Final Reflections Due Tuesday

This will probably be the last blog entry for this site!

I had a wonderful time getting to know and work with you in my final Public Speaking class at EKU. I've noticed tremendous progress with your public speaking skills over the course of this semester, and I know that skill will serve you well as your progress in your degree and enter the workforce.

Please remember to check our Facebook group, your email, or the BlackBoard site to find a link to the Google Doc that has the writing prompt for your final reflection. This reflection is due by 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, December 11, 2012. Email the reflection to me, or type it out and bring it to my office in the Noel Studio.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Have a great finals week!

Speeches begin on Tuesday

We've devoted two classes to outlining and practicing our final speeches, and on Tuesday, December 4 we will begin our group speeches. All our speeches will be finished by Thursday, December 6.

These final speeches are worth 50 points. 40 of those points will come from your actual presentation. 10 of those points will come from group participation. Your group mates will offer feedback on your contributions to the group and will provide that feedback to me. I will use their feedback to award up to 10 points for participation.

Following your group presentations on Thursday, I will provide reflection questions and ask you to watch two videos, your first group presentation and your final presentation. (I will provide links to both) After watching these videos, you will answer those reflection questions and email your answers to me by Tuesday, December 11 at 12:30 p.m. (We will not meet in class for the final exam.)

This reflection will count as your final exam and will be worth 25 points, so please take your time and answer the questions as thoroughly as possible.

I'm really excited to see what your group has to offer. Practice your presentation, and be ready to present on Tuesday.

Have a great weekend.

Let the group projects begin!

Today's brainstorming and planning session seemed to be productive and helpful. I hope you all feel confident and excited about the project you are completing.

Remember, the goal of the 10 to 15 minute group presentation is to entertain and inform the class. Tell us what you did, what happened along the way, what did you learn, and what you accomplished. Use pictures, videos, and personal stories to help us stay engaged.

Here's an outline of the remaining classes we have so far this semester:

• Thursday, November 15: No Class. Use this time to work on your project
• Tuesday, November 20: Rough Draft due by the end of class
• Thursday, November 22: No Class. Thanksgiving Break
• Tuesday, November 27: Final Outline due by the end of class
• Thursday, November 29: Practice your speeches
• Tuesday, December 4: Group Presentations
• Thursday, December 6: Group Presentations
• Tuesday, Dec 11 at 12:30 p.m.: reflection due (email it to me). This reflection will act as your final exam. Write the reflection where you feel comfortable and email it to me.

I'm looking forward to working with you on these projects.

Facebook message or email me if you have any questions.

Persuasive Speeches Done: Here are your new groups!

Nice job on those persuasive speeches. I hope you enjoyed them as much as I did. Based on your comments, some of you were more effective at persuading others with your projects. I put most of you in groups you requested. If you have any concerns email me asap.

The groups are as follows:

1. Scavenger Hunt: Herbert, Josh Du, Amber, David
2. Stress Relief: Robbie, Tyler G, Kaitlin, Kathy 
3. Pinnacles: Josh Da, Taylor, Cheryl, Bronson, Katie
4. School Spirit: Kaylynn, Tyler B, Jared, Hunter
5. Pizza: Alex, Devon, Ryan 
6. Music Video: Breon, Ben, Zac, Eric
7. Water Aerobics: Sarah, Chris, Ashley

Remember, try your hardest to be in class on Tuesday, November 13. Your groups will be discussing the project. If you can't make it, Facebook message the group and do your best to contribute and participate.

On Thursday, November 15, you will have class time to complete the project. There will be no formal class because I will be at a conference. Some projects are more involved than others, but I wanted you to at least have some time to work together and get things accomplished. 

For class on Tuesday, read Epilogue A (pages 392-398) in your textbook. It discusses small group communication. Read it.

Have a great weekend. See you Tuesday.

Speeches begin Tuesday

Thanks for being such a great audience to our guest speakers. I hope their presentation--and our discussion afterwards--was helpful for you as you prepare to deliver your persuasive presentations.

Speeches begin Tuesday. Be sure to bring your outline to class because I'll be picking them up. Bring your drafts with your classmate comments as well; it's worth 5 points, so don't forget.

Let me know if you have any questions.

If you have two minutes, watch this video. I find it inspiring and think you may too.


Ira Glass on Storytelling from David Shiyang Liu on Vimeo.

Have a great weekend.

