Education & Communication Courses
The following are courses taught by Rosemary Scott Vohs at Western Washington University.
Click on course titles for more information.
Waiting Lists:
Waiting lists for courses are now available via Web4U online registration. If you are unsuccessful in registering for the class, put your name on the wait-list and make sure you come to the first day of class. Sending me an email helps too!
Education Courses (Woodring College of Education)
SEC 410 Dynamics of Teaching
Required of all secondary students the first quarter in the program. Methods and active learning of the use of visuals, vocals and verbals in becoming a better teacher/communicator in order to perfect teaching-learning as an expressive art. Examines differences in usage of the 3 "Vs" within multiple cultures. (Previous course title was "The Teacher As Actor") Enrollment restricted to students accepted to the Seconday Education Department.
*Note: This course is offered every quarter.
EDUC 309 Storytelling: Oral Narrative in History, Culture, and Society
Current trends and interdisciplinary applications of storytelling. Selection, adaptation and presentation of stories for various settings and audiences, with focus on the history of oral narrative traditions, cultural perspectives, and societal impact.
*Note: This course is accepted as a General Undergraduate Requirement in the area of Communication Block B. This course is offered every quarter.
EDUC 409 Advanced Storytelling
(Prerequisite: EDUC 309 and/or permission of instructor). Training in public storytelling performance in community and educational settings. Emphasizes personal performance development, practical public experience, storytelling teaching methods, and advanced study of the history and current trends in the growing field of storytelling.
*Note: This course is not currently scheduled separately for 2012/2013 but is cross-listed with EDUC 309 as an online/hybrid course.
(ELED 405 Books and Materials for Elementary Schools) *Note: This course name and number has been reconfigured as a multicultural/diverse literature course to fit the requirements of the Language, Literacy and Diversity major at WWU. An additional new course in Children's Literature is now offered for a wider audience - temporarily numbered EDUC 497.....
EDUC 497 Children's Literature: Appreciation and Presentation of Literature for Children and Adolescents
Explore the wonderful world of children's literature and discover ways to bring the page alive for all age-groups in classroom, home, and community settings. This course emphasizes wide reading of genres, book selection, dramatic presentation and innovative uses. The primary focus is on enhancing appreciation for the literature available for pre-school through teen audiences and how to present this literature in a way that inspires a love of literature, diverse learning and lifelong reading, using oral interpretation, reader's theatre and storytelling techniques.
*Note: This course will be offered as an online/hybrid course for summer 2012 & 2013.
EDUC 320 Readers Theatre
Adaptation of fiction and nonfiction into script form for K-12 classroom. Emphasis on teaching creative writing, literature appreciation, teamwork, and oral skills development.
*Note: This course is not currently scheduled for 2012-2013.
Communication Courses (Department of Communication)
COMM 101 Fundamentals of Speech Functional approach to effective communication. Emphasizes the application of principles to practical problems in speech for persons with little or no previous public speaking experience. Students with prior public speaking experience are advised to take COMM 235 (or EDUC 309) to satisfy their GUR requirements or other communication major application requirements.
COMM 331 Advanced Public Speaking
Prerequisite: Comm 101, 235 (or EDUC 309 - or instructor permission)
Theory and practice in the art of public discourse. Emphasizes naturally expressive communication and audience adaptation to create dynamic presentations in community and business settings.
*Note: This course is scheduled every quarter. Rosemary Vohs is scheduled to teach COMM 331 during winter 2013.
Miscellaneous Workshop Courses (Archive)
(Summer Workshop)
The Art and Power of Storytelling for All Ages
This workshop will teach you how to be an effective storyteller for children and adults. Topics will include selection of material (folklore, literary tales, personal and family stories, etc.), effective learning, practicing and performance techniques, how to work with a variety of audiences, how to design a storytelling program, etc. We will also examine the multicultural history of the oral tradition and the contemporary, interdisciplinary applications of the art of storytelling.
This workshop is not currently scheduled.
(Summer Workshop)
Teaching Oral Communication Skills in the K-8 Classroom
Many children and adults fear speaking in public. Teaching students at a young age how to speak with skill, enthusiasm and confidence will not only serve to meet the WA state EALR in communication, but will give children the foundation of a vital life-long skill. This workshop will cover specific teaching methods for giving children the tools they need to develop effective oral and physical communication skills, and reduce communication apprehension, through storytelling, reader's theatre, oral interpretation of literature, and public speaking.
This workshop is not currently scheduled.
For an article (2005) on these two summer courses Click here
EXT 317 The Power of Storytelling in Action: Practical Field Applications
The art of storytelling has applications in numerous interdisciplinary areas. This course offers students in various fields the opportunity to apply the art of storytelling to their specific areas of interest and a unique occasion to attend a wide variety of events at the annual National Storytelling Conference.
This conference takes place in a different location across the country every other July.
This course has open enrollment for anyone registered for NSC regardless of location. Students may choose to register for EDUC 309/409 as an alternative.
Full conference details and conference registraion can be found via www.storynet.org
Heirloom Storytelling: Passing on your Family Stories
It used to be that grandparents sat at the hearth with their grandchildren, filling the long dark evenings with stories of their lives and ancestors, or whiled away the hours on a sunny porch front weaving tall tales to amuse young and old alike. Today, media, distance, and busyness often separate the generations, and our stories are not told or remembered. This hands-on workshop will show you creative ways to pass on your family stories to the younger generation so they will not be forgotten.
This workshop is offered through WWU's Academy for Lifelong Learning
This workshop is not currently scheduled.