American University
School of Communication
Washington, D.C.
COMM-102
Speaking For Impact: Education
Summer 2015
Professor: Sarah Menke-Fish
Email: smenke@american.edu
Phone: 202-885-2098
Office: MGC-321
Office Hours: MWTH 9-4 24/7 cell and email
Overview
Textbooks Recommended:
Speaking for Impact (1 or 2 credits) Focus on the Oral Interpretation Aspect —
Bringing Literature to Life in the Classroom
Engleberg, Isa N., Daly, John A.
Presentations In Everyday Life. 3rd
Edition ISBN 978-0-205-62525-3
Course Requirements:
Strong, effective communication skills are necessary in all aspects of your life.
Though focus of this course will be on preparation, examination, organization, and
delivery aspects of using effective voices in the classroom and in particular the
oral interpretation aspect— bringing literature to life in the classroom. The
skills you build will also be applicable to other areas of your life. The readings,
course activities, and course projects are created to strengthen your skills. Active
listening will be examined as a fundamental prerequisite for effective and efficient
public communication. This will include making ongoing efforts to learn from our
experiences during the time in this NSLC program and through deliberate critiques;
these activities will improve our communication skills.
Requirements
By the end of this course you will create a performance portfolio that includes:
1) Your Resume, 5%
Carnegie, Dale, The Quick and Easy
Way To Effective Speaking ISBN
0671724002
Milestones
1st Class Meetings:
Short lectures on oral interpretation
used effectively in the classroom.
Building your resume.
Subsequent Class Meetings:
Each class each student will perform
on camera and have the opportunity
to team teach a piece of literature with
another student. (Age appropriate for
the age you hope to one day teach)
2) Three NSLC Speaker and Three Audience Journal Entries, 20%
3) A Video of your Final Presentation of “Literature to Life” 30% - Students
taking the course for 2 credits will prepare two pieces of literature: 1 short story
and 1 poem (posted on Vimeo or YouTube and a link sent to me)
30 Days After Class Ends
“Literature to Life” presentation(s)
videotaped, link sent to me, analysis
and performance portfolio submitted.
4) Self-analysis and Critiques of your Final Presentation(s). 10%
5) Class Participation, presentations and quizzes 35%
6) Two-Credit Additional Assignment: attend, analyze and critique a live
presentation. (3-4 page critique) 10% ( #6 is lowered to 25% of grade)
Speaking For Impact: Education
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