According to Coopman and Lull, several things go into both the introduction and conclusion. In the introduction, it is a matter of grabbing your audience's attention, establishing credibility, show in plain form your main points, and most importantly stating your thesis. In a conclusion, it is identical to the introduction, only this time you REVIEW your main points, answer what you said in your thesis and create a memorable message. I will definitely incorporate these ideas into my upcoming informative speech, and for all speeches to come. I believe that the book helps me to define what is exactly needed in both the introduction and conclusion enough for me to realize that all good speeches begin and end in a similar fashion. Specifically, I need to work on how to present my main points to the audience in a way that is simple, yet effective. I believe that in my last speech I had trouble wording it in a way that made both me and the audience happy, but ended up being hidden in a cloud of words. I understand now that even proclaiming the main points is better than one that may sound "smart." Another thing I lacked on was my usefulness of my conclusion. I had a very weak conclusion, which ended with a simple memorable statement, when I SHOULD have put in my main points just so the audience does not forget what I had just talked about.
Here is an example from my actual informative speech, "derives itself from its rich history, a kind of art that is now generally accepted and is strong with its’ roots in hip hop and individualism." It kind of states exdactly what I'm going to say in a way that isn't too tacky.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Chapter 9 and 13. (Repost)
There are several things that I have effectively taken away from both Chapter 9 and 13. Establishing my credibility, previewing my main points, creating a memorable message, and using an informative speech as a learning opportunity.
First off, establishing my credibility was something I evicted from my first speech. I went from the story straight to my main points and never really allowed the audience an opportunity to learn from what I was about to say. I believe that depending on how credible a speaker is right from the very beginning gauges how much his or her audience is going to remain attentive to his or her speech. Next, I learned to make very, very clear exactly what your main points are. I tend to disguise my main points into several phrases or sentences so that the speech does not feel so structured, but I learned that making it clear cut so that the audience hears it right away can prove much more effective.
Creating a memorable message in my conclusion is one thing I always strive for. When concluding a speech I tend to come up with a corny moral message or ending sentence that may seem outrageous, just so that audience can remember what I had just said, particularly by anything that I believe is memorable. I never really thought about what I did until the book mentioned it, and now I know that it merely another tactic for the audience to become more attached to the words that one may say.
Lastly, using the informative speech as a teaching/learning tool. I believe that the informative speech isn't just for getting the grade, but also to inform the audience of something that he or she may not be too familiar with. It can prove very effective if one person is giving an informative speech about something that people is generally fond of, and throws in an alternative perspective, or even something that is completely new and the audience knows nothing about.
First off, establishing my credibility was something I evicted from my first speech. I went from the story straight to my main points and never really allowed the audience an opportunity to learn from what I was about to say. I believe that depending on how credible a speaker is right from the very beginning gauges how much his or her audience is going to remain attentive to his or her speech. Next, I learned to make very, very clear exactly what your main points are. I tend to disguise my main points into several phrases or sentences so that the speech does not feel so structured, but I learned that making it clear cut so that the audience hears it right away can prove much more effective.
Creating a memorable message in my conclusion is one thing I always strive for. When concluding a speech I tend to come up with a corny moral message or ending sentence that may seem outrageous, just so that audience can remember what I had just said, particularly by anything that I believe is memorable. I never really thought about what I did until the book mentioned it, and now I know that it merely another tactic for the audience to become more attached to the words that one may say.
Lastly, using the informative speech as a teaching/learning tool. I believe that the informative speech isn't just for getting the grade, but also to inform the audience of something that he or she may not be too familiar with. It can prove very effective if one person is giving an informative speech about something that people is generally fond of, and throws in an alternative perspective, or even something that is completely new and the audience knows nothing about.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Chapter 9 and 13 Goodness
There are several things that I have effectively taken away from both Chapter 9 and 13. Establishing my credibility, previewing my main points, creating a memorable message, and using an informative speech as a learning opportunity.
First off, establishing my credibility was something I evicted from my first speech. I went from the story straight to my main points and never really allowed the audience an opportunity to learn from what I was about to say. I believe that depending on how credible a speaker is right from the very beginning gauges how much his or her audience is going to remain attentive to his or her speech. Next, I learned to make very, very clear exactly what your main points are. I tend to disguise my main points into several phrases or sentences so that the speech does not feel so structured, but I learned that making it clear cut so that the audience hears it right away can prove much more effective.
