Reflective Journal #3: Speaking to Inform.

  

At the Google Classroom (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 about the speech making. 

Think of 1 more point that we have reviewed from Lucas that you can apply to Amy Cuddy's content and delivery. 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 Sunday, and then respond to two of your classmates by next week. Aj. M

Reflective Journal #2: Lucas Readings from Week 1 & 2.

We are moving quickly as we prepare for our first speaking challenge, the Personal Speech.

But 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 and Week 2 Lucas tutorials. 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.

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 may apply it in your Personal Speech. 

Please make your post by next class. 

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

Reflective Journal Blog #1: Personal Speaking.

 In this first reflective journal blog post, we are reflecting on the speech performances of 2 unique speakers, Prumsodun Ok and Nong Poonsukwatthana. These are two wonderful examples of personal speeches.

What is a Personal speech? Well... it is what it sounds like; it is personal. It starts with you, a personal experience, characteristic, or memory, and it tells a story about it. It aims to connect the audience with you as a human being with real-life experiences. BUT, the thing is, it isn't only about you. If a personal speech is only personal, then the audience loses its reason to listen. The point of your personal story, in order to be a good speech, must have relevance to the listener. I think the two examples we are reviewing this week do just that very effectively.

For this reflection, I would like you to view both speeches. Pay close attention, not only to the content and what they say, but also to who they are and how they present themselves. Don't feel pressure to write about everything you see, but describe 1-2 observations for each speaker, and consider the following questions:

What makes them effective as speakers? Even though they are personal speeches, what makes them relevant to a wider audience?

Your post is due by next class. Remember to include you ID# in your post. I look forward to reading your thoughts. Aj. M