Oral and Written Communications Mass Communications Academy COURSE NUMBER

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1 Oral and Written Communications Mass Communications Academy COURSE NUMBER Carnegie Units (#):.5 Semester/Year: Fall/Spring Instructor: Gerard A. Holmes Class Location: Room 2114 Tutorial Day and Time: Thursdays 3:45-4:45 p.m. Telephone: Course Description: This course focuses on developing public speaking skills. The students will identify effective methods to arrange ideas and information in written form and then convert the written form into an effective oral delivery. The course focuses on critically thinking, organizing ideas, researching counter viewpoints, and communicating appropriately for different audiences and purposes. The students analyze professional speeches to enhance their knowledge of solid speech writing. In today s society, it is necessary for educated people to be able to present and discuss information with individuals and groups of people. According to a survey conducted in 2006 by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, communication skills, both written and verbal, ranked as the most important personal quality that employers seek in an employee. The ability to present logically and clearly one s ideas is integral to success in almost any area of life. Oral & Written Communications is a course designed to round out the triad of Critical Thinking and Effective Writing. The purpose of the Oral Communication component is to hone the speaking and presentation skills of each student. By the end of the course, students should be capable of delivering an effective speech related to a specific topic, issue, or question from an academic discipline including subjects related to the Core curriculum and the student s major field of study. Course Objectives: This course will focus on the basic and necessary skills fundamental to oral and written communication. To complete such an end, this class is designed as a dialogue and lecture laboratory. From the first day of the class, students are expected to begin their journey into better communication skills in an effort to reach the following goals. Student will be able to: State clearly and effectively the thesis of a presentation. Clearly and logically present their ideas. Accurately show knowledge of content. Display awareness of implications drawn from the information presented. Be proficient in concluding the presentation in an appropriate manner. Present oneself in a poised manner that displays credibility and professionalism. Listen and evaluate the content and delivery of speeches with perception and composure. Course Assignments: The course assignments are listed below. Extemporaneous Speeches: 1. Speeches to Introduce 2. Literary Excerpts 3. Ceremonial Speech 4. Speeches to Entertain 5. Speech to Demonstrate 6. Speech to Inform 7. Speeches to Persuade Outlines of Demonstrative, Informative, and two Persuasive speeches

2 Reflection Paper Reading of assigned text Peer evaluation of speeches Journaling exercises Course Expectations: 1. Attendance: Attendance is required. Due to the nature of this class, attendance is of the utmost importance. To deliver a speech successfully, there must be both a speaker and a listener. Your presence in class will assist you and your classmates to develop and improve listening skills through audience feedback. Therefore, it is imperative that students are vigilant about attending class. This being said, absences can happen for unavoidable reasons. Therefore, a total of three free exceptions will be made. Beyond the aforementioned three absences, refer to the consequences in the student handbook. In cases of absence, the absent student will be solely responsible for missed information and assignments. Coming to class late or leaving early will be counted as an absence for the entire class period, unless previously discussed with the instructor. 2. Required Texts: The Art of Public Speaking, Lucas (provided by the school); and Projects in Speech Communication 3. Classroom Participation: Students are expected to come to classes prepared by having read the assigned text and being able to answer questions and discuss the material contained in the assigned readings. Each student is required to give an evaluation of each speech given, noting strengths and weaknesses of each presentation. Participation includes, but is not limited to, paying attention to both the instructor and fellow classmates, coming to class on time, and voluntarily answering questions. It is expected that all students will refrain from disruptive behavior during other students presentations and from talking to fellow classmates during class. Active participation is extremely important, and each student s grade is heavily influenced by his/her participation or lack thereof. 4. Appearance: Presentable dress is necessary for making a good first impression. This principle also applies to public speaking. Clean, neat attire is required for all public speaking opportunities. Two points will be deducted for each of the following items: hoody sweatshirts, sweatpants, hats, t-shirts, or shorts. Jeans are not allowed at any time in class. Professional dress is expected for all formal speeches/presentations. 5. Behavior: All students are expected to abide by all Atlanta Public Schools expectations of behavior, in addition to those specifically outlined in the Benjamin E. Mays High School Handbook. Violators of these expectations of behavior and/or classroom policies will be disciplined according to Board and School policy. Course Evaluation: a. Daily Assignments (Including Attendance & Participation) 30% Points will be deducted from your total participation score for each absence (See stipulations under Attendance). b. Speeches (various types) 25% c. Quizzes 10% d. Writing (Outlines for Speeches, Daily Warm-ups, etc.) 10% e. Exams 25% Total: 100% ACTIVITIES AND ASSESSMENTS, EVALUATION PROCEDURES, AND GRADING CULUMALTIVE WRITING FOLDERS Each student will keep his/her writing products in a writing folder that will remain in the classroom. This folder will be used to help the teacher and the students monitor their progress as writers. The writings in the folder will be used often as material for revision and editing practice. The students are encouraged to insert writings from other classes or outside of school into the folder. THE CITIZEN S JOURNAL (notebook) Each student will maintain a Citizen s Journal. In this journal, students will respond thoughtfully to news items, current issues, readings, graphic displays of data, photographs, editorial cartoons, and advertisements introduced in class by the teacher.

