The
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
036:103 Directing Forensic Activities
Section 001—Fall 2001
Instructor: Amy N. Aldridge, M. Ed. (Please call me Amy)
Office Phone: 319.353.2256 (Please call only during my office hours)
Home Phone: 319.338.7807
Office: 120 Becker Communication Studies Building
Mailbox: Across from Carol Schrage’s office (111 Becker)
E-mail: amy-aldridge@uiowa.edu
Office Hours: Mondays 11:30-12:20, 1:30-3:20; Tuesdays 12:15-1; Wednesdays 11:30-12:20; Thursdays 12:15-1 and other times by appointment
Course Location: 201 BCSB
Course Meeting Time: 6-9 p.m. Mondays
Faculty Adviser: Dr. Doug Trank, 174 EPB, 319.335.3786
Department Information: Dr. Randy Hirokawa, DEO
Communication Studies
BCSB 117
319.353.2255
Course Descriptions
and Objectives:
This is a course designed
for those who wish to teach communication and direct forensic programs. We will examine curriculum development,
lesson planning and instructional strategies with special emphases on the
building and directing of a speech extra-curricular activity program, the
responsibilities of the teacher, preparation and evaluation of materials, oral
activities and application of instructional methods. All students in the communication education
program must take this course.
Specifically, you should expect to achieve the following goals by the end of the semester:
1. Understand, apply, analyze and evaluate research and theory as they relate to instructional communication;
2. Defend the role of communication in the public school classroom to administrators, school boards, other teachers, parents, students and the community;
3. Be
familiar with competitive speech and debate events available in
4. Participate in the classroom instructional process through a variety of communication activities (e.g., dyadic and small group discussion, individual and group presentations);
5. Examine critically the role of communication as it influences interpersonal choices and the selection of instructional methods.
The expected course outcomes will
be realized through a variety of instructional strategies. Those strategies include, but are not limited
to, the following: discussion,
demonstration, inquiry and group activities.
You may be asked to read various articles regarding communication education. These readings will be provided for you or placed on reserve in the BCSB. You are responsible for photocopying materials that are placed on reserve. Specific titles and further information will be announced at appropriate times during the semester.
Miscellaneous Items:
1. Binder/Notebook for class lectures and discussions.
2. Access to either an inkjet or a laser printer (both are available at ITC labs on campus).
3. Access to the Internet and e-mail.
4. Additional
small purchases, such as 4x6 note cards, magazines, newspapers, photocopies,
etc. will be needed throughout the semester.
You will be completing research for class assignments that will require
you to photocopy readings as needed.
Attendance:
You are going to be teachers. Therefore, you are expected to be in class, participate in debate tournament(s) and volunteer to help with high school students. If you are not, then you are not demonstrating the kind of professional behavior expected of adults who want to be teachers. Our primary goal in forensics and methods is to move you from the role of students to the role of teachers, where you begin to accept responsibility for your own actions and realize the consequences of your decisions.
Outline of Course: I will model the type of behavior and instruction that I expect you to exhibit as teachers. I will often share with you lesson plans that I have used in my own secondary and post-secondary classrooms. I invite you to use these materials in your own classrooms. You will have opportunities to act as students, teachers and mentors as you take this course. After I share lesson plans, you will exhibit your comprehension of the material with presentations, discussions and written assignments. You will also be asked to volunteer at local tournaments and festivals, as well as spend time at the local public schools helping students prepare for contests. I will compensate your time outside of the classroom by periodically not holding Monday night sessions.
Interested in joining
the
A. Craig Baird Debate Forum: On five Wednesday evenings during the fall semester: Sept. 5, Sept. 12, Sept. 26, Nov. 7 and Nov. 28, members of the A. Craig Baird Debate Forum will take alternative stances on current issues before UI audiences in Levitt Auditorium at the College of Law, near the intersection of Burlington and Riverside on the west side of campus. The debates last one hour, from 7 to 8 p.m., and there often is time for questions and discussion by the audience at the end. This semesters topics include the merits of boy bands, George Bush’s presidency, the proposed Northside Hy-Vee liquor store, human cloning and internet gambling.
Grading:
Your grade for this course is based on a point system. Each assignment is worth a set number of points. To determine a letter grade for each assignment, calculate 10% of the points and subtract accordingly. For example, on an assignment worth 75 points, 67.5-75 is an “A,” 60-60.44 is a “B,” etc.
Work that meets the minimum requirements of an assignment, is completed on time and displays average involvement with the course content is deserving of a “C.” Higher grades are awarded to work that goes above and beyond the minimum standards to produce papers and presentations that reflect superior intellectual effort, excellence in critical analysis and overall creativity in the approach towards any given assignment.
The
Final Exam: Monday, December 17 at 6 p.m.
Missed/Late
Assignments:
The exact nature of some of the assignment will depend on what you want and need from this class because we will build and develop your skills based on your current experience and interests. Please plan on presenting micro-teaching and other oral presentations and hand in assignments on due dates. Late work may not receive full credit.
Plagiarism:
According to Webster’s New Universal Unabridged Dictionary (1983, 2nd Ed.), to plagiarize is “to steal or pass of ideas or words of another as one’s own…to use created productions without crediting the source…to commit literary theft…to present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source” (p.1371). Students in this course will be responsible for authenticating any assignment submitted to the instructor. If asked, you must be able to produce proof that the assignment you submitted is in fact your own work. Therefore, it is recommended that you engage in a verifiable working process on assignments. Keep copies of all drafts of your work, make photocopies of research materials, write summaries of research materials, keep logs or journals of your work on assignments and papers, learn to save drafts or versions of assignments under individual file names on computer diskettes, etc. The penalty for plagiarism can include, but is not limited to, failure on an assignment and/or an entire course or placement on academic probation. For more detailed information, see the official university policy on plagiarism printed in the Fall 2001 schedule of courses on p. 39.
Student Disabilities
Services:
If any member of the class feels that he or she has a disability and requires special accommodations, of any nature whatsoever, the instructor will work with you and the Office of Student Disability Services (3101 Burge Hall) to ensure that you have a fair opportunity to perform in this class. Please advise the instructor of such disability and the desired accommodations at the close of the first class period. Do not put this off until the last minute (before a quiz or presentation), as it will be more difficult to make appropriate arrangements.
Human Rights:
The
Classroom Climate:
The success of this course is directly related to the sense of community that we will develop in this classroom. Participation is essential to this process. I encourage you to share your views and listen to those of others. Debate and discussion are an important part of the learning process. While there will no doubt be disagreements, I expect the members of this community (including myself) to challenge ideas in a manner that reflects respect and recognition of opposing viewpoints without attacking individuals.
Extra Credit:
Students may or may not be eligible for extra credit points this semester, depending on what options emerge as the semester progresses. Many times, Communication Studies researchers seek participants for their studies from students enrolled in undergraduate Communication Studies courses. If researchers would like to seek your participation in exchange for extra credit, I will ensure that you have a choice in whether to participate in these studies or earn extra credit through a comparable option that does not involve participation in a research study. If extra credit options become available, they will be announced in a manner that enables students to choose among all available options. Participation in a given study cannot be counted for extra credit in more that one course.
Questions and
Troubleshooting:
If you ever have any questions about this class, please feel free to come talk with me during office hours or by appointment. If I am unable to provide an appropriate response to your concerns about the class or an individual assignment, please contact the course supervisor: Doug Trank, 174 EPB, 319.335.3786. If you still have concerns, you may follow the procedure for grievances outlined in the undergraduate liberal arts catalogue.
Additional
Information/Things That Cause Your Instructor to Smile: