CATALOG DESCRIPTION

This is a course in public speaking which stresses speech organization, effective delivery and critical listening skills.  A strong emphasis is placed on student performance to help the student gain speech practice and develop self-confidence in a variety of speaking situations.

This class meets online during the listed class times in the Big Blue Button section of Canvas 

PREREQUISITE: : Accuplacer score, ACT score or SAT score indicative of not needing developmental reading and writing courses or grade of C or better in ENGL009, Integrated Reading and Writing I.

 

TOPICS TO BE INCLUDED

Aspects of good speech image or appearance.

Critical listening skills as applied to voice and speech characteristics.

Anatomy and physiology of vocal mechanism and respiratory system as they apply to the process of voice.

Aspects of voice, voice quality and good production of voice.

Articulation, anatomy and physiology of articulatory system.  Standard American English speech.

Principles of Public Speaking.  Organization, speech types, audience analysis, types of speech delivery.

Selecting main topics for speeches and supporting details and principles of outlining for extemporaneous speech delivery.

Oral reading for effective meaning and speech practice.

Constructive criticism as a tool to self learning.

 

COURSE COMPETENCIES/LEARNING OUTCOMES

In a manner deemed appropriate by the instructor and approved by the department, students will be able to:

Identify and apply basic public speaking principles in formal speeches.(GE Goal #1) 

Implement effective strategies to manage public speaking anxiety.

Extemporaneously deliver formal public speeches in a variety of styles (including the persuasive) from an outline using effective verbal and nonverbal behaviors. (GE Goal #1)

 

Required Text

None. This course requires active participation, occasional

readings (to be distributed by professor) and close attention

to lecture, but no required textbook. 

 

Catalog Description

This is a course in public speaking which stresses speech organization, effective delivery and critical listening skills. A strong emphasis is placed on student performance to help the student gain speech practice and develop self-confidence in a variety of speaking situations.

 

Prerequisites

ENGL015 & ENGL031

 

Topics To Be Included

1. Elements of Effective/Public Speech
2. Elements/Construction of a Persuasive Speech
3. Elements/Construction of a Narrative Speech
4. Elements/Construction of a Research Speech
5. Development of Speech Analysis Essay
6. Group Activities and Assignments

 

 

Primary Goal

The only true way to improve one’s effective speaking skills is to practice! This course is designed to feature frequent (online-version) public speaking and class participation, structured around the development of four essential speeches and group activities along the way. It is my goal for students to grow comfortable speaking in an academic setting, and to further enhance skills related to presentation and body language, helpful in a multitude of professional and social settings.

 

Course Competencies and Learning Outcomes

1. Aspects of good speech image or appearance.
2. Critical listening skills as applied to voice and speech characteristics.
3. Anatomy and physiology of vocal mechanism and respiratory system as they apply to the process of voice.
4. Aspects of voice, voice quality and good production of voice.
5. Articulation, anatomy and physiology of articulatory system. Standard American English speech.
6. Principles of Public Speaking. Organization, speech types, audience analysis, types of speech delivery.
7. Selecting main topics for speeches and supporting details and principles of outlining for extemporaneous speech delivery.
8. Oral reading for effective meaning and speech practice.
9. Constructive criticism as a tool to self-learning.

 

In a manner deemed appropriate by the instructor and approved by the department, students will be able to:

 

1. Speak in class discussions and performances using good clear voice, proper articulation and standard English grammar and pronunciation.(GE Goal #1)
2. Identify the principles of critical listening skills. (GE Goal #1)
3. Identify the aspects of constructive criticism relating to speech and voice characteristics. (GE Goal #1)
4. Deliver and write a formal public speech from an outline for extemporaneous delivery. (GE Goal #1)
5. Deliver an impromptu speech with effective organization and communication. (GE Goal #1)
6. Organize and deliver through persuasive speaking in debate or in individual performance well organized supportive facts and clear and concise information. (GE Goal #1)
7. Demonstrate improved speech and language skills. (GE Goal #1)

 

Speeches

You will perform some speeches during class sessions, and record and upload videos of yourself speaking for others.  All recorded speeches must be recorded straight through -- in other words, you are not to cut and edit the speeches, as we try to recreate as closely as possible the live speaking environment.  You must be visible when speaking.  A voiceover of screenshots or powerpoint is not acceptable.  

 

 

Attendance

Logins to Canvas and regular submissions substitute attendance for online courses. 

“At SCCC, class attendance and academic achievement are recognized as being interrelated” (Sussex County Community College 2016-17 Student Handbook 77).  Consequently, “Students are expected to attend all classes and to adhere to the written requirements and consequences of nonattendance of each instructor’s syllabus” (Sussex County Community College 2016-17 Student Handbook 77)

 

Excessive absence/tardiness will accomplish two things: (1) quite negatively impact your final grade, and (2) hurt my feelings. Seeing as how I am an emotionally fragile man, please attend as many class sessions as possible.

 

Cheating and Plagiarism

“Cheating on examinations, through use of unauthorized aids or inappropriate resources, is forbidden. In addition, plagiarism, or the unattributed use of another’s words or ideas, through either direct appropriation or paraphrase, is a serious breach of academic standards. Students have an obligation to exhibit honesty in carrying out their academic assignments.

 

“Consequences for cheating and plagiarism include: written warnings and/or assignment of an ‘F’ grade for the assignment/test, or for the course. If the student is found guilty in more than one case, he/she may be subject to disciplinary actions” (Sussex County Community College 2016-17 Student Handbook 77).

 

Faculty Obligations

To ensure that students are treated fairly, faculty will inform students of their obligation to respect ethical standards in carrying out their academic assignments.  This should be done in such a manner that students will know what is authorized by the individual instructor and the College.

Student Obligations

Students have an obligation to exhibit honesty in carrying out their academic assignments.  Students may be found to have violated that obligation if they commit one of the following violations:

 

1. Using material during a test or examination not authorized by the instructor.
2. Providing or receiving assistance in an examination or test in a manner not authorized by

the instructor.

1. Practicing any form of deceit in an examination, test, assignment, or paper.
2. Buying, selling, improperly obtaining, or using any test or examinations in advance of

their administration.

1. Present as their own, for academic credit, the ideas of works of another person(s) without

proper and customary acknowledgment of sources and in a manner which represents the

work to be their own.

Cheating & Plagiarism Penalties

A faculty member may assign one of the following penalties:

1. Issue a written warning, with the requirement that the assignment be redone within the instructor's specified time.
2. Assign an "F" grade for the assignment or test.
3. Assign an "F" grade for the course.” (Faculty Handbook 2009-2010 71)

 

Please keep in mind that I have personally read and memorized every piece of writing in the history of language, so if you plagiarize I will notice immediately. Student violation of the college’s academic integrity policy will receive an “F” and a disapproving head-shake from their professor.

 

Hardware & Software requirements:

In order to record and post speeches online as video clips, you will need to have a webcam and software for recording digital video clips. Your internet connection will need to be faster than dial-up in order to upload and view online streaming video.  You will also need to have access to PowerPoint or a comparable slide program and the ability to record narration with the slides.  You should also be comfortable with basic computer skills such as attaching a file.  If required, you may need to download or update software on your computer. 

If you do not have consistent access to this level of technology, DO NOT take this class in an online environment.  There are many sections of Effective Speaking offered on campus in the traditional classroom format. 

Chrome is the preferred browser for Canvas.

You are responsible for your own technology.  No extensions or makeup work will be given for technical difficulties (such as submitting an assignment without an attachment).  I urge all students to compose and submit work early in order to give yourself time to compensate for any technical difficulties that may occur. 

FAQs:

 

Can I do work whenever I want in an online class?

To a certain extent, yes.  You can log on when it is convenient for you, but there are some things to consider:

• Although students do not need to be online at a given time, deadlines as stated on the timeline are not flexible.
• You may always submit work early, but it will not be graded until after the due date for the assignment.
• You cannot "leave" the class for an extended period of time, as you may miss announcements or changes to the syllabus that will be announced via the "announcements" tab or email.

How proficient should I be in computer usage before taking this online class?

• You must know how to record and upload video files.
• You must be familiar with and have access to Office programs such as PowerPoint and Word (at home or on campus).
• Although it is not a prerequisite for this class, I strongly recommend that students enrolled in this online section of Effective Speaking have completed COMS110 or the equivalent.

What is expected of me in terms of participation in this online class?

You must access your textbook online.  You may download and print if you wish, but this is not required.

You must participate in class discussions using complete sentences, standard American English punctuation and grammar, etc.

Language used in discussion board postings, speeches, and other class communications should use the same level of diction and word choice that would be appropriate to a traditional college classroom.  If you would like some guidance in this area, I recommend the informal but readable article located at Bright Hub.

Link to Nettiquette article (Links to an external site.)

What should I do if I want to meet with the professor outside of class?

I offer online office hours, during which time I will be online and checking email in Canvas.  If students wish, I can also open up a live chat during those online office hours – just send me an email request to schedule one.

 

Where can I find academic support services if I feel I need assistance such as tutoring?

Please visit SCCC's Learning Center at the following link.  This will give you information about tutoring services as well as well as a link to the college's Disability Assistance program.

Learning Center link (Links to an external site.)

What if I experience technical difficulties?

If you are experiencing a problem with Canvas, please see the technical support options under "help" in the Global Navigation bar to your left.  You may use a live chat, phone the help desk, send a message -- there are many options for contact and Canvas support is very responsive and helpful.

If you have a problem with some of the course materials (one of the quizzes doesn't open, for example), contact the professor.

Are there definite due dates for assignments?

Speeches have due dates in order for you to receive feedback in-between. All other assignments are due as marked, by the end of the semester. 

 

Where can I find due dates for the assignments?

All assignment due dates are listed in the module, on the calendar calendar, and on the syllabus of Canvas.  

Student Policies and Support:

Students are expected to abide by all college policies as stated in the handbook, available at the link here:  Student Handbook 

For a description of the SCCC accessibility policies and services and academic support services, please visit the following link: Disabilities Assistance Program 

 

Make-Up Exams/Essays/Quizzes/Speeches

Class work, including in-class speech assignments and quizzes, will only be administered

(whenever possible) under circumstances deemed excusable by the instructor, provided the

student first contacts the instructor as soon as possible before the assignment, quiz, et cetera.

 

 

Grading Scale

Students will be evaluated based on the following grading system:

 

Grade             Interpretation            Num. Equivalent                  

A                     Exceptional                 94-100                        

A-                    Excellent                     90-93

B+                   Very Good                  88-89                                                  

B                     Good                           84-87              

B-                    Fair                              80-83                          

C+                   Above Average           76-79                                      

C                     Average                       73-75                                      

D                     Poor                             65-72                                                  

F                      Fail                              Below 65 

FN                  Fail, No-Show             N/A

 

Grade Distribution

Students will complete the following assignment-categories, which will determine their final grade:

25% - Storytelling Speech

25% - Persuasive Speech

25% - Activities / Participation 

25% - Final Speech 

 

Student E-Mail Policy

Students at Sussex County Community College may only contact their professors using their official student e-mail address (@student.sussex.edu). Messages sent from other addresses must be returned without a response. Feel free to e-mail me rain or shine, because I do not typically let the weather influence if I check my e-mail or not. 

 

Cell Phone Policy

The use of cell phones in class is prohibited except for with the specific approval of the faculty member. Pre-notification of faculty is required for emergency use. The use of cell phones, PDA’s or other such devices capable of sending and receiving messages and/or storing data are prohibited during testing and may not be visible in and around the test area. Students who are texting during class will be counted as absent.

 

 

In-Class Behavioral Policy

Students are not permitted to do the following during online class-time:

 

• Use cellular telephone-devices (or, as the kids call them, “cell phones”) to produce “cellular text-based messages”, initiate/answer phone-calls, etc.

 

• Sleep, unless specifically instructed to do so.

 

• Commit treason or other offenses prohibited by U.S. Constitutional law. In the event that you feel committing treason is important to your assignment, please contact me ahead of time.

 

Students are encouraged to do the following during class time:

 

• Actively participate and ask on-topic questions ranging from simple (ex: “Excuse me, Professor, but could you repeat what you just said? I was thinking about how interesting the last thing you said was, and missed your next, sure-to-be-enthralling statement.”) to complex (ex: “Excuse me, Professor, but when you said the word ‘life’ just now, what did you mean? I mean, what exactly is the nature of our reality?”)

 

• Take rigorous notes (I shall also send PowerPoint presentations via e-mail if requested)

 

• Join hands and sing (in-unison) a song that praises me (for example, “O Kevin So Handsome, How We Love Thee”)

 

 

 

 

Support Services

Student Services provide student support in a variety of ways including Academic Advising, Career Services, Transfer Counseling, Veteran Services, Disability Services, and Tutoring Services.  For additional information and a complete list of programs go to the college website http://sussex.edu/currentstudents/.

 

Student’s Rights and Responsibilities

A college student with one or more disabilities has the right to reasonable accommodations and auxiliary aids in the classroom.  This right is provided under Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.  It is the student’s responsibility to identify him/herself.  It is also the student’s responsibility to provide the appropriate required documentation, and to request the desired reasonable accommodations or auxiliary aids in writing in sufficient time for the review of documentation for any special arrangements to be made, and for the appropriate paperwork to be completed.

 

 

Faculty Rights

A faculty member is not required to provide reasonable accommodations or auxiliary aids, unless informed by the Coordinator of the Disabilities Assistance Program of the eligibility of the student for such accommodations or aids.

 

Fun Fact

In 1883, a man named Henry Ziegland broke off a relationship with his girlfriend who, out of distress, committed suicide. The girl’s enraged brother hunted down Ziegland and shot him. Believing he had killed Ziegland, the brother then took his own life. In fact, however, Ziegland had not been killed. The bullet had only grazed his face, lodging into a tree. Years later, Ziegland decided to cut down the same tree, which still had the bullet in it. The huge tree seemed so formidable that he decided to blow it up with dynamite. The explosion propelled the bullet into Ziegland’s head, killing him. (Listverse)

 

Fun Fact

There are 80,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (67 zeroes) different ways to shuffle a deck of cards. That means if you shuffle a deck well, it’s likely never been shuffled in that order before and never will be again. There are more ways to shuffle a deck of cards than there are atoms on planet Earth. This is unrelated to your Effective Speaking course-work, but I thought you should know. 

 

 

 

 

 

“I never get credit for anything I do.”

• Anonymous

 

“Kevin is a great professor and his syllabus was super easy to read.”

• Entertainment Weekly

 

“Quotations at the end of a syllabus are unnecessary, cliché, and clearly only there to fill space.”

• TIME Magazine

 

Check CANVAS for updated Day-by-Day syllabus! This course will be broken down into “Weeks”, with assignments and uploads in the corresponding space on the course home page. Thanks so much!