Creating a memorable message in my conclusion is one thing I always strive for. When concluding a speech I tend to come up with a corny moral message or ending sentence that may seem outrageous, just so that audience can remember what I had just said, particularly by anything that I believe is memorable. I never really thought about what I did until the book mentioned it, and now I know that it merely another tactic for the audience to become more attached to the words that one may say.
Lastly, using the informative speech as a teaching/learning tool. I believe that the informative speech isn't just for getting the grade, but also to inform the audience of something that he or she may not be too familiar with. It can prove very effective if one person is giving an informative speech about something that people is generally fond of, and throws in an alternative perspective, or even something that is completely new and the audience knows nothing about.
First off, establishing my credibility was something I evicted from my first speech. I went from the story straight to my main points and never really allowed the audience an opportunity to learn from what I was about to say. I believe that depending on how credible a speaker is right from the very beginning gauges how much his or her audience is going to remain attentive to his or her speech. Next, I learned to make very, very clear exactly what your main points are. I tend to disguise my main points into several phrases or sentences so that the speech does not feel so structured, but I learned that making it clear cut so that the audience hears it right away can prove much more effective.
Creating a memorable message in my conclusion is one thing I always strive for. When concluding a speech I tend to come up with a corny moral message or ending sentence that may seem outrageous, just so that audience can remember what I had just said, particularly by anything that I believe is memorable. I never really thought about what I did until the book mentioned it, and now I know that it merely another tactic for the audience to become more attached to the words that one may say.
Lastly, using the informative speech as a teaching/learning tool. I believe that the informative speech isn't just for getting the grade, but also to inform the audience of something that he or she may not be too familiar with. It can prove very effective if one person is giving an informative speech about something that people is generally fond of, and throws in an alternative perspective, or even something that is completely new and the audience knows nothing about.
Speech Bud.
The speech videos were pretty good in informing us what they wanted us to know. As far as learning things for our upcoming informative speech, I have learned more about how to capture the audience's attention and mindset, as well as how to summarize all of my main points and conclude in my final words. The introductions that were presented to us as attention-getters actually worked on me as I tuned in to listen to the rest of the things they wanted to say. I must say though that depending on the method that I typically open with, it could grab the audiences' attention a lot better. I only recently started to open up my speeches with little anecdotes to hopefully create an image in the audience's minds.
Next, I learned a lot from the conclusion video. From my last speech I didn't do a good job of relaying and summarizing my information so that audience could leave with the last main points in their mind. I must admit though that the techno speech was mildly boring, but the kodak speech was a bit more interesting. I believe that her visual aid assisted in her speech more than the techno visual did, and in the end created a much more interesting and effective speech.
Next, I learned a lot from the conclusion video. From my last speech I didn't do a good job of relaying and summarizing my information so that audience could leave with the last main points in their mind. I must admit though that the techno speech was mildly boring, but the kodak speech was a bit more interesting. I believe that her visual aid assisted in her speech more than the techno visual did, and in the end created a much more interesting and effective speech.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Media, Credibility. (Repost)
"Despite the growing popularity of the internet, television remains the most popular news source for Americans."
While we continue living everyday, news is constantly being broadcasted. Whether it may be a new piece of information or an issue that must be once again brought to the audience's attention, it is the popular media that most people are listening to. Myself, I tend to listen to the radio more than I watch TV. Fortunately, when reading chapter seven about popular media supporting our speeches, I thought that the radio, depending on the channels, can be very credible. Unfortunately, many of of the media outlets are easily trusted which is why a form of media that doesn't "seem to have a blatant bias or project an air of overwhelming self-interest" would be beneficial towards society (183).
I completely agree when the book says, "The first electronic mass medium, radio, still maintains an important role in disseminating information, especially through local news stations" (185). Though it may seem primitive now because of the advancing technology, there's nothing like unbiased news coming straight to you from your car radio or even a home radio. I tend to stay away from television and internet news outlets mostly because I believe in the fact that these stations are paid by sponsors, and they could be heavily influenced by the money, not the news. For example, hypothetically if global warming were never an issue in the world, then the television would have done the complete opposite of its' job, creating global warming as the biggest issue. (But I do believe in global warming, just a hypothetical situation.)
