· Speech Buddy: Review the following Interactive Videos 15.1, “Schooling: Pro” and “Schooling: Con” on the Interactive Video Website. Respond to the ideas in the videos. What did you learn that could be helpful in your speech? What types of appeals were used? How did the speaker connect with the audience?
schooling: pro video: I thought this was the first video that had a positive example of how to establish credibility in your speech. She said that she had done extensive research, which instantly gives her credibility above those listening to the speech. She used emotional appeals to get her point across, by using the aspects such as violence to prove her point. This emotional appeal instantly connects the speaker with the audience.
schooling: con video: He connects with his audience by mentioning the diversity of backgrounds found in public school systems. He demonstrates that he sees the positive aspects of public schooling first-hand. He also deals with the ideas of teacher credentials, as well as the rolls of parents in making schooling situations more stressful as opposed to not.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
response
Reflect on a recent discussion you’ve had in which you tried to persuade others to accept your point of view. What type or types of reasoning did you use? How well did your reasoning work?
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We recently had elections, and one of the most controversial of the propositions was Prop 8, which if passed would deny the right of homosexuals to get same sex unions of marriages. One of the benefits of college is being able to be around a wide diversity of people, so while I am very liberal, a lot of the people i know are very conservative, something I didn't come into contact with often in Palo Alto, where I am from. When I talked with one of these people about how homosexuals should have the right to civil unions, they said they voted for prop 8 because their religion didn't agree with it. To this I responded that there is a seperation of church as state, to which they said that marriage was a religious rite. What I then told them was how civil unions are the same as marriage, and that they had voted against giving partners the rights to decide what to do if their spouses became unable to speak for themselves, or visitation rights for family members, or custody of a child that belong to the other in case something happened, or any of those rights that married couples have. They then said that the proposition said nothing about denying civil unions, which wasn't true, it did, it just didn't say that on the ballot, but it was part of the conditions of the prop that was not listed on the ballots. The person then agreed with me, because they hadn't done the research to know.
I find that being open minded, and doing research about issues makes for the best way to persuade people. If I had simply said that I didn't agree with their religious beliefs, they wouldn't have listened to me tell them how it was wrong. Having the facts and caring enough to explain it fully made all the difference, sadly for this case a little too late :(
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We recently had elections, and one of the most controversial of the propositions was Prop 8, which if passed would deny the right of homosexuals to get same sex unions of marriages. One of the benefits of college is being able to be around a wide diversity of people, so while I am very liberal, a lot of the people i know are very conservative, something I didn't come into contact with often in Palo Alto, where I am from. When I talked with one of these people about how homosexuals should have the right to civil unions, they said they voted for prop 8 because their religion didn't agree with it. To this I responded that there is a seperation of church as state, to which they said that marriage was a religious rite. What I then told them was how civil unions are the same as marriage, and that they had voted against giving partners the rights to decide what to do if their spouses became unable to speak for themselves, or visitation rights for family members, or custody of a child that belong to the other in case something happened, or any of those rights that married couples have. They then said that the proposition said nothing about denying civil unions, which wasn't true, it did, it just didn't say that on the ballot, but it was part of the conditions of the prop that was not listed on the ballots. The person then agreed with me, because they hadn't done the research to know.
I find that being open minded, and doing research about issues makes for the best way to persuade people. If I had simply said that I didn't agree with their religious beliefs, they wouldn't have listened to me tell them how it was wrong. Having the facts and caring enough to explain it fully made all the difference, sadly for this case a little too late :(
Saturday, November 8, 2008
response 2
3). Pick one concept from the assigned reading that you found useful or interesting and discuss it.
Chapter 10 talked a lot about the use of language. I really appreciated this chapter because of its ideas for making a speech effective, personal and audience appropriate.My favorite part was when it discussed the differences between the written language and spoken word. I agree that there can be a difference, however, being a writer myself i feel that effective writing should be able to be jsut as effective as the spoken word, and just as vibrant. There is a type of speech for every occasion, as there is a type of written text about every occasion.
I found the distinctions they made interesting none-the less, and plan on using things such as rhythm and in-the-now context to bring my speeches to a new and current resource.
