WCC Communication
with Claire Sparklin
Welcome to Communication
Hi! I'm Claire Sparklin, your instructor for Communication this semester. Our meeting location might be different, but my excitement to meet you and have a great semester are still the same!
The information on this site will help you prepare for the semester.
THREE WAYS TO LEARN
On-Campus
On-campus classes offer you face-to-face interactions and a traditional classroom experience. Through class discussions, group interactions and interactive lectures, you'll get to know the course content. Grades and some assignments will use Blackboard, our online classroom. During Covid-19, on-campus protocols may include wellness assessments, temperature checks, social distancing and more. The need to change our class to online quickly may exist, but I'm prepared for that!
Virtual
Virtual classes offer you the connection of an on-campus class by using online meetings. For an hour and a half each week, our class will meet for activities, discussion and hands-on-learning. We'll even use smaller groups to get to know each other. The rest of instruction takes place online in Blackboard, our online classroom. You'll have weekly online meetings, announcements, supportive feedback on your assignments, e-mails returned within 24 hours during the week, online course content and online office hours for one-on-one support!
Online
Online classes allow the most flexibility for students to work when they have time. Weekly due dates mean that you can complete your assignments morning, noon or night. Online classes are designed by a team of teachers, designers and technicians, helping to make WCC the #1 Online Community College in Michigan! You'll receive weekly announcements, supportive feedback on your assignments, e-mails returned within 24 hours during the week, online course content and online office hours for one-on-one support!
About Claire Sparklin
I began my teaching career at Wayne State University where I did my graduate work in Communication and Instructional Technology. After graduation, I worked for Ford and automotive supplier Visteon designing online education. After the birth of my first child, I returned to teaching, this time at Eastern Michigan University. In 2002, I started teaching at Washtenaw Community College and could NOT be happier! I love WCC and if you don't love WCC, let me know! We'll figure out together how to get you what you need!
In my personal life, I'm married to a really, really nice guy. He makes me laugh! I like him a lot. In fact, I like him so much that I had a bunch of kids with him. Living with so many people under one roof makes finding a quiet place and bandwidth for a Zoom meeting a bit challenging at times, so I understand if you struggle with that, too!
When I'm not teaching, you'll find me swimming in my old crumbling in-ground pool, trying to fix my old crumbling in-ground pool, hiking, taking photographs or being asked, "What's for dinner?" a hundred times a day.
My big secret? You don't even know it, but I already like you!
WASHTENAW IS A SMART CHOICE
I've taught at Wayne State University, Eastern Michigan University and WCC. By far, WCC has been my favorite place to teach. You know why? My WCC students are the SMARTEST! They know that by choosing WCC, they can enjoy three key advantages:
Small Class Sizes. At many universities a Freshman or Sophomore level class means large lecture halls or online classes jammed with a 100 students. Not at WCC. Our Communication classes are capped at 25 or 30 students, whether they're online or in-person. That means, we can personalize your experience and make meaningful connections. And, I'll know your name!
Fraction of the Cost. The Communication classes I teach at WCC are the same classes that I taught at Wayne State and Eastern Michigan... only you're NOT paying as much as my other students did. Just imagine what you can do with all that money you saved!
You Get Me. (My mom told me to tell you that!) Seriously though, you get actual instructors who have trained their whole career to TEACH. At universities those Freshman and Sophomore level classes are often taught by Teaching Assistants with little to no teaching experience or training. At WCC, you get a host of teachers who LOVE teaching, just like me! This is my career and I want to be good at it!
TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS
To be successful in an online classroom, you should have a reliable internet connection and a computer with web camera. If you do not have one or any of these, please, contact me at csparklin @ wccnet.edu and we'll work together to access the college's resources. You deserve to be set up for success!
WHY STUDY COMMUNICATION?
BE VALUED
The knowledge, understanding, and skills that a student acquires through a program of study in Communication will help him or her become a valued asset in a variety of contexts—from organizations to politics, from families to multinational corporations. Communication graduates also appreciate how communication cuts across contexts and situations; it is the relational and collaborative force that constructs the social world.
GET HIRED
The ability to communicate is one of the most highly sought skills by employers. In fact, the 2018 National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) survey of 201 employers found that the knowledge and skills taught in Communication courses are essential to being hired, regardless of ones major.
MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Many programs of study in Communication embrace a deep commitment to ethical and civically productive communication; they bring these values to their students via service learning experiences and coursework that reinforces the ethical imperative of good communication. Students emerge from such programs with a commitment to using their education to make a difference.