While we continue living everyday, news is constantly being broadcasted. Whether it may be a new piece of information or an issue that must be once again brought to the audience's attention, it is the popular media that most people are listening to. Myself, I tend to listen to the radio more than I watch TV. Fortunately, when reading chapter seven about popular media supporting our speeches, I thought that the radio, depending on the channels, can be very credible. Unfortunately, many of of the media outlets are easily trusted which is why a form of media that doesn't "seem to have a blatant bias or project an air of overwhelming self-interest" would be beneficial towards society (183).
I completely agree when the book says, "The first electronic mass medium, radio, still maintains an important role in disseminating information, especially through local news stations" (185). Though it may seem primitive now because of the advancing technology, there's nothing like unbiased news coming straight to you from your car radio or even a home radio. I tend to stay away from television and internet news outlets mostly because I believe in the fact that these stations are paid by sponsors, and they could be heavily influenced by the money, not the news. For example, hypothetically if global warming were never an issue in the world, then the television would have done the complete opposite of its' job, creating global warming as the biggest issue. (But I do believe in global warming, just a hypothetical situation.)
Friday, March 13, 2009
Statistics?
Facts and statistics are the foundation for a strong speech, enhances credibility and backs up any details that may be in a speech. I think they are mandatory, possibly even for some narrative projects because they provide the audience with an understanding that whatever your topic is, that it is somewhat unbiased, filled with truth, and has adequate research to merit its' credibility. When describing an event, particularly with facts and statistics, it is most likely required to have an abundance of sources with credible background for the audience to believe whatever your point may be. Statistics are primarily most effective when describing something in numbers, when statistics work towards your goal and ideas more effectively. Statistics can prove that at least the majority of the population or controlled population is somewhat leaning on your side. For example, if you were required to present a speech about how smoking is a bad habit, you could present statistics to show how many lives the cancerous drug has infected and also the suffering/death rate near the end of the smokers' lives.
I tend to look for statistics first before diving into my topic. I like to make sure that there is adequate evidence, facts and statistics that usually follow my main points, just so I have that sort of foundation for a stronger delivery. Even though I may forget the numbers that a speaker may say in his or her speech, it does somewhat enhance my understanding of their viewpoint, and especially when backed with a credible source, I would typically tip my hat to their effective and strong research.
The only time I would truly see facts and research not so effective would be in personal stories and narratives. Being that these are mostly comprised of independent ideas and personal opinions/experiences, the narratives wouldn't exactly be enhanced by statistics, but maybe only facts. Again, during a story, if facts and/or statistics are blurted out during an emotional scene in a story, then it would definitely be non-effective, if not just plain wrong.
I tend to look for statistics first before diving into my topic. I like to make sure that there is adequate evidence, facts and statistics that usually follow my main points, just so I have that sort of foundation for a stronger delivery. Even though I may forget the numbers that a speaker may say in his or her speech, it does somewhat enhance my understanding of their viewpoint, and especially when backed with a credible source, I would typically tip my hat to their effective and strong research.
The only time I would truly see facts and research not so effective would be in personal stories and narratives. Being that these are mostly comprised of independent ideas and personal opinions/experiences, the narratives wouldn't exactly be enhanced by statistics, but maybe only facts. Again, during a story, if facts and/or statistics are blurted out during an emotional scene in a story, then it would definitely be non-effective, if not just plain wrong.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Those Videos
The speech video 7.1, it talks about how narratives, audience perceptions and definitions, testimony and statistics can all contribute to the credibility and effectiveness of your speech. Narratives are fun, simple and should be short ways to capture the audiences' attention and create a simple, yet comfortable bond between the speaker and the audience. These are easy ways to let the audience know that you are entering with confidence and a story that could possibly be true. With every audience, every person has a their own view and definition of anything that may be said, so allowing yourself to make your speech unbiased will positively affect your outcome. I see the credibility factor as one of the more important ideas to any speech.