Watch xtranormal videos; Read chapter 15

I'm enjoying the videos you posted today. Hopefully, after today's class, you have a better idea of the characteristics of effective delivery and how to create a video using xtranormal. As you watch the videos, "like" the ones you enjoyed. The three videos with the most likes get bonus points. 

For Thursday's class, read Chapter 15 in the textbook. The chapter discusses persuasive strategies. Be sure to take notes. On class Thursday, we'll be listening to a persuasive speech from communication students. As they present, I want you to apply what you read to their presentations. Your daily grade will be based on your notes.

After their speech, we will share our outlines and get feedback with our groups. This will be the last discussion you'll have during class before we begin the persuasive speeches.

We'll be starting our speeches on Tuesday, October 30 and need to be finished on November 1.

Have a great Wednesday!

Some reading and a draft Outline

I hope you were inspired today by Steve Jobs. I love his advice to keep looking for what you enjoy doing and not settling for someone else's dream. By the way, I love my job and working with you!  

Wow. So today we learned that our lab has a two different versions of PowerPoint. Frustrating but informative. I hope the activity got you thinking about memorable word choices and how PowerPoint can be used in more visually engaging ways than just a heading, three bullet points, and come clip art. Be sure to visit our Facebook Group and vote for your favorite image (moving or static). 

As you form your speech, remember: you'll have 4 minutes. That's it. Make each minute count. (I think Steve Jobs said this in his speech.)  

For Tuesday, I want you to read Chapter 11 in your book. Focus on the section that discusses the characteristics of effective delivery. I want you to be comfortable with the topic in class on Tuesday.

I also want you to have a draft of your Outline. I'll be picking them up, so be sure to have another copy. I don't want to accidentally lose your only outline. My goal is to try to offer some feedback before class on Thursday, when your table can offer their advice.  

Stay hungry; stay foolish. Have a great weekend!

Topics selected, time to craft your speech

I enjoyed watching Army commercials with you all and hope you have a better grasp of Ethos, Logos, and Pathos. One common way of using these persuasive strategies is to focus heavily on one, like we saw with the recruitment commercials. The Army primarily used Pathos. The Marines used Ethos. And the Sweden ad used Logos.

As you compose your persuasive speeches, consider what strategy outlined in the book will be most effective with your topic and with your audience. Remember, you are trying to convince members of the class to do what you are pitching to them. You have four minutes to give your pitch to the class. Your window is 3:30 to 4:00.

For Thursday, I want you to read Chapter 10 in your book. Focus on the section that discusses memorable word structure. This is something the rubric is looking for, so consider this section as you craft your speech. I also want you to skim Chapter 12.

Just FYI. Here are some important dates:
- Draft outline due October 23
- Final Outlines due October 30
- Speeches given from October 30 and November 1

Post your topic, read a chapter

On Thursday we watched the last informative speech, discussed the persuasive strategies used by Graham Hill, talked about our next speech assignment, and watched our speeches and reflected on what we learned.

That's what I call a productive class period!

If you missed class, here's the link to the reflection questions.
This document has links to your speeches. 

This weekend, I want you to think of a topic for your persuasive speech and post it on Facebook. You can change it later, but I want you to have a starting point.

I also want you to SKIM Chapter 6 in the textbook and READ Chapter 8; this chapter deals with introductions and conclusions, something that could really be strengthened in many of your speeches.

Have a great weekend!

Let's get Persuasive

Your informative speeches showed a marked improvement from the first speeches you gave in class. Nice work. I heard some great introductions and attention getters and saw many of you skillfully incorporate images and videos with your speeches. 

Now that your informative speeches are over, I want you to begin thinking about the next speech: your persuasive speech. To prep for this, I want you to read Chapter 14 in your book. In this speech you will be given four minutes to convince us to do something. As we watch your speeches, we will decide if it's something we want to do.

Here's how it will work. When you give your persuasive speech, we will "vote" on speeches that spark our interest. After all the speeches are over, you will turn in a list of your top five or ten speeches to me. I will then form new small groups, placing you in one of your top choices, and you, as a group, will attempt to accomplish your objective while taking videos and pictures to share with the class. More on that later.

A few things to keep in mind as you come up with ideas: campus activities are easier to accomplish, if your activity is off campus, tell us how you will arrange travel. Activities that can be accomplished during a class period tend work better than long, drawn out activities. Fundraising activities seem to be difficult for groups. Activities that involve personal changes (see the video below) can work better for people who don't live on campus.