Chapter 10 talked a lot about the use of language. I really appreciated this chapter because of its ideas for making a speech effective, personal and audience appropriate.My favorite part was when it discussed the differences between the written language and spoken word. I agree that there can be a difference, however, being a writer myself i feel that effective writing should be able to be jsut as effective as the spoken word, and just as vibrant. There is a type of speech for every occasion, as there is a type of written text about every occasion.
I found the distinctions they made interesting none-the less, and plan on using things such as rhythm and in-the-now context to bring my speeches to a new and current resource.
Friday, November 7, 2008
response 1
1). Speech Buddy: review the following Interactive Videos, 10.1, 10.2, 12.1, 12.2 and 12.3 on the Interactive Video Website. Respond to the ideas presented in the videos. What did you learn that could be helpful in your next speech?
10.1: this video talks about audience centered language, which is the use of words and different speaking devices such as humor to make your audience connect better with what you are saying. This is very important, because it helps the audience relate to what is being discussed, making their understanding of the presented material greater, and it also serves to hold their attentions longer.
10.2: this segment discusses how to make the best choice of language for your speech, so it can make the biggest impact of your audience. This includes important things like avoiding offensive language, and being concise. These are a given, but the other things like repetitions are less thought of, but very important aspects of an effectively worded speech.
12.1: this video outlines the important oral delivery aspects, such as volume and rate at which you talk. most people think about the content as the most important thing when giving a speech, but when done wrongly these aspects can really break down a speech. i think it was funny in this video when it talked about the pitch of your voice... some people can't help that their voice is annoyingly high pitched.... oh well!
12.2: this video talks about the important non verbal things you do when presenting a speech. The most important one i found was eye contact, something that I know I have to work on as a public speaker. the examples of the other aspects were very exaggerated, so this video was more silly than really helpful.
12.3: this segement was baout practicing your speech. i thought a really good point in this video was that you don't have to give the same speech every time, you jsut hve to strive to give a good version of the speech. I tend to get frustrated when giving a speech when i don't say the exact words, but that is somethign i need to work on, my flexibility during the speech.
i found these videos very distracting once i recognized the background as SJSU... now in all the videos i recognize the buildings and places in the background instead of listening to the speaker... eep!
10.1: this video talks about audience centered language, which is the use of words and different speaking devices such as humor to make your audience connect better with what you are saying. This is very important, because it helps the audience relate to what is being discussed, making their understanding of the presented material greater, and it also serves to hold their attentions longer.
10.2: this segment discusses how to make the best choice of language for your speech, so it can make the biggest impact of your audience. This includes important things like avoiding offensive language, and being concise. These are a given, but the other things like repetitions are less thought of, but very important aspects of an effectively worded speech.
12.1: this video outlines the important oral delivery aspects, such as volume and rate at which you talk. most people think about the content as the most important thing when giving a speech, but when done wrongly these aspects can really break down a speech. i think it was funny in this video when it talked about the pitch of your voice... some people can't help that their voice is annoyingly high pitched.... oh well!
12.2: this video talks about the important non verbal things you do when presenting a speech. The most important one i found was eye contact, something that I know I have to work on as a public speaker. the examples of the other aspects were very exaggerated, so this video was more silly than really helpful.
12.3: this segement was baout practicing your speech. i thought a really good point in this video was that you don't have to give the same speech every time, you jsut hve to strive to give a good version of the speech. I tend to get frustrated when giving a speech when i don't say the exact words, but that is somethign i need to work on, my flexibility during the speech.
i found these videos very distracting once i recognized the background as SJSU... now in all the videos i recognize the buildings and places in the background instead of listening to the speaker... eep!
Friday, October 17, 2008
week 5 response 2
2). What components, according to your book go into your Introduction and Conclusion? How are you going to use these ideas in your Informative Speech?
____
According to our book, the Introduction is comprised of an attention getter, a preview of main points, establishing credibility and indication of purpose & thesis. While my introduction for my previous speech was pretty good, I need to do a better job establishing credibility in this speech, something I neglected last time. It will be more important this time around because it is an information speech instead of a simple demonstration of something, that type of speech not really requiring any certain level of expertise in the area discussed.
The book also outlines the components of a proper conclusion as reviewing main points, reinforcing the purpose of your speech and providing closure for the audience on both your topic and yourself as a speaker. These aspects are typical of any paper or speech, but one of the most forgotten or abused aspects is the provision of closure at the end of the speech. As I learned in the video it is very important to provide this closure to leave your audience with a final positive note on your speech and on you as a speaker. I am going to work a lot harder to provide this closure in my next speech! hooray!