A speech without credibility, in my eyes, (besides personal narratives) are almost not worth saying. With that said, I believe that every single topic and speech is able to be credible, knowing that there are many views on every subject. We in society learn to trust those that are credible, be it your friends, or family, and tend to believe what they say, so long as they prove worthy. This applies directly towards speeches as well, where if the audience can catch a glimpse of not credible work, they won't like to listen.
Speech buddy video 8.1 helps us to break down how to organize our speeches. Spatial, topical, narrative, cause and effect and problem solution patterns are what are given to us. Each and every single pattern listed are extremely effective in any specific speech so long as it applies. For example, if one were to create a persuasive speech, a cause and effect and even possibly a narrative would be effective, showing the effects and personal impact that any particular event can have. I wasn't too aware of these ideas up until they were actually mentioned, to where I can actively categorize my speech and create a pattern to make it that much more effective. Lastly, transitions are important just as everything else we are taught about in public speaking. With basic transitions such as contrasting, chronology, causality, ordering and others, we learn to effectively let our audience know that we are moving on from a different main point and that they should prepare for a different set of ideas. That said, it is important because losing the audience at any point of your speech can deeply affect the outcome.
With the information provided by the videos, I think I will better prepare myself by thinking about the audiences' ideas more. I would learn to deliver my speech in a way where it is clear, credible and organized so that the outcome, and my grade, will come out better than I had done before.
A speech without credibility, in my eyes, (besides personal narratives) are almost not worth saying. With that said, I believe that every single topic and speech is able to be credible, knowing that there are many views on every subject. We in society learn to trust those that are credible, be it your friends, or family, and tend to believe what they say, so long as they prove worthy. This applies directly towards speeches as well, where if the audience can catch a glimpse of not credible work, they won't like to listen.
Speech buddy video 8.1 helps us to break down how to organize our speeches. Spatial, topical, narrative, cause and effect and problem solution patterns are what are given to us. Each and every single pattern listed are extremely effective in any specific speech so long as it applies. For example, if one were to create a persuasive speech, a cause and effect and even possibly a narrative would be effective, showing the effects and personal impact that any particular event can have. I wasn't too aware of these ideas up until they were actually mentioned, to where I can actively categorize my speech and create a pattern to make it that much more effective. Lastly, transitions are important just as everything else we are taught about in public speaking. With basic transitions such as contrasting, chronology, causality, ordering and others, we learn to effectively let our audience know that we are moving on from a different main point and that they should prepare for a different set of ideas. That said, it is important because losing the audience at any point of your speech can deeply affect the outcome.
With the information provided by the videos, I think I will better prepare myself by thinking about the audiences' ideas more. I would learn to deliver my speech in a way where it is clear, credible and organized so that the outcome, and my grade, will come out better than I had done before.
Media, Credibility
"Despite the growing popularity of the internet, television remains the most popular news source for Americans."
While we continue living everyday, news is constantly being broadcasted. Whether it may be a new piece of information or an issue that must be once again brought to the audience's attention, it is the popular media that most people are listening to. Myself, I tend to listen to the radio more than I watch TV. Fortunately, when reading chapter seven about popular media supporting our speeches, I thought that the radio, depending on the channels, can be very credible. Unfortunately, many of of the media outlets are easily trusted which is why a form of media that doesn't "seem to have a blatant bias or project an air of overwhelming self-interest" would be beneficial towards society (183).
I completely agree when the book says, "The first electronic mass medium, radio, still maintains an important role in disseminating information, especially through local news stations" (185). Though it may seem primitive now because of the advancing technology, there's nothing like unbiased news coming straight to you from your car radio or even a home radio. I tend to stay away from television and internet news outlets mostly because I believe in the fact that these stations are paid by sponsors, and they could be heavily influenced by the money, not the news. For example, hypothetically if global warming were never an issue in the world, then the television would have done the complete opposite of its' job, creating global warming as the biggest issue. (But I do believe in global warming, just a hypothetical situation.)
While we continue living everyday, news is constantly being broadcasted. Whether it may be a new piece of information or an issue that must be once again brought to the audience's attention, it is the popular media that most people are listening to. Myself, I tend to listen to the radio more than I watch TV. Fortunately, when reading chapter seven about popular media supporting our speeches, I thought that the radio, depending on the channels, can be very credible. Unfortunately, many of of the media outlets are easily trusted which is why a form of media that doesn't "seem to have a blatant bias or project an air of overwhelming self-interest" would be beneficial towards society (183).
