XIWAI COURSE SYLLABUS

2014-03-16

　

 

OFFICE:	Admin. Building, 3rd floor meeting room
OFFICE HOURS:	9am- 4:30pm MON- FRI
INSTRUCTOR’S PHONE:	Chris 15000305489 (English) Wendy 13651981225 (Chinese)
E-MAIL ADDRESS:	middlekingdom@chinamail.com (Chris) huwenning1225@hotmail.com (Wendy)
WEB PAGE:	http://www.xw.sjedu.cn (school)
COURSE PAGE:	(http://middlekingdom.wix.com/xiwaidebate)
CLASS HOURS:	Grade 10 2:45pm-3:25pm THURSDAYS Grade 11 3:35pm-4:15pm MONDAYS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A. DESCRIPTION

This course involves a careful examination of debate practices. The intention of this course is to prepare, motivate, and teach the student how to begin the Xiwai M.U.N.S Program. The Xiwai M.U.N.S. Program is Xiwai’s version of the Model United Nations System. It takes the prime use of the Model United Nations as a tool of technical communication and for solving global problems. Emphases are on development of basic research skills, debate, team building, speech, English communication, global issues, and self-awareness.  It is an exploratory, first course in intermediate English primarily for students planning to enroll in speech programs, politics, law, debate, and university English courses upon completion of this course. However, it also meets the needs of many students with other interests, as a refresher course in Business English, Creative Writing, Research, T.V. Production, a course for upgrading oral and written communication skills, a course for Honor students training to be public school teachers, or a course that provides students with a general "feel" for the subject of debate.

B. ORGANIZATION

This is a debate-lab course in which the instructor presents real topics, practice materials are explained, and students complete assigned tasks both during class periods and outside of class. Objectives and situational issues are given daily, and there is a comprehensive final exam held by instructor and peer reviewed live debates. The introductory beginning lesson course is a prerequisite for the beginning regular-program Xiwai M.U.N.S. course. DRAFT 1 students generally have had neither high school or other debate training, nor experience in English public speaking. So when students in this course proceed to the regular-program Xiwai M.U.N.S. course, if they do, they will be at approximately the same level of expertise as those who have had previous training or experience and who are permitted to waive DRAFT 1 (comparatively to typical 2^nd year undergraduates). This basic course therefore assumes no previous experience or training, so the initial emphases are on the use of equipment and basic procedures.

C. COURSE OBJECTIVES

To introduce students to the use of research tools, to deliberating procedures, and to acceptable practice standards of work in the Model U.N. forum.

To introduce students to various forms of oral representations and needed selection of representatives appropriate to specific needs.

To introduce students to time and quality Model U.N. production requirements.

To orient students to the range of research methods, topics, and occupations that characterizes the real United Nations.

5. To provide students with opportunities to develop basic professional debating skills in respect to international peer level high schools, working neatly and accurately, modeling, and reflecting.

D. COURSE TOPICS

The course will cover the following topics:

        Team building

        Rules and basic procedures

        Researching; file compilation

        Basics of caucusing

        Drafting non-caucused points of view

        How to use time more effectively

        Parliamentary procedures

        How to develop your countries portfolio

        How to disagree acceptably

Developing fundamentals for international relations

Self exploration and development

Introduction to public speaking

Introduction to web research

 E. REQUIRED SUPPLIES

        No required text: teacher issued assignments only

 Supplies:

Preliminary- pen/pencil and notebooks,

Secondarily- country portfolios and flag

 F. GRADING PLAN

Coursework will be weighted as follows:

1. Debating (using English) 45%
2. Researching 25%
3. Classwork activities (including quizzes + final exams) 20%
4. Attendance 10%   
5. Grade total of 100%
6. Class grade modifier BONUS from grading rubric

 TEAM EXERCISES

A team exercise will be assigned almost every class period. Each exercise will be graded unless there are major errors or omissions and it is returned for correction or completion. Exercises with minor detail or other non-conceptual errors will be graded as submitted, and letter grades will be given.

Exercise due dates will be given to you for each assignment. Assignments will usually be due at the beginning of class periods on the due dates (unless specifically stated otherwise). Unless you are absent on the day an assignment is due, it will not be accepted later than at the beginning of the class period when it is due. If you are absent from class when an exercise is due, it will be accepted late -- but only if submitted immediately upon your return and only if an acceptable, written "excuse," is presented. If you cannot attend class when an exercise is due and cannot provide an acceptable written excuse, you should send your work to class with a teammate, classmate, friend, family member, or other person. An "acceptable" excuse for an absence is only one, which is judged so by the instructor. Due dates will not be changed because of earlier absences unless the instructor chooses to do so.

