 |
| Scan to add my info to your address book. |
Instructor:
Christopher M. Webb,BS English Education
Email:
webb.chris@tapa.tp.edu.twTeacher blog:
http://tapa210.blogspot.comRequired apps:
 |
| Click for Dropbox. |
Other required resources:
- A class blog (How to set it up)
- YouTube account (How to set it up)
- Dropbox on any computer you write on
(e.g. home, laptop)
Class times:
| Section | Room Number | Regular Schedule | Friday |
| A | 210 | 2:40-4:10 | 1:15-2:10 |
Description:
This course concentrates on the speaking and listening skills necessary for effective communication. Students will do three different types of speeches: demonstrative, persuasive, and informative. They will also focus on small group dynamics and job interview skills.Objectives:
As a result of studying this course, students will be able to:- develop a clear and concise speech outline.
- deliver an effective demonstrative, persuasive, or informative speech.
- identify logical fallacies.
- professionally interview for a job.
- understand the tendencies of themselves and other in small groups.
What is TAPA all about?:
The mission of TAPA is to empower and motivate its students to develop wisdom, live healthfully, care for others, and know God.My job, as the teacher is to empower and motivate you to become a better and more successful person. Your job, as the student, is to gain the four skills necessary to achieve success. The only "rules" of this class are that you must constantly be moving towards towards perfecting these 4 skills:
- Develop wisdom: Here's a secret—Literature isn't that important. Grammar isn't that important. History, Algebra, and Art aren't that important. You can know everything in the world, but if you don't know how to use it, you're a loser. Success, in this class, is achieved by not by having information in your brain, but by knowing how to use the information in your brain.
- Live healthfully: What good is it to be an 80-year-old person who's life has revolved around playing X-Box and shopping? In our class, we will practice healthy lifestyles both through our actions and in our discussions.
- Care for others: Jesus said the #1 most important thing is to love God, and the #2 most important thing is to love everyone else (Mark 12:30-31). Our classroom will be a positive place where everyone will feel valued and valuable.
- Know God: He is the greatest force in the universe, and we will treat Him as such. We will call on His name daily for strength, wisdom, and direction, and we will keep all our conversations centered on being respectful to Him.
Grading scale:
| Letter | Minimum | Letter | Minimum | Letter | Minimum |
| --- | --- | A | 93% | A- | 90% |
| B+ | 87% | B | 83% | B- | 80% |
| C+ | 77% | C | 73% | C- | 70% |
| D+ | 67% | D | 63% | D- | 60% |
Attendance:
Class begins when the bell is over; therefore, students need to be in their seat when the bell is over to be considered present.If the student is absent (either excused or not), it is their responsibility to find out what the homework was and not the teacher’s responsibility to tell the student. Remember: I am not your mama! Your grade is your responsibility.
Assignments:
All essays, paragraphs, and papers should be typed (not hand-written) and formatted to these specifications. Failure to do so will result in point reductions.Every assignment must include a name, a date, and what the assignment is. If an assignment is turned in without any of these criteria, it will see point reductions.
Late work:
For excused absences, students will be given however many days they were gone plus one day to turn in work. (For example, if Bobby is sick for 2 days, he will have 3 class days to turn in all his missing work.)By default, I will not accept any work turned in after I've called for it (or for unexcused absences). No 50% credit, no "But teach-ah...", no excuses at all. If I say "turn it in," and you don't turn it in immediately, it's a 0%.
Having said that, I will be instituting an appeals policy where you can petition to be allowed to turn in the assignment for full credit. To qualify for full credit, the student must write a ≥500-word essay explaining:
- why the assignment was late (i.e. the situation; include dates)
- what decisions were made that made the assignment late.
- what the student learned from the situation.
- how the situation will be handled next time.
Once the appeal has been approved, the student may then submit the late assignment for full credit. Each 500-word appeal applies to only one assignment, so don't expect that one essay will allow you to redo 3 assignments.
Plagiarism:
In American schools, from the elementary through the doctorate level, it's important for students to analyze, evaluate, and create, not just spit out information the teacher gave them in a lecture. Most of the assignment I give you in this class will have at least some form of "What is your opinion?" built into them. Because I'm specifically asking for your opinions, ideas, and perspectives, giving the opinion of another (and claiming it as your own) is unacceptable.
Plagiarism means taking the words and thoughts of others (their ideas, concepts, images, sentences, and so forth) and using them as if they were your own, without crediting the author or citing the source...
...Plagiarism is found in all of the following examples:
- Purchasing or copying a paper from the Internet
- Borrowing your roommate’s lab report and using his or her description of the experiment to describe your findings
- Turning in a paper as your own that you didn’t write
- Copying (cutting and pasting) material without acknowledging the source
- Using material when an author has been identified but not using quotation marks to reflect his or her original words
- Inadequate paraphrasing
(via the University of Kentucky)
Plagiarism is a form of fraud, and it will not be tolerated in this classroom. A first offense of academic dishonesty (in any form) will result in a zero on the assignment, a lowering of citizenship grade, and an additional assignment investigating what plagiarism really is. Further infractions may include parent conferences with the principal and a withdraw-failing grade in the class.
iPads:
- Tablets down. While you’re in this class, your iPads need to be on the desk unless I specifically tell you they can be up (e.g. reading, taking pictures). I know that most of you might not be messing around, but to make sure that doesn’t happen, this is the best way for us to all get along.
- Game off. Obviously, you’re not supposed to be playing games anywhere on campus, even during lunch or after school. If I see it going on in my class, I’ll immediately uninstall your app, you’ll lose class and citizenship points, and I’ll (likely) give you a special clean-up-my-classroom detention after school.
- All the apps, all the time. Not having an app on your iPad is a punishable offense. This item is a tool for school first, not a plaything. I don’t care if you deleted GoodReader just so you could fit a movie or another game on; if you don’t have the app required, you’re not in my class. You will be given an absence and will lose citizenship points.
- Careful with Jailbreaking... I'm not going to tell you not to jailbreak your iPad—I've done it, and it adds to the device. However, often times, jailbreaking will cripple other programs on the iPad. If you're having problems using apps in class, we'll upgrade your OS in class and remove your jailbreak on the spot. Beware.
- Chaaaaarge it! You are to be responsible for your own iPad the night before. If you stay up late playing a game, don’t expect me to let you come into class and charge your iPad. You should have enough battery to last throughout the class. Anyone needing to charge will be docked 1% of their final grade for each 5 minutes they charge during my class, so bring it at 100% power!
- Checka da emailz. It’s not really about the iPad itself, but please add your TAPA email account to your iPad so you can email me (and more importantly, so I can email you). If we need to communicate with eachother, this should be the official way. Please do not use the school’s website to contact me because it is currently broken. Also, please keep school-related business in email and not through any other means (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, coming to my house uninvited).
Note:
Many students feel that simply turning in any piece of paper will result in an A grade. In my classroom, minimal effort will net a minimal grade.The instructor reserves the right to adjust the syllabus as circumstances change.
