MEMORANDUM

                               

                                Date:  THE SEMESTER

                                    To:  COMMUNICATION 45, SMALL GROUP COMMUNICATIONS STUDENT

                                From:  PROFESSOR MERYLEE SHELTON

                         Subject:  THE SMALL GROUP COMMUNICATION

                                               

GREETINGS AND WELCOME!

                                               

YOU MAY HAVE OBSERVED BY NOW THAT THIS IS AN UNUSUAL COURSE OF STUDY IN SMALL GROUP COMMUNICATION.

YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO ATTEND CLASS ON TIME AND PARTICIPATE REGULARLY.  AFTER ALL IT IS A SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION CLASS AND THE INSTRUCTOR CAN’T DO IT ALONE. PART OF YOUR GRADE WILL BE REFLECTED IN YOUR ATTENDENCE & PARTICIPATION.

ADDITIONALLY YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO COMPLETE A NUMBER OF ASSIGNMENTS.  TWO THAT WILL BE DISCUSSED NOW ARE:

    1. THE LAB OPTIONS Lab Option 1 | Lab Option 2
    2. HOME VALUES 

THERE WILL BE TEN (10) LAB OPTIONS REQUIRED OF YOU IN ORDER TO COMPLETE THE COURSE.  THEY REPRESENT ABOUT 15-20 HOURS OF HANDS-ON OUT OF CLASS COMMUNICATION ACTIVITIES.  AT THE END OF THE SEMESTER YOU WILL TURN IN AT ONCE ALL TEN REPORTS, TYPED AND SINGLE SPACED AND BOUND ON THE LAST DAY OF CLASS.  THERE IS A LIST OF LAB OPTIONS AVAILABLE WITH THE LIBRARIAN BEHIND THE FRONT REFERENCE DESK. THERE REPRESENT WORK THAT CAN BE DONE FREE AND AT THE LIBRARY.  ADDITIONALLY SHELTON WILL PREIODICALLY GIVE YOU OTHER OPTIONS, LIKE ATTENDENCE AT ASB MEETINGS, CITY COUNCIL, ETC {Joint Legislative Committee} …. YOU MAY NOT SELECT LAB OPTIONS THAT ARE NOT ON THE LIBRARY SPEECH 45 LIST AND/OR THAT SHELTON DID NOT ASSIGN IN CLASS.

STARTING IMMEDIATELY, YOU WILL BEGIN A HOME BALUES SCRAPBOOK FOR THIS CLASS. START BY ACQUIRING A BOUND BOOK OF SOME SORT.  IN BALL POINT PEN BEGIN THE FIRST TWO PAGES ON UNLINED PAPER OR WITH THE PAGES TURNED AGAINST THE LINES AND WRITE A HANDWRITTING SAMPLE.  INCLUE SIGNATURE.  BRING THE BOOK TO MERYLEE SHELTON’s OFFICE FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS.  THE GRADING WILL BE BASED ON CREATIVITY, QUANTITY AND EFFORT.

Professor Merylee Shelton
298-2181 x3229
Office T -314A
e-mail: merylee.shelton@sjcc.edu

I.     Study and practice of action-interaction transaction, the symbolic process problem-solving, leadership and the verbal and non-verbal modes of communication. Each student will observe, participate in, analyze and evaluate small group communicative behavior.

II.    We will use the text, Effective Group Discussion by Brilhart & Galanes and instructor handouts.

III.  There will be 11 components in this course:

  1. Group Formation Theory
  2. Non-verbal Group Dynamics
  3. Listening Skills & Self-disclosure
  4. Generating Verbal Messages
  5. Values and their role in communication
  6. Sex Differences in Human Communications (Eakins)
  7. Intercultural Communication (Banks)
  8. Conflict Resolution and Management
  9. Problem-solving
  10. Theories of Leadership
  11. Evaluating Group Communication

IV.   These 11 components will be evaluated by the instructor upon student completion of:

  1. Reading assignments
  2. Attendance and class participation
  3. A final examination
  4. The Bag Exercise (2 minutes)
  5. The Proximics Report (2-3 pages typed using communication terms)
  6. Values discussion (25 minutes each group)
  7. “Home Environment Presentation”  (2 minutes)
  8. Group Evaluation presentations – public meetings (march on march) (25 minutes each group)
  9. Intercultural Communication presentations (40 minutes each group)

10 lab Reports  (options for completion: will follow on another hand-out)

 If you do not meet with your group outside of class, you may not participate in the class group discussion assignment.

This is a class that assumes basic oral communication skills.  The instructor will either refer you to the Speech Communication Lab or suggest that you take the course during another semester if your skills will not permit discussion/interaction with your group members.

Students will be dropped from the course if they have more than two absences. Students will come to class on time.  No student should ever enter the classroom while another student is speaking during an assignment. Turn off your cell phone or pager when entering the classroom.  All written work will be typed and appropriately bound.  Plagiarism will result in a failed semester grade.