I completely agree when the book says, "The first electronic mass medium, radio, still maintains an important role in disseminating information, especially through local news stations" (185). Though it may seem primitive now because of the advancing technology, there's nothing like unbiased news coming straight to you from your car radio or even a home radio. I tend to stay away from television and internet news outlets mostly because I believe in the fact that these stations are paid by sponsors, and they could be heavily influenced by the money, not the news. For example, hypothetically if global warming were never an issue in the world, then the television would have done the complete opposite of its' job, creating global warming as the biggest issue. (But I do believe in global warming, just a hypothetical situation.)
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
On February 27th, 2009 we, being my online communications 20 class, were asked to prepare a speech based on any cultural artifact we desired. A strong deliverance as well as thorough research would help to enhance the audiences' experience and was the main focus of the cultural artifact speech. To be honest, I was fairly satisfied with how I presented, knowing that I had practiced for a couple days ahead of time extensively. But as with every single speech and event out there, there was definitely room for a substantial amount of improvement that could have potentially made my speech more of a grade A level speech.
For this first time in my short history, I actually prepared diligently, but still late, a few days before the speech. With a stopwatch in hand and my powerpoint slideshow prepared on my laptop, I did a fair amount of test runs to get the timing down and to judge what was needed to be cut in my speech. Going up, I actually breathed more calmly and slower breaths to calm my nervousness. In all honesty, I never usually do the tactics that I did on February 27th, 2009, but I'm going to have to say that they are completely effective. I felt very comfortable and calm up in front of everyone.
There are several flaws that I definitely took notice while I was presenting my speech. One of the flaws was the habitual use of verbal fillers such as, "Um" and "Uh." I think after watching my personal video of how I presented, I see the difference and impact that the verbal fillers can have on our presentation. Secondly, I think my information seemed very basic and only touched the surface. Though we did have only about five minutes to present, I still feel that I could have delved deeper into a particular subject about Jeepneys. Another thing I felt that should have been improved was my lack of mention for source citations. Obviously, if I ever am to present a speech to a bigger public audience, citing my sources is going to be much more necessary, if not already. Lastly, I see my biggest flaw in the project of my voice. Believe it or not, I truly felt that I was actually speaking out louder than I should have, when it really sounds differently through the video. I didn’t feel upset or uncomfortable in front of people; I just never felt the need to up my vocal volume. I was always upstage with a microphone or some sort of amplifier to raise my volume automatically. I believe that making a change in all four of those departments would significantly enhance my overall grade.
What are the biggest changes that I will make for the next speech? In terms of content, I will be a little more specific, even though there may not be as much time, with certain topics, just to have a speech with depth, and in terms of delivery, it would definitely have to be the omission of verbal fillers, a projected voice and citing sources verbally or on the slideshow.
When I first popped in the video and pressed play, I immediately noticed my voice projection was weak. On top of that, the most distracting thing that I noticed was the annoying verbal fillers that kept coming up unconsciously. To add, I saw my voice projection just drown out my ums and uhs and unfortunately I think it greatly impacted the outcome and power of my speech. Just to reiterate, I would work heavily upon my voice projection, source citing, removing verbal fillers to further enhance my speech. All variables in a speech; preparation, support, delivery and organization, all aren’t perfect in my speech, and definitely calls for attention. As far as my eye contact goes, I would rate myself a seven or eight out of ten, because I remained consistent but did glance at my powerpoint presentation more then I should have. I believe that keeping your eyes on the audience will keep their eyes on you, which ultimately results in a much more powerful speech.
So what would I give myself in terms of grades for my speech? I felt a little confidence, and for a first speech in introduction to public speaking, I feel a solid B is what I would have received. I feel I prepared my speech and delivery well enough to merit a decent grade, and people will only learn from their mistakes. Experience through mistakes is the best and easiest way to become better in any skill, especially public speaking. I felt that my presentation never truly halted in the idea of forgetting what I wanted to say, particularly throughout the whole speech. I practiced enough for me to remember what would fit between four and five minutes with consistent talking. One other reason why I see myself with a B is that my information was strong, IN MY OPINION. I felt that even if the information wasn’t too diverse, it still provided a wide spectrum of ideas on a topic/object not often discussed about. I only verbally cited one of my sources once throughout my video, and even though they were cited on the slideshow, I believe that verbally citing them would have been more effective.