____
According to our book, the Introduction is comprised of an attention getter, a preview of main points, establishing credibility and indication of purpose & thesis. While my introduction for my previous speech was pretty good, I need to do a better job establishing credibility in this speech, something I neglected last time. It will be more important this time around because it is an information speech instead of a simple demonstration of something, that type of speech not really requiring any certain level of expertise in the area discussed.
The book also outlines the components of a proper conclusion as reviewing main points, reinforcing the purpose of your speech and providing closure for the audience on both your topic and yourself as a speaker. These aspects are typical of any paper or speech, but one of the most forgotten or abused aspects is the provision of closure at the end of the speech. As I learned in the video it is very important to provide this closure to leave your audience with a final positive note on your speech and on you as a speaker. I am going to work a lot harder to provide this closure in my next speech! hooray!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
week 5 response 1
Videos:
Although we have already learned how to use and implement introductions and conclusions, I found the chapter 9 videos helpful because they brought up things that I never really considered when composing these key speech elements. Using humor in your intro seems like a no-brainer, but it is a better idea than you would think to set the tone and mood for the speech. Also, I found it helpful that the speaker said to keep your conclusion positive, because at the end your viewer should feel positive about the speech and about you as the speaker, even if they weren't persuaded by your speech. I think it would have been benificial to have seen these videos before the first speech we gave. They are such key parts of speeches, they shouldn't have been this far in the semester! ahhh! :D
Although we have already learned how to use and implement introductions and conclusions, I found the chapter 9 videos helpful because they brought up things that I never really considered when composing these key speech elements. Using humor in your intro seems like a no-brainer, but it is a better idea than you would think to set the tone and mood for the speech. Also, I found it helpful that the speaker said to keep your conclusion positive, because at the end your viewer should feel positive about the speech and about you as the speaker, even if they weren't persuaded by your speech. I think it would have been benificial to have seen these videos before the first speech we gave. They are such key parts of speeches, they shouldn't have been this far in the semester! ahhh! :D
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
week 4 response 1
video 7.1: narratives, definitions, examples, facts and statistics, testimony
video 7.2: media (credibility, relevance, reliability), books, newspapers
video 8.1: organization: chronological, spatial, topical, narrative, cause-and-effect, problem-solution, monroe's motivated sequence
video 8.2: transitioning correctly: ordering, reinforcing, contrasting, chronology, causality, summarizing.
Because the first three videos were review from previous things we have discussed, the fourth was the one I found most helpful. It is hard for my to think of a transition as an important part of a speech because of the way I was taught to write essays and speeches, with the introduction sentence of a paragraph being the transition between the previous and coming points. This video will really help me with my next speech and making transitions clearer and more varied, so I am not just using the same type over and over.
hooray!
video 7.2: media (credibility, relevance, reliability), books, newspapers
video 8.1: organization: chronological, spatial, topical, narrative, cause-and-effect, problem-solution, monroe's motivated sequence
video 8.2: transitioning correctly: ordering, reinforcing, contrasting, chronology, causality, summarizing.
Because the first three videos were review from previous things we have discussed, the fourth was the one I found most helpful. It is hard for my to think of a transition as an important part of a speech because of the way I was taught to write essays and speeches, with the introduction sentence of a paragraph being the transition between the previous and coming points. This video will really help me with my next speech and making transitions clearer and more varied, so I am not just using the same type over and over.
hooray!
Saturday, October 4, 2008
self eval 1
Self Evaluation
For my first speech in this Comm 20 class, I have mixed feelings on how the presentation went as a whole. While of course it was nerve-racking to be giving this speech in the first place, I feel that the time and effort I put into preparing for it did not come across in the actual presentation, for various reasons.
(2)I felt extremely nervous during the entire speech. I was shaking and having trouble concentrating and remembering what I was going to say next. I think this is due to the way that i re-write speeches during other speeches to make it flow better with the other speakers’ presentations. Although I had written the entire speech already I altered the order in which I presented the information and changed the tone of the introduction, which made me less prepared, however I feel that the speech I gave was more appropriate for the audience than the one I had written before.
