The purpose of YOUR STORY is to build individual capacity for meaningful storytelling and intentional listening.

1. First Year Experience
Bring YOUR Aspirations
FYS 121-012 | Class Number - 5161
Ahi First Year Seminar: YOUR STORY
01/14/20 - 05/08/20
T/Th - 11:10 AM-12:25 PM
Communication - Room 246
“The story of your
life is not your life. It
is YOUR STORY.”
- John Brown, Novelist
First Year Seminar 121
Spring 2020 | Credit Hours - 3
Instructor
Chad Williamson
813.293.8969
chad.williamson@nau.edu
Office Hours - by appointment
Peer Facilitator
Adalynn Mills
973-216-0003
akm358@nau.edu

2. “When a story is shared, the audience feels the story. Our whole brain is
activated and meaning is extracted. The meaning of the story comes from
the personal connection the audience feels when they’re listening to the
story. And when a story is well told, they’re able to feel connected not just
to the story, but to the storyteller.”
- Dr. Jennifer Aaker, ​The Power of Story
Course Purpose
The purpose of ​YOUR STORY​ is to build individual capacity for meaningful storytelling
and intentional listening.
Challenges
Human experience is deeply rooted in story...both telling and listening. Being
comfortable with being uncomfortable is an energy that each student will embrace
through the process of capacity building for storytelling. Students will enter into a
“challenge by choice” philosophy, which requires a stretch mindset to stay in between
comfort and panic. It’s much like stretching a rubber band. We will collectively untangle
stories to provide more clarity and meaning.
Rubber has some strange elastic
properties. It is a polymer – that
means that the rubber molecules
are made of long chains of
atoms. When a rubber band is
unstretched (relaxed state) the
molecule chains are all twisted up
(Figure 1(a)). As the rubber is
stretched they begin to untangle
themselves as shown in Figure
1(b).

3. Skills
There is an abundance of language around “soft” skills and “hard” skills. Although soft
skills are not so soft, it’s important to understand the official definitions as it relates to
this course and the ability to build both.
Soft
1. personal attributes that enable someone to interact effectively and harmoniously
with other people.
Hard
1. teachable and measurable abilities, such as writing, reading, math or ability to
use computer programs.
Tangible soft skills of this course will require intentional listening and reflection to
become a better storyteller. Hard skills will include effective writing and oral
communication with the foundation of qualitative reasoning.
Course Grading
Work turned in on time = 100%
Work turned in late = 50%
Work not turned in at all = 0
*All “outputs” on the schedule are graded assignments
Attendance
In a First Year Seminar course, attendance is not optional...it is required. So, all you
have to do is show up to receive credit. If you must miss class, please communicate
with the instructor or peer facilitator through email in a timely manner with a credible
reason for absence.

4. Course Outcomes
This is ​Your Story​.
Every student will create their own outcomes per
quarter and will be provided with essential questions to
navigate outcomes for each specific quarter.
Documenting outcomes is difficult and could be very
different for each student. At the beginning of each
quarter, the instructor will provide an overview for that
time period and students will create a long-term
outcome brief (250 words or less). At the beginning of
each class, the instructor will introduce the daily activity
and every student will create a short-term outcome statement in 12 words or less. This
is a student-centered approach.
Logic Model
Instructor Facilitation → Student Centered → Peer Feedback
Input Activity Output Outcome Impact
Quarter #1 Per Instructor Who Per Student Per Peer
Quarter #2 Per Instructor Why Per Student Per Peer
Quarter #3 Per Instructor Where Per Student Per Peer
Quarter #4 Per Instructor How Per Student Per Peer
Teaching Style - Facilitation
Pedagogy is a word used frequently in the academic world...here’s the official definition:
1. the method and practice of teaching, especially as an academic subject or
theoretical concept.
The pedagogy of this course is anti-lecture. Students will be challenged as individuals,
in groups, and as a collective. Daily activities will be the driving force behind learning
outcomes and impact.

5. Course Structure
1st Quarter​ - Who?
● Weeks 1-4
● Classes 1-8
2nd Quarter​ - Why?
● Weeks 5-8
● Classes 9-16
Midterm​ ​- Individual Pitch Deck
3rd Quarter​ - Where?
● Weeks 9-12
● Classes 17-24
4th Quarter​ - How?
● Weeks 13-16
● Classes 25-32
Final​ ​- Individual Trailer and/or Documentary
Well?