Overall my experience was a significant one in terms of presenting in front of an audience. I have never truly prepared for any speech before, and I must say that giving it my best has definitely provided a better outcome. Of course, I have my fair share of flaws that definitely leave room for improvement. As far as standing up in front of the class though, I was considerably comfortable and calm compared to my past years.
For this first time in my short history, I actually prepared diligently, but still late, a few days before the speech. With a stopwatch in hand and my powerpoint slideshow prepared on my laptop, I did a fair amount of test runs to get the timing down and to judge what was needed to be cut in my speech. Going up, I actually breathed more calmly and slower breaths to calm my nervousness. In all honesty, I never usually do the tactics that I did on February 27th, 2009, but I'm going to have to say that they are completely effective. I felt very comfortable and calm up in front of everyone.
There are several flaws that I definitely took notice while I was presenting my speech. One of the flaws was the habitual use of verbal fillers such as, "Um" and "Uh." I think after watching my personal video of how I presented, I see the difference and impact that the verbal fillers can have on our presentation. Secondly, I think my information seemed very basic and only touched the surface. Though we did have only about five minutes to present, I still feel that I could have delved deeper into a particular subject about Jeepneys. Another thing I felt that should have been improved was my lack of mention for source citations. Obviously, if I ever am to present a speech to a bigger public audience, citing my sources is going to be much more necessary, if not already. Lastly, I see my biggest flaw in the project of my voice. Believe it or not, I truly felt that I was actually speaking out louder than I should have, when it really sounds differently through the video. I didn’t feel upset or uncomfortable in front of people; I just never felt the need to up my vocal volume. I was always upstage with a microphone or some sort of amplifier to raise my volume automatically. I believe that making a change in all four of those departments would significantly enhance my overall grade.
What are the biggest changes that I will make for the next speech? In terms of content, I will be a little more specific, even though there may not be as much time, with certain topics, just to have a speech with depth, and in terms of delivery, it would definitely have to be the omission of verbal fillers, a projected voice and citing sources verbally or on the slideshow.
When I first popped in the video and pressed play, I immediately noticed my voice projection was weak. On top of that, the most distracting thing that I noticed was the annoying verbal fillers that kept coming up unconsciously. To add, I saw my voice projection just drown out my ums and uhs and unfortunately I think it greatly impacted the outcome and power of my speech. Just to reiterate, I would work heavily upon my voice projection, source citing, removing verbal fillers to further enhance my speech. All variables in a speech; preparation, support, delivery and organization, all aren’t perfect in my speech, and definitely calls for attention. As far as my eye contact goes, I would rate myself a seven or eight out of ten, because I remained consistent but did glance at my powerpoint presentation more then I should have. I believe that keeping your eyes on the audience will keep their eyes on you, which ultimately results in a much more powerful speech.
So what would I give myself in terms of grades for my speech? I felt a little confidence, and for a first speech in introduction to public speaking, I feel a solid B is what I would have received. I feel I prepared my speech and delivery well enough to merit a decent grade, and people will only learn from their mistakes. Experience through mistakes is the best and easiest way to become better in any skill, especially public speaking. I felt that my presentation never truly halted in the idea of forgetting what I wanted to say, particularly throughout the whole speech. I practiced enough for me to remember what would fit between four and five minutes with consistent talking. One other reason why I see myself with a B is that my information was strong, IN MY OPINION. I felt that even if the information wasn’t too diverse, it still provided a wide spectrum of ideas on a topic/object not often discussed about. I only verbally cited one of my sources once throughout my video, and even though they were cited on the slideshow, I believe that verbally citing them would have been more effective.
Overall my experience was a significant one in terms of presenting in front of an audience. I have never truly prepared for any speech before, and I must say that giving it my best has definitely provided a better outcome. Of course, I have my fair share of flaws that definitely leave room for improvement. As far as standing up in front of the class though, I was considerably comfortable and calm compared to my past years.
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