On the other hand, I feel I did well in a few categories.(1) I feel that I achieved the purpose of the speech, which was to demonstrate something and relate why it was a beneficial thing to learn how to do. I feel the information I gave was very well planed out, but the delivery made it less effective. (8)When reviewing the speech on the video, I feel I had fairly good eye contact, about a 7 or 8, (6)but I used a lot of teenaged words like ‘super.’ This could have given me a better connection with my audience, since they were my age they could see that my topic could be relevant to them too instead of it seeming like gardening was something that older people do, which was one of the things I discussed in my speech. On the other hand, this language would have reduced my credibility.
(3)If I was able to do the presentation over again I would have spent more time focusing on the language I used in the initial speech to make it more college student friendly. (4) In my next speech I would like to have the same balance/ratio of information that I had in this speech, not so much that you feel like there are random facts being thrown at you, but enough to see why the topic is relevant to the audience. (5) I would also like to reduce the amount of times I say certain words, which I think will naturally come with practicing more than I did.
Overall, I think that the speech i gave should have gotten a B. (9)The information was sound with two oral citations, and the demo was well rehearsed and done, but the delivery was a bit spotty, with lowered credibility in the form of the word ‘super’ being used a lot and other generally ‘unprofessional’ language and was very distracting.
For my first speech in this Comm 20 class, I have mixed feelings on how the presentation went as a whole. While of course it was nerve-racking to be giving this speech in the first place, I feel that the time and effort I put into preparing for it did not come across in the actual presentation, for various reasons.
(2)I felt extremely nervous during the entire speech. I was shaking and having trouble concentrating and remembering what I was going to say next. I think this is due to the way that i re-write speeches during other speeches to make it flow better with the other speakers’ presentations. Although I had written the entire speech already I altered the order in which I presented the information and changed the tone of the introduction, which made me less prepared, however I feel that the speech I gave was more appropriate for the audience than the one I had written before.
On the other hand, I feel I did well in a few categories.(1) I feel that I achieved the purpose of the speech, which was to demonstrate something and relate why it was a beneficial thing to learn how to do. I feel the information I gave was very well planed out, but the delivery made it less effective. (8)When reviewing the speech on the video, I feel I had fairly good eye contact, about a 7 or 8, (6)but I used a lot of teenaged words like ‘super.’ This could have given me a better connection with my audience, since they were my age they could see that my topic could be relevant to them too instead of it seeming like gardening was something that older people do, which was one of the things I discussed in my speech. On the other hand, this language would have reduced my credibility.
(3)If I was able to do the presentation over again I would have spent more time focusing on the language I used in the initial speech to make it more college student friendly. (4) In my next speech I would like to have the same balance/ratio of information that I had in this speech, not so much that you feel like there are random facts being thrown at you, but enough to see why the topic is relevant to the audience. (5) I would also like to reduce the amount of times I say certain words, which I think will naturally come with practicing more than I did.
Overall, I think that the speech i gave should have gotten a B. (9)The information was sound with two oral citations, and the demo was well rehearsed and done, but the delivery was a bit spotty, with lowered credibility in the form of the word ‘super’ being used a lot and other generally ‘unprofessional’ language and was very distracting.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
week 3 response 3
3). Pick one concept from the assigned reading (Chapter 5) that you found useful or interesting and discuss it.
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I found the section about adapting to your location the most helpful in this chapter. In most cases I have only had experience speech writing or presenting in a classroom setting, about 20-30 students. Because of this I have a certain level of informality stuck in the way I write my speeches. I also have only presented in a group where I know most if not all of the students, so they understand my level of credibility as well as making it less awkward for me to be giving my presentation, since I know my audience. This section has reminded me that even with people that you know or that you can identity with, you need to keep a certain level of formality to keep the focus on your presentation. This is very important because when you are doing a classroom presentation it can be difficult not to keep a professional tone.
Although I found this information helpful, I found some other parts of the section not so much. Where it talks about time of the presentation and how that effects the audience's alertness, it was kind of a no-brainer to me. Oh well, I guess it's not so clear to everybody!
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I found the section about adapting to your location the most helpful in this chapter. In most cases I have only had experience speech writing or presenting in a classroom setting, about 20-30 students. Because of this I have a certain level of informality stuck in the way I write my speeches. I also have only presented in a group where I know most if not all of the students, so they understand my level of credibility as well as making it less awkward for me to be giving my presentation, since I know my audience. This section has reminded me that even with people that you know or that you can identity with, you need to keep a certain level of formality to keep the focus on your presentation. This is very important because when you are doing a classroom presentation it can be difficult not to keep a professional tone.
