Rhetoric in an Internet Age

Rhetoric in an Internet Age is a course designed to develop techniques used in interpersonal, group, public, social media and other mass communication settings. The focus will be on developing individual ability to communicate Christian thought for effective engagement with culture. Students will learn how to communicate using modern tools such as social media, blogs, PowerPoint presentations and more.

Rhetoric in an Internet Age is a 16 week course in which students will complete weekly assigned readings, weekly discussion forums, and develop a portfolio. The student portfolio will consist of one short essay (approximately 1,000 words), two blog entries (approximately 500 words each), one PowerPoint presentation speech (approximately 10 minutes or 25 slides), a personal bio (300-500 words), and a resume or CV. The purpose of this portfolio is to give students a well-rounded experience of the many tools available to communicate Christian truth in today’s world.

(This course will be available to grades 10-12)

Course Objectives:

1. Give a well-developed, focused, oral presentation.
2. Effectively communicate Christian ideas through the use of modern tools.
3. Create visually stimulating imagery for use with oral presentations and for social media posts.
4. Understand the effective use of mass media in development of branding and platform.
5. Describe and evaluate the utilization of social media to develop social movements.

Texts:

• Ken Davis, Secrets of Dynamic Communication: Prepare with Focus, Deliver with Clarity, Speak with Power (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2013), ISBN-13: 978-0849921902.
• Nancy Duarte, Slideology: The Art and Science of Creating Great Presentations (Sebastopol, CA: O’Reilly Media Inc., 2008), ISBN-13: 978-0596522346.
• Michael Hyatt, Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2012), ISBN-13: 978-1595555038.
• Jennifer Aaker and Andy Smith, The Dragonfly Effect: Quick, Effective, and Powerful Ways To Use Social Media to Drive Social Change (San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2010), ISBN-13: 978-0470614150.
• Ryan N.S. Topping, The Elements of Rhetoric: How to Write and Speak Clearly & Persuasively (Kettering, OH: Angelico Press, 2016), ISBN-13: 978-1-62138-196-9

Supplementary Texts (Not Required):

• Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business (New York, NY: Penguin Books, 2005), ISBN: 978-0143036531.

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