Overview syllabus

✮Children's Communication Development✮
Communication 422 Spring Semester 2008
Dr. Armeda C. Reitzel (DOC)
Professor & Chair, Communication

Email: acr1@humboldt.edu
Telephone: 7078263779 Fax: 7078265419
Office: Telonicher House (#54), Room 110 (The one with the colorful door)

Office hours:
Mondays and Wednesdays
1:00-1:50 p.m. (all semester)
Mondays and Wednesdays
4:30-5:15 p.m. (weeks 1 through 11)
Thursdays
8:20-9:50 a.m. (all semester)
Fridays
11:00-11:50 a.m. (all semester)

Welcome to Communication 422!

Course Description: This 4-semester-unit course covers the language acquisition and communication behavior of children and youth from birth through early adolescence. Strategies for facilitating language development and improving communication with children and youth are emphasized.

Course Objectives:
1. You will define and explain the concepts of communication, language, competence, performance, acquisition, learning, communication climate, multiculturalism, and multilingualism.
2. You will articulate, analyze and evaluate the major theories of language and communication development.
3. You will explain how cognitive, moral, social, and physical development influence children’s communication behavior.
4. You will describe the role of language, communication, culture, and identity in children’s thinking, attitudes, and actions.
5. You will describe children’s development in terms of verbal and nonverbal communication.
6. You will apply the principles of communication to explain children’s behavior in a variety of contexts.
7. You will identify and use appropriate strategies of communication for interacting with children and youth in a variety of contexts.
8. You will apply the principles and strategies of communication to your experiences with children and youth.

Textbook: Early Childhood Education 07/08, 28th edition edited by Karen Menke Paciorek.

Course Grade: 400 points possible
1. Reflection #1: 40 points
2. Reflection #2: 70 points
3. Reflection #3: 70 points
4. Reflection #4: 70 points
5. History Day Judging: 50 points (participation—10 points; reflection paper #1—10 points; round robin participation—10 points; reflection paper #2—20 points)
6. Observation and/or interaction with youth in the community project: 50 points
7. Grade level exploration poster and paper: 50 points

Your course grade will be determined as follows: 400-360 A; (yes, there is no A-; I figure that if you earn 360 points, you deserve an A!); 359.5-355 B+; 354.5-325 B; 324.5-320 B-; 319.5-315 C+; 314.5-285; C: 284.5-280: C-; 279.5-275 D+; 274.5-240: D; (yes, there is no D-); 239.5 and below F

DOC’s late policies (Please read this!!!):
1) Reflections:
I will permit no more than ONE late reflection per student per semester ONLY if there is written documentation to support an excused absence. You MUST get my approval in advance of the reflection date and time.
If you take ALL of the reflections on time, but you would like the opportunity to re-take one of those reflections, please let me know. It is possible for you to do a make-up reflection to replace the grade you earned on one reflection. Please note that the grade for the make-up reflection will replace the grade on the first version…even if the grade on the make-up is lower than the grade earned on the original reflection.
A late reflection or a make-up reflection MUST be taken during one of the two times that I designate that make-up reflections may be taken. These dates will be announced in the weekly syllabus.
2) Papers and posters:
Papers and posters are due on the date assigned to you. If you turn your paper or poster in no later than one class period after the due date, you will lose 20% of the points possible on that part of the assignment. If you miss this first late due date for a paper or poster, you MUST turn any late papers or posters in by “the absolute latest deadline” of 1:22 p.m. on Monday, May 12, 2008. This is the beginning of final exam week. Papers or posters turned in by “the absolute latest deadline” will be penalized by 50% of the points possible on that assignment.

A special note on ATTENDANCE and PARTICIPATION:
This is an upper division communication course in which your active participation will assist you in acquiring the knowledge to enhance your understanding of children’s communication development and develop your communication skills with children and youth. I have the expectation that everyone in the class will show respect, demonstrate professionalism, and participate positively in class discussions and activities.
If you do not miss any class periods during the course of the entire semester (this also means not coming late or leaving early—that is defined as not coming to class more than 2 minutes after I have begun the class or leaving before I have dismissed the class), complete ALL assignments on time, and participate actively and positively in class discussions and activities, I will award you with 10 extra credit points.
Beginning with your 4th absence (remember, coming late or leaving early is counted as an absence), you will start to lose points. The schedule for this is as follows:
4th absence: minus 2 points
5th absence: minus an additional 4 points
6th absence: minus an additional 6 points
7th absence: minus an additional 8 points
8th absence and beyond: minus an additional 10 points
If you miss a class session, it is YOUR responsibility to get notes and class handouts from one of your classmates. I expect everyone to have two “note-taking partners” in class who will be responsible for keeping each other up-to-date.
If you miss a class session when work is returned, it is YOUR responsibility to come by my office during office hours to pick up your work.

Communication #1: EMAIL
When you email me, please use the phrase “DOC’s Comm 422” in the subject line. Sometimes legitimate emails end up in my junk or spam boxes, and I don’t want to miss your email!!!

Communication #2: BLOG
I have created a special blog dedicated to this class: http://docs422classspring08.blogspot.com/
I will invite each of you to be a member of this blog. I will need you to give me your email address to be invited to the blog as a reader and as an author.
The blog will include the course syllabus, all assignments, links to relevant web sites, and other information pertinent to this class.
Each Sunday I will post a "question of the week" about children's communication development on this blog. The answer to that question will pop up in a class session and/or the reading assigned for that week. Once you find the answer to that question, email me the correct answer to my HSU email account -- acr1@humboldt.edu -- no later than 8:58 a.m. Pacific Standard Time on the Friday of that week, and I will award you with one extra credit point. (Not a bad deal, eh?!) The first question will be posted on Jan. 27, 2008 around 10 a.m.

Communication #3: FACE-TO-FACE
I really enjoy talking about the communication of children and adolescents. I have a passion for teaching and taking about teaching! Please come by my office sometime to chat. I have a microwave and refrigerator in my office so we could even eat lunch together while we discuss communication development.

Plagiarism/cheating:
Plagiarism or cheating may lead to an “F” for the entire course. There may also be grounds for expulsion from Humboldt State University. Please take my advice: Don’t even think about plagiarizing or cheating!!! Acknowledging where you found the information that you are presenting in oral or written form by citing sources clearly and completely will actually impress me because it shows effort and ethics!

Students requiring accommodations:
If you are registered with the Student Disability Resource Center and would like to request appropriate accommodations regarding your participation and performance in this class, please contact me as soon as possible. If you need accommodations that require paperwork for the testing center, please get me the paperwork at least one week in advance of the reflection to be completed in class.

I look forward to working with you this semester on a very important topic:
Children’s Communication Development! So let’s begin!