Although I found this information helpful, I found some other parts of the section not so much. Where it talks about time of the presentation and how that effects the audience's alertness, it was kind of a no-brainer to me. Oh well, I guess it's not so clear to everybody!
Friday, September 19, 2008
week 3 response 2
2). Discuss the importance of audience analysis and audience adaptation in the speech development process. Also, discuss how YOU plan on using audience analysis in your speech.
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Audience analysis is one of the most important aspects of giving a speech. As I talked about briefly in my last post, knowing your audience is essential to giving a good speech. Before you give a speech, you need to brain storm about who your audience consists of, in ways like age, level of education, and the ideals or focus of a specific group that you could be presenting in front of. These fit into the demographic and pshycographic aspects of audience analysis.
As far as audience analysis goes in preparing for a speech, it outlines what is an is not appropriate to talk about, as well as what will make the speech really reach out to your audience. An example of this gone horribly wrong was in the first of the two speeches we analyzed this week. While the speaker tried to play off the age group he was talking to about drinking by leveling with them by them statistics on their age range, the vomiting noises were inappropriate regardless of the audience's maturity level.
I plan on using this to help our class understand why CPR is practical for them to know, even at our age. A lot of people think that CPR is something only life guards need to know, but it is nessecary for babysitters, camp counselors and many other child-related jobs, a majority of which are held by high school and college aged people.
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Audience analysis is one of the most important aspects of giving a speech. As I talked about briefly in my last post, knowing your audience is essential to giving a good speech. Before you give a speech, you need to brain storm about who your audience consists of, in ways like age, level of education, and the ideals or focus of a specific group that you could be presenting in front of. These fit into the demographic and pshycographic aspects of audience analysis.
As far as audience analysis goes in preparing for a speech, it outlines what is an is not appropriate to talk about, as well as what will make the speech really reach out to your audience. An example of this gone horribly wrong was in the first of the two speeches we analyzed this week. While the speaker tried to play off the age group he was talking to about drinking by leveling with them by them statistics on their age range, the vomiting noises were inappropriate regardless of the audience's maturity level.
I plan on using this to help our class understand why CPR is practical for them to know, even at our age. A lot of people think that CPR is something only life guards need to know, but it is nessecary for babysitters, camp counselors and many other child-related jobs, a majority of which are held by high school and college aged people.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
week 3 response 1
1). Speech Buddy: Review Drinking and Light Pollution videos on the Interactive Video website in accordance with Chapter 5. Respond to each video. What did the speaker do well? What can you learn from watching these videos?
Drinking Video:
Imitating a vomiting noise to open a speech about drinking? Part of talking with a group of people you want to persuade is not grossing them out or insulting them, lines i think were crossed 5 seconds in to this speech. If I was sitting in class listening to a presentation about how drinking was wrong or bad for you, I would be offended when the speaker did that. Secondly, this guy seems to be drunk himself! It looks like he hardly prepared for his speech, his sentences are often disconnected. His visual aid also lacks, because it is exactly what he is saying in his speech. It's like he's reading the transparency instead of actually knowing the facts. The visual aid should be more than just sentences from the speech. With that said, he has good facts, but it jsut doesn't come across well because of how he is presenting the information.
Light Pollution Video:
Unlike the previous video, this speaker sounds sure of her information. It is obvious she knows what she is saying is true, so she says it in a more pronounced way than the last speaker. This is a good way to start a speech! She also says what she is going to cover to the listener knows the key points of the speech. I liek how she used her hands during her speech as well, instead of gripping the podium like the other guys was. She seemed more prepared and ltherefore less stressed out.
The contrast between the two videos shows you how what you are saying can be true or right, but the delivery is one of my key things to producing a good end result. Practice and be sure of your information and all will be well! :)
Drinking Video:
Imitating a vomiting noise to open a speech about drinking? Part of talking with a group of people you want to persuade is not grossing them out or insulting them, lines i think were crossed 5 seconds in to this speech. If I was sitting in class listening to a presentation about how drinking was wrong or bad for you, I would be offended when the speaker did that. Secondly, this guy seems to be drunk himself! It looks like he hardly prepared for his speech, his sentences are often disconnected. His visual aid also lacks, because it is exactly what he is saying in his speech. It's like he's reading the transparency instead of actually knowing the facts. The visual aid should be more than just sentences from the speech. With that said, he has good facts, but it jsut doesn't come across well because of how he is presenting the information.
