Self Critique (#11)

Post a self critique of yourself in this blog. Discuss your three strengths and three improvements as the course winds down. Expand on a course of action for making necessary improvements in the future.

Networking in the Elevator (#10)

Reflect back to the comments shared during your elevator speech in class. What would you do different in organizing your 30 second talk in the elevator. Rewrite your speech here with the suggested changes in class. Do not change the scenario or talk from class. Rewrite the talk using the same scenario.

Impromptu Speeches

Please post your critiques for the impromptu (elevator speeches) here.

Persuasive Speech Critiques

Please post your critiques to the persuasive speech here.

Networking (#9)

We discussed in class the mechanics of impromput speaking. It is time to make application to a networking situation. What would your 30 second commercial sound like if you unexpectly meant someone who could help you network yourself in a professional matter? Be sure to be clear about your objective. Promote yourself by illustrating a past experience, knowledge, skill or ability that you could bring to the situation. In what ways could you be sure to keep the contact vital after the conversation?

What's Your Speaking Perception?

What kinds of perceptions are created in your speech? Can you discuss a time when someone judged you or created a false perception of you based on your speech? Was it your accent or some other quality of the tone of your voice (rate, pitch, volume)? Was it your word choices? Vocabulary? Sarah Palin, a 2008 Republican Vice President Nominee has an Alaskan accent? Will you judge her capability or credibility for the role of Vice President by her voice qualities? Do you automatically jump to conclusions or have preconceived perceptions about someone based on a person’s speech qualities? Share with us briefly the situation, what was the incorrect perception, and your self-reflective thoughts on the incidence? Could you have created a different perception by changing your speech? Comments due Nov.12

Creating An Impact with Visual Aids

We have discussed how to use powerpoint correctly to contribute to producing an effective message. What other types of visual aids could be used in a speech to creae an impact. Think outside the box and past the list of visuals that we dicussed in class and are mentioned in the text, eg., models, charts, etc. What creative ways could technology, and the internet sites be used? Or, what other types of visuals can you come up with has examples? Give two hypothetical situations and the type of visual aid that would be utilized in each speech. Comment due Nov.5

Informative Speech Critiques

Post your comments to our first informative speech here in this blog post. Be sure to include three strengths and three improvements. The comments must details and include both delivery and content comments. I am looking for depth in your responses. Be sure to include in your critique suggestions for how to make needed improvements.

Toastmasters

What is toastmasters? Toastmasters ia an organization that has been around for 84 years helping people develop and practice their speaking skills. This international organization offers chapters in many places including corporations to help their employees enhance their leadership and communication skills. Check out this link to visit the toastmasters web site for background information.

Then, check out this ">youtube clip of a winning toastmaster speech.

What makes this speech a winning speech? Apply the criteria of effective communicators to this speaker. Is it style? Substance? Both? What works for you as the listener? What ways does he engage his audience in his speech? Breakdown the elements of delivery and content to illustrate the elements of a winning toastmaster speech.

Checking out the messages in the Presidential Debate on October 15, 2008

Please post a blog critique for each of the candidates in this week's blog. Listen to more than body language in this last and final debate before the election. Check out the verbal messages shared by both the candidates. Which messages are factual and which are just spin? Take one message from each candidates message in this debate and research it. Then, post your research findings in comparison to how it was stated by the candidate. Is it okay, if a candidate isn't totally honest in debates? Which is more important to you when choosing a candidate? Competence or Character?

Nonverbal Communication in the Vice Presidential Debate

The blog assignment this week is to analyze the body language communicated during the recent vice presidential debate. Check out this brief clip. Watch the clip with the sound off. What are the messages that the candidates are sending? Which candidate is communicating a more likeable message for you with their nonverbal? Does the evaluation that you have formed change when the clip is watched again with the sound on?

Nonverbal Communication and Public Speaking (#3)

What messages are being communicated by a speaker in a presentation? Watch the following speeches: Sarah Palin and Joseph Biden. First watch the speeches with the sound off. Note what you are receiving as a message strictly through their body language. Check out their body posture, stance, hand and arm movements, facial expressions etc. Then, watch the speeches again and compare the messages. Does the message change when verbal communication is included in the presentation? Is there another message that is introduced or conflicts with the message received with the body language? Which message are you listening to? Which message is the loudest? This post is due Wednesday, October 1st for class discussion.

Ethics and Public Speaking (#2)

Our text book, The Art of Public Speaking by Stephen E. Lucas teaches why ethics in both speaking and listening are essential for public speakers. Please blog on the following hypothetical situation and be sure to keep in mind the textbook's suggestions for ethical speechmaking.

A student presents a persuasive speech in class. The speech content includes language that is interpreted by many of the fellow classmates as insulting and abusive. Do you think it is proper for an instructor to create boundaries on student’s speech language? Should a college or university discipline a student who uses offensive language that is directed towards another person’s race, gender, religion or sexual orientation? Should this kind of language be allowable if it relates or supports the speaker’s point of view?

Presenting An Impression (#1)

The goal of this assignment is to further deepen the knowledge acquired in class this semester in producing an effective speech presentation, please include the following criteria as a comment to this blog before our next class meeting

Find a clip of a presenter (celebrity, athlete, politician, etc.) on Youtube or some other video outlet available to you on the Internet, and evaluate why you feel he or she makes an impact on you through his/her speech. You can use the feedback form you will be using to evaluate your peer's presentation next week as a reference for what to look for in this review. This presenter can be making a speech, giving an interview or in a film as a character who makes an impact on you. The clip should not be more than two minutes (it is just a small part of the whole presentation). Place the url address of the link in the blog for me and your peers to look at as they review your posting. Additionally, be prepared to share why you chose this person in our class meeting on Monday. As stated, you can use Youtube, news site (CNN.com, msnbc.msn.com) live.com/video, TED Talks site or some other video sharing location on the web.

Welcome to Communication 2405

Welcome to Public Speaking! We will be utilizing a blog in this course. It will be a place to share our course information and share our speaking experiences from class. Blogging on our class blog will be an important method of capturing our thoughts. It is an important class requirement that you visit this blog a few times during the week to keep abreast of assignments and other important class information.

Every student will be posting blogs here during the week. It is important that you remember that this is an extension of our academic classroom. You must use appropriate grammar, spelling and ideas in all your posts. Also, trying to rush through an assignment or making an weak effort in posting will be evident for all persons to see. Also, be sure to adhere to copyright issues in all posting. Only your original work whether words or pictures may be used. Please check out the course links on the blog throughout the semester for helpful places needed while in this course. You should feel free to email me at the address on the syllabus at any time for help, questions, concerns, or possible class absences.

The first assignment for everyone is as follows: You must practice blog posting so you will be ready for your blog posts this semester. So, reply to this blog with a short introduction about yourself. Share with us your course of study, favorite interests or some unusual piece of information that will help you to remembered by the rest of the class. You should create a sign on using google for easy posting here. Please do not use your full name when posting. Everyone should use their first name and first letter of their last name. Using an unfamiliar name will make it difficult for the instructor and other class members to know the author of the posting. This blog post is due by our next class.