Northeastern State University

College of Liberal Arts

Department of Communication, Art, & Theatre

Tahlequah, OK

 

Fall 2011 syllabus for

COMM 5133 Strategies for Teaching Speech

COMM 4503 Speech Methods

MC 4503 Teaching Mass Communication Techniques in Secondary Education

MC 5743 Teaching Communication Techniques in Secondary Education

(last updated 08.02.11)

 

Instructor: Amy Aldridge Sanford, PhD         

Office:  351 SH                Ext.:  3608

E-mail: aldridga@nsuok.edu (This is the best way to contact me)  

Office Hours:  See Contact Info on webpage.

Facebook:  Amy Aldridge Sanford

 

Class Meetings:  online/arranged

 

Your professorÕs philosophy of education:  I am a facilitator of learning.  The participants in any given classroom enter with different paradigms and truths.  I aid in the exploration of those truths.  I do NOT believe that the instructor is THE holder of Truth; therefore we must all participate to co-construct knowledge and create synergy.  When a student starts to feel uncomfortable in his/her existing paradigm that means s/he is growing as a scholar.   My desire is that all of my students feel the joy of discomfort from time to time.

 

Grading Philosophy:  I prefer intrinsic motivations, and therefore, am not a fan of letter grades.  I believe this extrinsic reward is too often the only motivation for students to complete assignments.  A college education should be viewed as a privilege and an opportunity to become learned and scholarly.  However, until there is a better system, grades will be assigned in this class.  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 ÒC.Ó  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.  In other words, grades are earned in this class.  An ÒAÓ is attainable but will require far more than minimal effort.

 

Pre-requisites:  none 

 

Catalog Description for COMM 5133:  Familiarizes student with various pedagogical methods used to teach communication.  Note: This course cannot be taken for credit by students who have concurrent or prior credit for the Strategies of Teaching Communication course in the departments of mass communication or communication studies at the 4000 or 5000 level.

 

Catalog Description for COMM 4503:  Problems and methods of teaching speech in secondary schools.  Examines curriculum development, lesson planning, and instructional strategies with special emphasis on the building and directing of a speech extra-curricular activity program.

 

Catalog Description for MC 4503 or MC 5743:  Familiarizes students with various techniques (including new and contemporary approaches) used to teach mass communication skills in secondary schools.  Prerequisite:  6 hours of mass communication or permission of instructor.

 

Course Purpose:  This course allows students to learn more about pedagogical methods to teach information to learning communities.  The skills learned in this class can be used in many instructional settings.

 

Learning Outcomes:

á      Consider options for curriculum development and requirements in communication studies and/or mass communications;

á      Develop goals and objectives appropriate for secondary education students;

á      Explore options for classroom presentations, discussions, activities and assignments;

á      Examine assessment and evaluation techniques; and

á      Explore options for professional development.

 

The learning 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. 

 

Grading:

Assignments should be turned in on or before their due dates.  If they are not, there will be a 10% penalty for every 24 hours an assignment is late (including weekends).  It is my goal that every assignment you complete will be excellent and ready to use in your future classroom.  As a result of this philosophy, I may ask you to redo assignments until I feel they are good enough for your future students.

 

Suggested Text:

Marrs, Carol.  (1992).  The Complete Book of Speech Communication:  A workbook of ideas and activities for students of speech and theatre.  Colorado Springs: Meriwether Publishing Ltd.  ISBN:  0-916260-87-9.

 

Other Documents that might help you: 

List of other pedagogy readings

Language Arts PASS Objectives

Oklahoma Competencies

 

Supplies:

Portfolio—three-ring binder, tabbed dividers, and plastic sleeves;

Crayons, markers, and/or colored pencils

 

Assignments (explained in detail on Blackboard):

Ice Breaker

Me Map

Power Point

Speech Critiques

Informative Assignment Sheet & Rubric

Quiz Making

Portfolio

Observation (for graduate students only)

 

Administrative Withdraws: 

Students who enroll this course and have poor attendance and/or poor participation (as determined by the instructor) may be administratively withdrawn (involuntarily). Students who are administratively withdrawn will be responsible for payment and repaying any financial aid received for the course or courses that must be returned to the provider. If you are concerned about your absences, progress, or success in a particular course, meet with your instructor immediately.

 

Class Grievances:  I am willing to meet with you to discuss our class and/or particular assignments.  I ask that you please wait 24 hours after you have received a graded assignment to come see me.  Before we discuss your work, you are required to type out a document detailing what particular elements of your work you feel merit discussion. 

 

Plagiarism:  According to WebsterÕs New Universal Unabridged Dictionary (1983, 2nd Ed.), to plagiarize is Òto steal or pass of ideas or words of another as oneÕs ownÉto use created productions without crediting the sourceÉto commit literary theftÉto present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing sourceÓ (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.  In addition to requiring a student to authenticate his/her work, the instructor may employ various other means of ascertaining authenticity—such as engaging in internet searches, creating quizzes based on student work, requiring students to explain their work and/or process orally, etc.

 

Please go to http://offices.nsuok.edu/academicaffairs/SyllabiInformation.aspx for required information pertaining to:

 

Academic Misconduct

American Disabilities Act Compliance

Inclement Weather/Disaster Policy

Teach Act

Accessibility

Release of Confidential Information   

 

  

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