate. Inappropriate dress includes jeans, T-shirts, baseball caps, or clothing that is stained, ripped, torn, or with holes. Belly buttons and underwear should not be visible. You should not have bare feet. Your hair should be pulled back so it does not hang in your face. No hats, unless your speech requires you to dress in a costume of the speech topic.
Fall 2008 CALS 183 Schedule
Week Starting |
Lecture Topic Outline |
Lab Topic Outline
|
Reading Assignment Due |
Sept 1 | Welcome to the class. Attendance speeches. Go over course structure, syllabus, materials, grading. The "must-knows" of public speaking. Right posture, poise, voice. Go over Informational speech grading sheet. & examples informational speeches (Elephant Seals, Tsunamis). |
No labs this week.
|
|
Sept
8 |
Attendance
speeches. Example of
Dramatic Reading. Go over
Dramatic reading and
formal
introduction grading
sheets. Examples of informational speeches (Duck Calls, Chinese Calendar,
Racism). Go over
the informational
speech grading sheet. |
Meet your lab! Introduce each other. Go over lab schedule and
speech
date assignments, correct lab roster. Role Assignments. Prepare
for Dramatic
Reading, go over grading sheet. Speaking Posture exercise.
Um Game. |
Read
the Syllabus CAREFULLY! |
Sept
15 |
Attendance speeches. Informational speech presentation. Example of a good student informational speech. Introduction Checklist, Conclusion Checklist. Informational speech grading sheet. |
Dramatic Readings. |
The
Art
of Public Speaking: Chpts. 8-14 |
Sept
22 |
Attendance speeches. Examples of Informational speeches. Stylistic Language Devices. The best speech of the 20th Century. Formal Introductions. |
Dramatic Readings. |
|
Sept 29 |
Present Yourself Quiz. Formal Introductions. |
Dramatic Readings / Informational
Presentations |
Present
Yourself: Chpts. 7-10 |
Oct 6 |
Hand Back Quiz and MLK analyses. Group Critical Analysis introduction. Formal Introductions |
Informational Presentations |
The Art of Public Speaking:
Chpts. 15, 16 |
Oct 13 | Group Critical Analysis work, group rating sheet. Persuasive speech PowerPoint, & review grading sheet. Formal Introductions. | Informational Presentations /
Group Presentations |
The Art
of Public Speaking: Chpt. 18 |
Oct
20 |
Attendance
speeches. Persuasive presentations grading sheet,
example of Persuasive presentation.
Beck Weathers PART 1 Introductions. |
Group Critical Analysis
Presentations |
|
Oct 27 |
Attendance speeches. Formal Introductions. Beck Weathers PART 2 |
Group Presentations / Persuasive Presentations Outside speech critique and edited draft due 4pm Friday of this week. |
|
Nov 3 | Attendance speeches.
Introductions. |
Persuasive Presentations |
|
Nov 10 |
Attendance speeches. Introductions. |
Finish Persuasive Presentations / Choice Presentations |
|
Nov 17 |
Attendance speeches. View Final Exam Study Guide. Formal Introductions. |
Choice Presentations, |
|
Nov
24 |
Thanksgiving
break, no lectures, no labs this week. |
No labs this week. |
|
Dec 1 |
Finish Formal Introductions. The Speak-Off instructions! Interviewing. |
Finish
Choice
Presentations |
|
Dec 8 |
Attendance speeches. Class Evaluations. Speak-Off. |
Labs complete any unfinished business |
|
Dec 15 |
Final
exam
Tuesday December 16 Lafayette L207, time 9:00 AM. |