READING: Begin to read the first two chapters of Looking Out, Looking In.

OBJECTIVES: The topics of our class have obvious relevance to our lives and the potential for immeasurable personal benefits toward our relationships. The course will emphasize the transactional nature of relationships handled in a constructive, respectful manner. We all need to communicate as it is very important to our own physical health and to the health of those around us as well. Our sense of identity comes from the way we interact with other people; we decide who we are based upon how others react to us. This course should help you with a wide selection of behaviors and skills to use in future relationships. This will include:

"Getting to know one another."

It is important that students feel as comfortable as possible to experience less anxiety in trying out new communication behaviors and to learn and practice new skills. That is what this course is all about: Interpersonal communication. The first objective of this course is to learn about one another. Every individual student will write a short history of his/her self, presenting to the class via the Discussion Board important information that make up their personality, including hobbies, special interests, pets, family, hometown, personal values, embarrassing moments, accomplishments, educational background and goals, people you admire; anything that the class would find interesting about you.

The entire course will be conducted via the discussion pages with written assignments based upon your text, and "out of class" assignments (which means you will be given assignments to interact with others outside of class and report on the results). You will also be required to take quizzes each week. This first assignment and all subsequent assignments are due by midnight Monday each week. I do not accept late assignments due to the interactive nature of the discussion board. Late assignments would not receive adequate feedback from other students and so they are not allowed.