Light Pollution Video:
Unlike the previous video, this speaker sounds sure of her information. It is obvious she knows what she is saying is true, so she says it in a more pronounced way than the last speaker. This is a good way to start a speech! She also says what she is going to cover to the listener knows the key points of the speech. I liek how she used her hands during her speech as well, instead of gripping the podium like the other guys was. She seemed more prepared and ltherefore less stressed out.
The contrast between the two videos shows you how what you are saying can be true or right, but the delivery is one of my key things to producing a good end result. Practice and be sure of your information and all will be well! :)
Saturday, September 13, 2008
week 2 response 3
Update the class on your speech preparation progress. What topic have you chosen? What have you been researching? What are you main points in your speech? What do you plan on using for your visual aid?
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Luckily for me, I already know a bit about my topic! I have chosen to demonstrate how to preform CPR, which I am certified in at the moment, after taking a certification test this summer before being a camp counselor. As far as I can tell from looking around on the internet as well as in a book I already own about first aid and CPR, the steps all seem to be the same, so demonstrating it will be pretty straight forward.
main points in my speech includeeeee...
- When preforming CPR became commonly used
- Basic overview of the ideas behind using CPR (what is the purpose of it)
- When to use CPR (tell-tale signs)
- How to actually do it!
- Statistics about CPR (survival rate, how many certified in U.S., etc.)
- how to get certified
As for visual aid.... I'm not really sure yet!! I will probably show pictures of people giving CPR to dummies, since it might be awkward to show it on a person and i don't have a dummy.... hrmm... ideas?
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Luckily for me, I already know a bit about my topic! I have chosen to demonstrate how to preform CPR, which I am certified in at the moment, after taking a certification test this summer before being a camp counselor. As far as I can tell from looking around on the internet as well as in a book I already own about first aid and CPR, the steps all seem to be the same, so demonstrating it will be pretty straight forward.
main points in my speech includeeeee...
- When preforming CPR became commonly used
- Basic overview of the ideas behind using CPR (what is the purpose of it)
- When to use CPR (tell-tale signs)
- How to actually do it!
- Statistics about CPR (survival rate, how many certified in U.S., etc.)
- how to get certified
As for visual aid.... I'm not really sure yet!! I will probably show pictures of people giving CPR to dummies, since it might be awkward to show it on a person and i don't have a dummy.... hrmm... ideas?
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
week 2 response 2
I found the initial table in chapter 6 the most helpful. While the rest of the chapter has good overviews of how to research, I felt that it was this table that gave you specific things to do in order to properly organize your research the most helpful! I find it really helpful to have a visual list of the things that I need to do, and this outline is defiantly something I am planning on using for researching my speeches. I never quite thought of all of the things that are on this list, either! Identifying what I know usually goes along with all of the other information, not using it as a basis for getting started.
I am also super excited to start using the table on pages 138 & 139, which have great internet site resources. While it lists Yahoo! and ask.com, sites I have heard about, it also provides sites that could have more credible authors such as INFOMINE, a scholarly resources site that was created by librarians. This will be really handy and help to broaden the way that I collect information for my papers and presentations.
I am also super excited to start using the table on pages 138 & 139, which have great internet site resources. While it lists Yahoo! and ask.com, sites I have heard about, it also provides sites that could have more credible authors such as INFOMINE, a scholarly resources site that was created by librarians. This will be really handy and help to broaden the way that I collect information for my papers and presentations.
Monday, September 8, 2008
week 2 response 1
What experience do you have with conducting research interviews? What went well? What needed improvement? Share your advice with your class members.
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As far as interviewing people goes I don't have a very good background at all! Just like being a bit shy when it comes to public speaking, I am shy about talking with people that I don't know very well, so doing interviews as a form of research never really appealed to me.