3 MINI-LESSONS Mini-lessons are brief discussions and exercises focusing on revision and editing issues and problems that become apparent during a particular writing assignment or activity. Students are expected to implement the guidelines and strategies demonstrated in the minilessons in all of their subsequent writing assignments. THE SOCRATIC SEMINAR Literature and rhetoric clusters can and often times will operate using the Socratic Seminar, a discussion method that depends upon participation by each student. Each member of the class is expected to arrive for the seminar prepared prepared to speak and listen, prepared to be involved actively in the discussion by offering commentary, questions and taking notes. PERIODICALS & NEWSPAPER AND ONLINE SITES FOR STUDY Newsweek, Time, Harper s, The Atlantic, The New Yorker, USA Today, MSNBC.COM, U.S. News and World Report CCC (Contemporary Cultural Connections) Documentation and summary of news articles from print or online media that connects to the work s thematic, cultural and societal implications CritSum (Summary of a Critical Essay) Documentation and summary of a critical essay from a reputable literary journal or collection of critical readings Evaluation Procedures Evaluation: Writing Assignments (to include approximately two formal essays per month) Book Tests, Quizzes, and Special Assignments (Some assignments will be completed online.) Research Projects/Presentations (Online research will be mandatory.) Daily journals and class work, class participation and discussion, oral responses, class demonstrations and presentations, home learning, and teacher observations Mid-semester and final exams Attendance in class (mandatory for success in the class) Teacher/Parent Communication: Parent Conferences-held every Wed. 3:45-4:45p.m. (Contact the counselor) Schedule conference with teacher through the counselor Via at [email protected] Teacher will contact the parent periodically or if necessary.

4 Class Rules 1. Be in your assigned seat when the bell rings. 2. Stay in your seat unless you have permission to do otherwise. 3. Raise your hand and wait for permission to speak. 4. Keep your hands, feet, and objects to yourself. 5. Use your best manners! Rewards Good behavior reaps good rewards! You may look forward to verbal praise, teacher notes, good class participation grades, positive calls home to your parent, and other great surprises in return for cooperative behavior! Choose your words carefully, just in case you have to eat them. Consequences Each time a rule is broken, the following consequences shall occur. Offenses of each rule accumulate to the end of each nine-week period. 1 st offense - warning and conference with teacher 2 nd offense - parent contact and detention 3 rd offense - parent, student, teacher conference and detention 4 th offense - disciplinary referral ACADEMIC POLICIES/CLASSROOM PROCEDURES Restroom Passes:. The student should use the restroom during his or her breaks as class time is valuable to us all! (Note: Individual medical problems requiring alternate procedures may be discussed with the instructor.) Late Work: Class work and homework assignments are not accepted late. Major assignments may be submitted up to THREE DAYS (not class periods) late with a penalty of -25 points per school day. * Some assignments (e.g. independent reading assignments) may be accepted over several days. If they are not submitted in by the deadline, they will not be accepted even if the student has an excused absence on that date. Make-Up Work: When a student is not in class for a legitimate/excused absence, it is the student s responsibility to schedule make-up time with the teacher for missed quizzes and tests, obtain all assignments and handouts for the missed class, and copy missed class work such as notes, vocabulary, etc. Students must make-up all assignments within three days (not class periods) of the excused absence. Honor Code: Any student caught cheating will be given a zero for the assignment or evaluation in question. Plagiarism is considered cheating, and plagiarizing will result in a zero for the assignment. Plagiarism is defined as the use of another s words or ideas and the presentation of them as though they are entirely one s own. Acts of plagiarism include but are not limited to using words or ideas from a published source without proper documentation; using the work of another student (e.g., copying another student s homework, composition or project); using excessive editing suggestions of another student, teacher, parent, or paid editor.

5 Tentative Course Outline Week 1: Introduction Introductions o To instructor o To class o Syllabus review o Extemporaneous speech Homework assignment What is the correlation between public speaking and success in life? o Typed, double-spaced o Bullet points or paragraphs Week # Major assignments (i.e. research papers, projects, portfolios) Due Date Readings for class Additional assignments, etc. Week 1 Course Syllabus Review Readings: Chapter 1 of The Art of Public Speaking Speaking in Public Introduction to teacher, to class Impromptu Speech Week 2 Speech Preparation Speech Preparation Week 3 Week 4 Writing Positions- Persuasive/Argumentative Writing Week 5 Five Week Assessment Week 6 Writing Positions- Persuasive/Argumentative Writing Writing/Timed Speech Week 7 Writing Positions- Persuasive/ Writing/Timed Speech Argumentative Writing

6 Presenting the Speech Chapter 4 of The Art of Public Speaking Week 8 Presenting the Speech Chapter 4 of The Art of Public Speaking Week 9 Week 10 Varieties of Public Speaking Chapter 5 of The Art of Public Speaking Writing a Literary Analysis Write Source Week 11 Writing a Literary Analysis Write Source Week 12 Writing a Literary Analysis Write Source Week 13 Reflective Writing Write Source Week 14 Reflective Writing Write Source Week 15 Reflective Writing Write Source Week 16 Final Speeches/Project Week 17 Final Exam Week 18