QUIZZES:

There will be many student presentations and other quizzes. Quizzes will relate to current and previous topics. A quiz may be given at any time during any class period -- immediately after a lecture, at the beginning or end of a class, etc. There will be no make-up quizzes -- none even later during the same class period. Quizzes will be given only to those students who are present when the quizzes are passed out.

FINAL EXAMS:

The final exams will be comprehensive and Research-type.  Final exams will be used

Your instructor will give final exams during the end of both first and second semesters.  The instructor will be responsible for giving you a task-based (performance) exam as well as a vocabulary test of the words you have studied.  The vocabulary score will give you the grade for section #3 on the grading plan (stated above in figure F).

ATTENDANCE:

Attendance will be graded as follows:

• No absences         A+
• One absence         A-
• Two absences        B+
• Three absences      B-
• Four absences       C
• Five absences        F

Any significant tardy or early departure from class will be figured as a half absence.

Also, anyone who has more than four class-long, unexcused absences will receive an "F" grade for the COURSE. Keep in mind that this is a group and individual course, and attendance is important here just as it will be in the employment for which this course is in part designed to prepare you for in the future.  You will be required to meet privately with the instructor (in his or her office) at least one time during each semester during class time early in the course. You will also complete at least two evaluation-type surveys during the course.

G. CLASSROOM RULES OF CONDUCT

1. No music is allowed in class unless operated with headphones during drawing or research activity time and ONLY with the instructor’s permission.
2. No drawing, sleeping, or playing during lecture periods- make your professional presence be know by giving your instructor your undivided attention when they are speaking. This means no talking when they are presenting. This also applies to you talking out of turn during presentations or making unprofessional remarks about others.
3. Class research time is expected to be spent in research work. Research work is not free time for doing other work NOT related to this class.
4. Respect others time and don’t be a constant rule-breaker- Learn to have fun working together and presenting at a class acceptable level or rate.
5. NO FOOD OR DRINK OF ANY KIND WILL BE ALLOWED DURING CLASS TIME IN OUR CONFERENCE ROOM! NONE! ZERO! If you have to take medicine you or liquid it will be done OUTSIDE the class.
6. You will be required to clean up your areas before you will be allowed to leave the conference room- no exceptions beyond natural disasters and emergencies.

H. EMERGENCY PROCEEDURES

Evacuation Procedures- Exit the room using the path to the right side staircase until you reach floor one. After reaching floor one precedes to the rear guard gate Xiwai Entrance/Exit and form two lines parallel to the fence. Be sure that you are in a neat line and not restricting others from exiting or entry to the school gates. Your instructor will then perform a roll-call inspection to make sure everyone has escaped safely.

Emergency Ambulance- in the event that someone needs first aid the instructor will review your state and contact the emergency helpline via mobile phone.  If no mobile phone or signal is present a group of two responsible students will be sent to the second floor office to request any office or administrators to call the national emergency helpline and give instructions on the closest gate locations for ambulance entry into the Xiwai campus.  Afterwards, the students will report that they have help coming and ask for the school nurse to be sent to the emergency location immediately.

First Aid- Please contact the local Xiwai nurse or go to any of the administration floor two rooms and ask for a first aid kit.  If the situation is abnormal request the nurse before moving or physically moving the accident victim (as you should with ambulance emergency victims).  Always get permission to exit and re-enter the classroom from the instructor.

H. EMERGENCY PROCEEDURES- continued

Campus Security- No student is allowed to leave the classroom before the

Class time has expired without permission.  If a perpetrator enters or exits the room that is not identified (Xiwai school badge) as belonging to the M.U.N.S. class campus security will be phoned by the instructor immediately.  In the case where there is violence amongst the students in such a large class the student/s involved will be suspended from this class and considered hostile to the learning environment.  The offending student will be expelled from this program completely and or face school expulsion.

 I. YOUR IDEAS, EVALUATIONS, ETC.

In general, your ideas, comments, suggestions, questions, grade challenges, etc. are welcome. Your discretion in these matters is expected, however. No part of your grade will be based on anything other than your coursework and attendance.

You are encouraged to take advantage of instructor office hours for help with coursework or anything else connected with the course and your progress.

J. SUGGESTIONS FOR SUCCESS

For most students this will not be a "difficult" course. However, there will probably be some students who did well in academic courses where information was most important and who will be surprised at the relative difficulty of this course where communication skills and oral performances are most important. So do not think that if you are a "B" student you will probably get a "B" in this course. You might get an "A" with relative ease . . . or a "C" with difficulty, and still be (and correctly so) a "B student" in other courses. The courses that follow this will be significantly different in that they have more rules and require higher aptitudes of formalized communication through time management.  If you love to talk and know how to manage your time, your going to find this course interesting and challenging.