Remember, you goal is to convince a few people to join you in your activity. You don't have to convince the whole class. Analyze your audience and target your demographic specifically if you'd like. 

Think of some ideas. Bring questions to class on Thursday and we can talk through them.

If you want to prep for the daily write on Thursday, watch this video. Consider what techniques outlined in the book Graham Hill is using in his speech to persuade us to be a weekday vegetarian.


Have a great Wednesday.

Finish Prezis. Speeches start Tuesday.

I now have your outlines, and we got time today to begin working on our Prezis. Looks like you all are well on your way to being prepared to speak on Tuesday.

Remember to practice your speech out loud using the Prezi. Time yourself to make sure you'll hit the 4:30 to 5:30 minute time frame. A five minute speech is what we are looking for.

If you have any questions, post them on our Facebook group or email me. Watch this video too. I like how Ayah uses her visual presentation aids.



Have a great weekend!

Finish Outlines and Focus on Visuals

Today we got some good feedback on our outlines and learned how the class will be set up. As part of our discussion, we decided to move presentations to begin on Tuesday, October 2 in exchange for only using Prezi as our visual presentation aids.

Finalize your outlines, print them, and bring them to class on Thursday. Make sure to attach your draft (which we worked on today) to your final outline. 

I know a few of you are struggling with Prezi, so I want to use Thursday as a visual workshop. To be prepared, gather all the video and photos you'll need and have them ready to use in class. I'll go over Prezi again, show you some ways to organize your presentations, and show you how to edit videos you upload on YouTube.

To prepare for class, watch this video and think about the power that effective visual communication has with an audience.

Have a great Wednesday!

Let's get those Outlines finished

I am happy to find I have lots of draft outlines emailed to me today, and I'm doing my best to respond to you as I travel and attend/present at the Georgia International Information Literacy Conference.

Keep polishing your outline for class on Tuesday; that's when your final outlines are due.

For Tuesday's class, I want you to read Chapter 9 in your book. Focus on integrating supporting research--I see many of you are struggling with this. Also, watch this video (see below). Consider how Marcin organized his speech. How did Marcin attempt to capture the attention of his audience?



Have a great weekend.

Let the Research Begin!

A big thanks to the Noel Studio's Trenia Napier for showing us the library's website and offering an orientation on the Noel Studio. I also was impressed by the Special Collections Librarians presentations. You know, both Trenia and the other librarians gave an informative speech, just like we will be doing!

Remember, for the Informative Speech, I'll be looking for at least three sources.  

I will be traveling to a conference on Thursday, so don't come to class. Use that time to conduct research and/or write a draft of an outline.  

By the end of class on Thursday, I want you to email that outline draft to me (shawn.apostel@eku.edu). I also want you to read Chapter 13. Focus on learning style and strategies to maintain interest. As you write your email to send me the outline draft, tell me how you will attempt to get your audience interested in your topic. If you are not sure, use the email as a brainstorming session and tie in concepts from your readings.

Check back on the blog Thursday night or Friday. I'll have a new assignment posted then. 

New tribes new topics

We pushed Edistorm to the limit today. Thanks for enduring the chaos. Now we know that Edistorm works great for sharing ideas and getting feedback, but not so great for having 20-odd people categorize and find connections. Lesson learned.

Now that you are in new tribes and sitting around new tables, I hope you will work closely on research and sharing ideas for attending to the needs and interests of your audience. You will all face similar challenges, and one person's idea can inspire you to really have fun with this assignment.

For Tuesday's class, I'd like you to read Chapter 7 in your textbook. I think the entire chapter should be helpful for you as you begin thinking about this next, informative speech. I also want you to watch this video (see below)--which reminds me, to some extent, of our Edistorm session today. Consider how Candy organizes her speech.

Remember on Tuesday we will have librarian--my colleague at the Noel Studio Trenia--to help you find sources for this speech. We will meet in the classroom, talk with Trenia, then head over to the library to see the Noel Studio and visit the Library's archives.  



Have a great weekend! 

Claim your monument

What a busy agenda. Thanks for keeping up. There was so much to accomplish today, and I'm really pleased with our progress. We listened to speeches, looked over the grading rubric, discussed the outline process, and watched and reflected over our first speech.

