Chapter 16 interests

I found chapter sixteen interesting, this chapter is about speaking in special occasions.  It gives different tips for each type of speeches.  Some of these speeches include; after-dinner speeches, award presentations, tributes and eulogies.  The tips for  after-dinner speeches are to be entertaining and light hearted.  These speeches usually include jokes or humor.  It also says to focus on a theme.  They should have some type of point to them.  For acceptance speeches the speaker should be thankful and humble.  Thank the people who helped you succeed.  I hate it when people on award shows go on and on about it though.. I mean sum it up!  The next tip is to be succinct; get to the point.  According to the text, in the Webby awards, accepting speakers are only allowed five words.  I think all accepting speakers should have a limit on how much they can talk for.

Chapter 15 videos

Both of the speech buddy videos were helpful to me.  It was even more helpful that one of them is on my topic.  I found this useful because I could see how he intrigued the audience, making them want to listen more although the topic may not directly affect them.  In the pro video, she had a good pitch to her voice.  She announced her authority, her positions and solutions.  She told the audience she was going to prove something to them.  Her visual was what if we went into public school and didn't know if we would come out alive.  This gave me a clear visual to what her position was on pro home schooling.  She gave quotes, and you could tell she was very knowledgeable on her topic.  In the con video, he gives a good introduction. He told the audience that all came from different backgrounds of schooling, which was a reason for them to want to listen.  He is very interested in his topic, making me want to listen even more.  He asked questions to his audience which I really liked.  I learned a lot from these videos for my persuasive speech.   And I learned many new ways to organize the speech as well.

My main points

My next speech is on the negatives of homeschooling.  My three main points are; there is not much socialization in homeschooling, the teachers can be poorly qualified, and there is little emphasis on testing or assessment of the child's knowledge.  I would say that most of my audience has some knowledge about the topic of homeschooling.  But they probably this it doesn't apply to them so they will not be interested.  I need to intrigue them so they are interested and want to listen to my speech.  I have to show the audience why they should be interested.  I need to use strong supporting evidence to show this.  I need to also show that the topic will impact them.  This makes it more relevant to them, and they are more likely be more persuaded by me.  I can also persuade them by showing enthusiasm towards the topic.  I also will take a one-sided approach to the topic of homeschooling, in order to persuade my audience to my point of view.

Sea of Persuasion

In today's society we are always being persuaded.  Even our friends and families try to persuade us to do things.  Not only do our families and friends persuade us but the media as well.  Everyday, we are surrounded by influences of media and do not realize.  We walk down the street and pass the multiple billboards persuading us to buy products.  You also are influenced by media on television.  Commercials are trying to persuade people to buy products constantly, and they are definitely very influential.  I have not had much experience when it comes to persuasive experience when it comes to public speaking.  I need to become more critical of people's persuasive messages.  I can do this by thinking do I agree with what they are saying, and does it make logical sense.

chapter 14

   In chapter fourteen it explained Monroe's motivational sequence, which is the parts to a persuasive speech.  The first part is the attention.  This is when you relate the topic to the audience in order to gain their attention.  Therefore, make it relevant to them so they want to listen in more detail.  Then you must show the need, which is the problem or harm.  Then the satisfaction, which describes the solution to the problem.  You must also give a visualization, giving somewhat of a story or visual on how the solution is beneficial, or of how if the problem is not fixed, what can happen in the long run.  This is almost like a dramatization.  Lastly is the action, this is where you tell the audience what they can do to help with the proposed problem.  Each of these steps build from each other.

13.3

I found chapter ten on using language effectively the most useful in this weeks reading.  The text reminds you that words do have multiple meanings, and that individuals interpret words differently.  Idioms are expressions that mean something other than the literal meaning of the words.  This is similar to the flicker article we had to read about sexist language.  The text tells the speaker not to use cliches in their presentations because cliches are so overused the audience might think they've already heard the presentation and tend to tune it out.  It also talks about audience centered language, which was reviewed in the speech buddy videos. 

13.2

   The article on sexist language was interesting.  It's not something I think about when developing my speech but it is a good thing to keep in mind.  I wouldn't want to offend my audience.  The example of sexist language in the article is labeling an adult women as a girl, or every man likes a sporty girl.  A good thing to keep in mind from this article is,"Words carry meanings and attitudes."  That's a good thing to think about when writing your speech, and try not to use sexist words, or words with double meaning that could be taken negatively.