I think the extent of my interviewing career comes from sorority recruitment, where you have a little bit of time to get to know a girl, to see why she is interested in being in a sorority. One thing that I found helpful for that was having set questions in your mind already to ask, making sure that they are questions that are the most important to get the answers to. Having planned out questions sounds like a no-brainer for doing interviews, but you have to be persistent and make sure you get the information you want, while still realizing that fitting all your questions in isn't always realistic. Conversations are hard to control, but that's okay, in almost all cases if you know your questions well enough then it isn't hard to fit them in with any subject that can come up. The trick is to be very well prepared, but keep in mind that convorsations are natural processes that can't be forced, you just have to be a good active listener! :)
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As far as interviewing people goes I don't have a very good background at all! Just like being a bit shy when it comes to public speaking, I am shy about talking with people that I don't know very well, so doing interviews as a form of research never really appealed to me.
I think the extent of my interviewing career comes from sorority recruitment, where you have a little bit of time to get to know a girl, to see why she is interested in being in a sorority. One thing that I found helpful for that was having set questions in your mind already to ask, making sure that they are questions that are the most important to get the answers to. Having planned out questions sounds like a no-brainer for doing interviews, but you have to be persistent and make sure you get the information you want, while still realizing that fitting all your questions in isn't always realistic. Conversations are hard to control, but that's okay, in almost all cases if you know your questions well enough then it isn't hard to fit them in with any subject that can come up. The trick is to be very well prepared, but keep in mind that convorsations are natural processes that can't be forced, you just have to be a good active listener! :)
Friday, September 5, 2008
Response
When reading through these chapters the one part that i found particularly helpful was the part about maintaining a positive attitude. Speeches stress me out and pretty much all I do is complaining about preparing for them as well as having to give them. Instead I should try keeping an open mind, realize that someone might find what I have to say interesting if I put the effort into it. This is something i try to do in general, stay positive, so I feel like incorporating that part of my life into writing and presenting a speech would really help me loosen up about it!
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Interactive Speech thingies
I found these videos both helpful and a not so much so. In the first video, Chapter 2.1, I found it unhelpful that they suggested using diaphragmatic breathing. I associate this type of exercise with when I am in a really stressful situation, so doing the breathing makes me instantly tense up, making the situation more daunting. However, in the Chapter 2.2 video, I felt like there were some good techniques associated to giving good speeches and feeling less anxiety about them, like picking a subject you find interesting to you, and knowing the intro & conclusion very well to give you a strong beginning and ending.
Not to be a Negative Nancy today, but I also really did not like Jessica's introduction speech. I thought it had too many metephors and didn't say much of anything at all about, well, anything. I did not understand the point of the speech, was it to give inspiration, but even then for what cause? It could be a speech about how someone has influenced you, but at the end it seemed pretty preechy. And as an introduction speech? It doesn't say much about her, just what she learned form her brother's introduction into the family. That can't be everything about her, or even a good umbrella topic. I just didn't get it, I guess.
Not to be a Negative Nancy today, but I also really did not like Jessica's introduction speech. I thought it had too many metephors and didn't say much of anything at all about, well, anything. I did not understand the point of the speech, was it to give inspiration, but even then for what cause? It could be a speech about how someone has influenced you, but at the end it seemed pretty preechy. And as an introduction speech? It doesn't say much about her, just what she learned form her brother's introduction into the family. That can't be everything about her, or even a good umbrella topic. I just didn't get it, I guess.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
what makes me apprehensive about public speaking
When I was younger I used to do a lot of plays and musicals. I was always, and remain to be, very outgoing, so being able to talk in front of a large audience wasn't really a big deal. However, as eighth grade came around I fond it harder and harder to give presentations in class. I think this was partially out of learning about the world around me, learning that there was so much outside of myself that it made me feel less significant and made me realize how much I did not know. I'm assuming this is the reason I don't enjoy public speaking, because I know that there is usually someone out there who knows more than me and think I am a complete idiot for saying what I just did.
What I try to do to get myself to stop being so apprehensive is to think that maybe no one is really paying attention anyways, and if they are that they wont correct me but if they do then they're a jerk anyways and I shouldn't care about what they think of me. Not that I should care about what anyone thinks of me, but that is a completely different blog, now isn't it?
What I try to do to get myself to stop being so apprehensive is to think that maybe no one is really paying attention anyways, and if they are that they wont correct me but if they do then they're a jerk anyways and I shouldn't care about what they think of me. Not that I should care about what anyone thinks of me, but that is a completely different blog, now isn't it?
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Monday, August 25, 2008
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