Molly Wertheimer 

PSU Hazleton

Dr. Wertheimer holds three degrees from Penn State University: a bachelor’s in psychology and a master’s and doctorate in speech communication. She focuses on effective speech communication and criticism, communications and media, communication and conflict resolution, and women’s rhetorical activities, from ancient Egypt to contemporary times. Dr. Wertheimer has authored, co-authored, and edited several books, including Elizabeth Hanford Dole: Speaking from the Heart, with co-author Nichola D. Gutgold. Presently, she is working on a book on the autobiographies of American first ladies. She has served as chair for the Penn State Commission for Women and discipline coordinator of Arts and Humanities for University College, the administrative base for fourteen of Penn State’s campuses. From 2010-2012, Dr. Wertheimer served as the interim director of academic affairs at Penn State Worthington Scranton. She is a life member of several professional associations, including the American Society for the History of Rhetoric, the Rhetoric Society of America, the National Communication Association and the Eastern Communication Association.

Project Details

Communications Arts and Sciences 100C Authoring Project

 

Course Goals:

 

  • To develop your ability to listen critically to the persuasive messages of others
  • To apply several different critical tools to evaluate speeches and other mediated messages
  • To develop your ability to make effective persuasive messages whether speaking face-to-face, in small groups, or using different media

 

Proposal Plan:

 

“I want to provide students with the material they need to become more critical listeners and compelling speakers. I plan to author an open textbook with pages that explain key concepts from the rhetorical tradition, methods of analyzing different kinds of messages, and instructions on how to present completed analyses (or any other material) to an audience. In addition to writing text, I plant to illustrate concepts by using diagrams and drawings, small audio and video clips, and other material to help students learn. I plan to continue developing additional renewable assignments, breaking the assignments down into manageable steps such as 1) using resources to find speeches, films, and so on to critique, 2) creating templates for each of the critical methods students will use in their analyses—both “blank” for them to fill in with their own material as well as “filled-in” with my sample analyses, 3) creating templates for PowerPoint presentations, and so on. Each semester I create more and more pieces for students to use. I would like to create more material, and then pull all of it together and write the connections to make it coherent open textbook.”