13.1

In the video 10.1 it discussed engaging the audience with language, which helps make the audience feel involved.  The video gives three ways to do this, which is refer to current events, use pronouns such as we, us, you and I, which makes the audience feel like they are part of the speech, and use inclusive language.  When using non-inclusive language it can offend members of your audience.  Another tip is to use visuals such as: similes, metaphors, parallelism, rhyme, alliteration, and antithesis, also spark the audiences imagination.  In video 10.2 I learned how to make language choices.  It gives tips to; use meaningful words, balance between clarity and ambiguity, be concise, avoid offensive language, build in repetition, and don't get attached to words.  In 12.1 I learned what to keep in mind with vocal delivery.  This includes; volume, pitch, rate, variety, and articulation and pronunciation.  In 12.2 physical delivery is discussed.  I learned a lot from this.  It is a reminder of all the things to remember while delivering your speech; eye contact, facial expressions, gestures, body movements, and appearance.  I learned the most from video 12.3.  It gave ways to practice your speech prior to presentation.  First start with a presentation outline, and then go to a complete sentence outline.  During this write down words that will trigger your memory; put those on note cards.  It is OK to adjust presentation during each practice, it doesn't need to be the same every time.  Go over outline out loud, practice in sections, and practice in front of friends.  

Second Speech

I presented this speech to my roommate; Amanda, and Rosita, and my neighbors; Eric, Adam, and Chris. I thought they would be a good audience because they all have taken comm. 20 class. This time around I added more facts to my speech, to make it longer. They timed me and this time it was 5 minutes and 10 seconds. I used the same visual, although I would have wanted a Power Point as well. Yea I improved on my speech this time around, compared to when I presented in class. I think I was more comfortable presenting to them, than the class because they’re my friends. I also knew the material more since I had just presented. The things I forgot during the actual presentation, I didn’t this time, such as one of the citations I forgot the first time.
If I had to do the speech again, I would have a PowerPoint, along with the photo album visual I used. I would also memorize the entire speech and try it without any note cards. The group gave me good feedback. They said I could work on body language a bit. I do tend to cross my legs while presenting. They also suggested for me to just talk, and not sound like I am reading off of something. The group said overall I did a good job, and they learned something from my presentation. Their feedback was helpful in improving my speech. This exercise was very useful. I got to get others peoples opinion from outside the class, which is always good to do.

Self Evaluation #2

    I think I achieved the purpose of my speech very well.  My main points were clear, and I got my point across.  I felt comfortable during the speech because I know the topic off hand.  If I had to do it over again there are a few things I would.  First I would do a bit more research to add more facts because I found that my speech ended up being too short.  I also would of added another visual to make the history more clear, such as using power point.  

   One goal that I have for improving the content of my next speech is to have more facts especially since the length of the speech needs to be much longer than the last two.  One goal I have for improving the delivery of my next speech is to take some tips from chapter eleven on adding a video clip, or using a different type visual besides PowerPoint, since it is a bit over used. The things that were good compared to my last presentation was my eye contact.  I tried to look at the audience a lot more, and read less off of my note cards.  I tried to concentrate on that while giving my speech.  I also had to body language compared to last time.  The bad things I did while presenting this time compared to last was that I did not meet the minimum requirement on time.  I also feel as though I had a better visual last time than this presentation. 

   I tried not to do anything distracting while giving my speech because I know I did last time. During the last speech I was crossing my legs, and holding the note cards to close to my face, causing a distraction.  I tried to remember the tips for improvement during the duration of my speech.  I think I did improve on not being distracting.  I would give myself a 7 on a scale of one to ten on eye contact.  I say this because I really tried look at the audience, and glance around the room as much as possible.  On a scale of A to F I would give myself a C, this is because I was clear and organized, with good body language, and eye contact, but I did not meet the minimum requirement on time.  I only mentioned a source citation one time during my speech.  Now that I think I meant to mention it twice, but I forgot about the last one.  

   Comparing this speech to the last one I do not think I did better this time.  I thought I would since I knew the topic very well, and a lot off the top of my head, also because its the second speech, and had some practice.  I did do better in some areas so such as eye contact, and body language.   I think for the next speech I am going to highlight important points such as citations , so I don't forget them.  Now if I can just put it all together, eye contact, body language, and the right amount of time.  

Chapter 11

Chapter 11 gave good points and advice on how to integrate presentation media into speeches.  Advice given for using transparencies is only display them when it pertains to your point, and remove them when you have moved on with your topic.  Also practice using your transparencies before giving the speech.  I think that goes with any visual aid used during a speech.  When using a video remember to keep it short, and continue talking while the video is going.  The tip to continue talking while the video is going, is new to me, I would never have thought.  For the informative speech I used a type of handout, and in the text it state, that they can be distracting, I can see how that could be.  I found the part about the Digital Slides Do's and Don't part the most helpful in the text because that is what majority of our class including myself likes to use.  It states that many people are tired of PowerPoint presentations and I can see that, it is a bit over used.  But it is a good way to get your point across.  Using Digital slides sparingly is good advice.  I try to do that with mine, because it can take away from the speech.  Keep slides clear and well organized.  It also states that sound affects are viewed negatively, which is a good point to remember.  I found this chapter very helpful when it comes to bringing visuals to speeches.  It taught me things I didn't know, and reminded me of those things I did know.