Communications Syllabus

2015-2016

Krissy Vick

Room F8

Phone: (434) 392-4131 X254

Email:

Mrs. Vick's Class Webpage

Welcome to Communications! This class is designed to give you an opportunity to practice oral and written communication skills with a particular emphasis on public speaking instruction. Throughout the semester, you will master basic public speaking skills through a variety of speech assignments and group activities.

In addition, you will sharpen your business communication skills by learning about the job seeking process. You will create a professional resume, practice job search techniques, and participate in a job interview with a local employer of your choice.

I am looking forward to a great semester with you in my class. Interim Reports will be issued for all students for the first grading period. I encourage you to communicate with me if you have any questions or concerns throughout the semester. I will always make time for you and will value the relationships I will be building with each of you. Please feel free to see me in person, email, or call me when you need to do so.

Required Materials

2” binder with loose leaf

1 pack of 3x5 lined index cards

Flashdrive (optional)

Required TextDK Guide to Public Speaking,Lisa A. Ford-Brown

Attendance

Attendance and punctuality are required as noted in the Fuqua School Handbook.

If you are absent, it is your responsibility to contact me about missed work either prior to your absence or immediately upon return. It is always YOUR responsibility to follow-up with me regarding an absences.

Assignments

All work should be submitted on time for full credit. Assignments may be accepted one day late with 10 point penalty. Regarding Absences: As stated in the Fuqua Handbook, students should determine the work they have missed and “are required to complete and turn in all make-up work within the number of days they have been absent from class. In cases of work that was assigned prior to the absence, students should be prepared to complete the work on the day they return to class.”

Class Rules

  1. Have a positive attitude every day.
  2. Be courteous to your classmates and teacher.
  3. Be on time and on task.
  4. Please no food or drinks in the classroom (water bottle is okay).
  5. Abide by all policies outlined in the Fuqua School Handbook and the General Classroom Practices.

Grading

Classwork/homework: 25%

Tests: 25%

Formal Speeches: 25%

Informative

How-To

Persuasive

Special Occasion

Job Search Portfolio: 20%

Resume

Cover letter

Job Interview

Thank you note

Impromptu Speeches: 5%

Classwork/Homework: Plan to take notes daily. Your binder should be kept neat and chronological with materials clearly labeled and dated.

Tests: You will have Chapter Tests throughout the semester to demonstrate mastery of concepts.

Formal Speeches: You will prepare and deliver 4 formal speeches during the semester. Sign up sheets will be posted in the classroom for speech days. It is your responsibility to sign up on a day that does not conflict with any other engagements you have scheduled (i.e. athletic events or college visits which would cause you to be absent from class).

Job Search Portfolio: You are required to participate in a real interview with a local employer in a field that interests you. We will spend plenty of time in class learning oral and written communication skills to prepare you. Your finished portfolio will include your professional personal resume, a cover letter, an employer critique of your interview performance, a self critique of your experience, and a well-written thank you note to the employer. We will work on this long-term assignment incrementally throughout the semester. The final portfolio is due at the end of the semester.

Impromptu Speeches: Students will routine practice impromptu speaking, or speaking “off the cuff.” These are useful exercises to practice thinking on your feet while articulating a clear and concise message.

Extra Credit Opportunities: You have three opportunities to earn extra credit. First, you may attend a formal speaking engagement and submit a one-page paper detailing your observations as they relate to what you are learning in class about effective public speaking practices. Second, if you have a formal speaking opportunity outside of class that requires you to prepare a speech and deliver it to an audience, you may submit a one-page paper detailing your experience along with your prepared remarks. Third, you may prepare a formal speech and deliver it to the class. (*All extra credit is subject to approval by Mrs. Vick).

Course Schedule

Week / Topic / Reading / Exercises
1 / General Classroom Information and Textbook Issue
Job Portfolio Semester Project explained
Note-taking tips
Delivery Basics Lecture / Distributed and posted online
Chapter 9 / View Cornell note-taking clip
Practice Cornell note-taking
View “The Last Lecture”
2 / The Creative Process of Public Speaking-Overview
Getting to know your Audience and Situation
Selecting a Topic and Purpose / Overview
Chapter 1
Chapter 2 / Brainstorming speech topics
Informative Speech assignment
3 / Locating Supporting Materials
Selecting and Testing Materials
The Informative Speech / Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 13 / On-going preparation of Informative Speech
4 / Outlining your Speech
Introductions and Conclusions / Chapter 5
Chapter 7 / Finalizing speech research and outline
5 / Informative Speech Week
Movie: “The King’s Speech” / Deliver first formal speeches
Peer Critique and Self Critique of presentations
6 / Using Presentation Aids
Power of the Visual Image
How-To Speech Assigned / Chapter 10 / Practice delivering using a PowerPoint
Create video presentations using Animoto
7 / Power of Positive Thinking
Resume Building Basics / Excerpts from various texts will be provided
8 / Self-Analysis
Resume Workshops
How-to Speech Preparation / Personality Tests
Create personal resume
Speech prep on-going
9 / Cover Letters
Using Language Successfully / Chapter 8 / Cover letter practice (keep job portfolio interview in mind)
10 / Listening Effectively
How-To Speech Presentations / Chapter 11 / Deliver formal speech #2 with aids, peer critique and self-critique
11 / Tools for Persuasion
Persuasive Speech assigned / Chapter 14 / Practice identifying and using ethos/pathos/mythos/logos
12 / The Persuasive Speech / Chapter 15 / Practice using persuasion in classroom mini-debates and on-going work on Persuasive Speech
13 / Persuasive Speech Presentations / Deliver formal speech #3 Peer critique and self-critique
14 / Interview Skills
Thank you notes
Blogging/Podcasting / Mock interviews
Practice writing business and personal thank you notes
Create your own blog
15 / Speeches for Special Events / Chapter 16 / Practice Toasts, Award Presentation, Award Acceptance
16 / Special Occasion Tribute Presentations / Deliver formal speech #4
17 / Job Portfolios Due
“This I Believe” / Prepare and submit final folder of work
Listen to various audio clips from NPR series
Prepare a written manuscript and podcast on this topic
18 / Exam Preparation
First Semester Exam 1/11/16
Second Semester Exam 5/23/16
Graduation 5/27/16 / May choose oral or written exam