Reflective Journal #4: Speaking to Inform.

  In Weeks 4-5, your classmates prepared tutorial videos about Lucas topics related to informative speaking. This is all critical knowledge for developing a quality informative speech presentation.

First and foremost, we must know our audience. As was discussed in our Zoom tutorial: What does your audience know? What do they not know? And what do they need to know? If you are able to answer these questions well, you are on your way to a high quality topic. If you have a high quality topic, you are on your way to a high quality presentation. And with a high quality presentation... well you can make the next logical leaps from there.

For this blog entry, I want you to view 2 of your classmates tutorial videos. Share 1 learning you gained from each of them. And then in addition, reflect on how you plan to apply that learning to the preparation of your Informative Speech presentation. My hope is that we can see the theory of the Lucas text translate directly to practice as we go.

Make your post by Sunday night. Respond to 2 classmates afterwards. Remember to include your ID# in each of your posts to gain full participation credit. Aj. M

Reflective Journal #3: Informative Speaking.

  

At the Google Site (and also posted here) is a speech by Prof. Amy Cuddy. This isn't just any regular Ted Talk. It is the 2nd most viewed Ted Talk of all time. And guess what, it is about confidence, and making ourselves powerful when we need to be, in many situations including public speaking.

This is an informative speech. It is also an academic speech with lots of research, data, charts and graphs.

But you will also note that the research and data is also supported with examples and stories that make the academic knowledge real and personal. This is no doubt one reason why this speech has resonated so deeply with so many people.

For this Reflective Journal post, I want you to observe 3 things.

1) Note how she uses Spoken References, mentioning the names of sources whose work she is citing. 2) Consider how she personalizes the speech, and how she uses common and easy-to-understand illustrations to help the audience relate to the academic content. And 3) make one more observation of your own about the speech making. 

My hope is that these observations will give you ideas about your own preparation and design for your Informative Speech presentation.

Remember to include your ID# in your post. Please make your first post by Friday, and then respond to two of your classmates by next week. Aj. M

Reflective Journal #2: Week 1 & 2 Lucas Tutorials.

In Week 3, we will have our first try at public speaking, albeit at a distance.

I think that we'll find that even though our textbook readings are more targeted at face-to-face situations, the principles of public speaking still apply for our purposes. We still need Confidence, as speaking in this format still inspires nervousness and fear. We still need a clear Purpose with strategic Main Points. Even though we are behind a computer screen, our Voice and our Body is still powerful in the way we convey our ideas and our personality.

Thank you to the students who posted their Week 1 tutorials. By Friday, we will have our Week 2 Lucas tutorials as well. And so for this journal post, I would like everyone to select 2 of the tutorial videos that your classmates made for you. View the videos and reflect on your first Personal Speech. This is important because your assessment is based on much of the content covered in Lucas.

In your post, I would like you to identify one idea from each of the tutorial videos you watch, and share what was a new learning for you. And then reflect on how you can apply it in your Personal Speech. You may also reflect on how you would improve these points in your speech assignments going forward.

Please make your first post by your speech day. After, please respond to 2 classmates' posts. In your response you can agree with them or add more to what they wrote. The intention is to generate some discussion. The response posts are due by class time on Week 4.

Please remember to include your ID# in your post. Aj. M