As you know from class, our next (informative) speech will be on a monument here at EKU. I want each of you to find your own monument to talk about. Once you get an idea, post it on our Facebook group. The first person to post the idea get's the topic. I define "monument" as a plaque, marker of some sort, or statue. If it's not one of those, run the idea by me first.

For Thursday, I want you to read Chapter 4 in your book. Focus on "assessing audience reaction." I also want you to watch this short video. As you watch, consider how Fabian is making technology adapt to the user and think about how we as speakers can adapt to our audience. Do you see any connections with what you read in Chapter 4 of our textbook? I see some.



Have a great Wednesday!

It's time to get informative

We made great progress on Thursday getting our first, introductory speeches--for the most part--completed, and I hoped you learned from experience what worked and didn't work so well in this new environment. We will reflect on our speeches in class on Tuesday and will also begin thinking about our next assignment: the informative speech.

For Tuesday's class, I'd like to you skim chapter 5 of the book. As you browse consider the advice the book gives on strategies for coming up with a topic. We'll talk about the informative speech assignment on Tuesday, but I'd like you to know ways to find topic ideas before class.

As you know, I like speeches that tell stories, so I want you to watch this video (or see below) before class. Consider how Eva came up with research ideas. How does her speech, which is informative, differ from the typical informative speeches you hear in class?


Have a great weekend. 

Prepare for the first, informal speech

Today we watched Lewis Pugh's mind-shifting Everest swim Ted Talk and provided feedback during his speech. This was good training for our speeches tomorrow. Even as audience members, you will be participating by providing descriptive, specific, positive, constructive, sensitive, and realistic feedback to your classmates as they present.

As I walked around today, I noticed that you all had a working Prezi and that each group member had a meme ready to show the class. As you prepare for Thursday, consider the difficulty in talking for 2 to 3 minutes on your meme. I encourage you to think about an event or situation that explains why you chose your meme. Have a brief outline so you don't forget what to say.

Here is what I'll be expecting to hear from your groups:

1. A quick intro and overview for the group (15 to 30 seconds)
2. Smooth transition to first speaker and speech (2 to 3 minutes)
3. Smooth transition to second speaker and speech (2 to 3 minutes)
4. Smooth transition to third speaker and speech (2 to 3 minutes)
5. Smooth transition to fourth speaker (if applicable) and speech (2 to 3 minutes)
6. A quick closing statement and thank you (10 to 20 seconds). Do not ask for questions--there's no time.

Have a great Wednesday. Let me know if you have any questions. 

Shared Absurdity

Wow. We had a few technology hiccups today, but I know we can work through it. After class, Josh shared a handy tool for creating images from the computer screen (snipping tool on Windows computers). Check out the Facebook group to find out how to use it.

To prepare for Tuesday's class, read chapter 3. Focus on the "giving feedback" section. I'd also like you to watch this video (see below or here's a link). While it's connection to feedback is a stretch, I think it touches on the "listening" section of the chapter nicely. In any case, the shared absurdity in the video summarizes our classroom experience today pretty well.

I also would like you to continue working on your memes and Prezi. Our speeches will begin on Thursday, not Tuesday like we originally planned. 



Have a great holiday weekend!

Speaking Ethically

Today we discussed some strategies for overcoming speech anxiety. I also shared what "assignments" are like for public speaking gigs, and we even had time to work on our memes and start our Prezi Meetings. That's a lot to cover in one class period.

For Thursday's class, I'd like you to read Chapter 2. We'll talk about speaking ethically, and leave with a good working draft of our speeches--which begin on Tuesday!

Let me know if you have any questions. Post them on Facebook or email me.

Enjoy your Wednesday.

Read and Play

Today we worked through our first technical difficulty with quickmeme going so slow, but I hope you've begun to get a grasp on our first public speaking assignment. As we discussed in class, you'll be presenting as a group with each person giving a 2 to 3 minute speech introducing themselves and their meme. I would encourage you to think of a story that goes along with your meme. Personal examples tend to resonate well with American audiences.

All groups should have a theme. You could focus on a broad topic like food or parking, or you could focus on animal memes or memes with similar designs. For this assignment you will need to create an original meme and a group Prezi to present your memes to the class. Bring any questions you have to class, post them on our Facebook group or email them to me.

For Tuesday's class, I want you to read chapter 1 in our textbook. Focus on the section regarding reducing speech anxiety. If you do not have a book yet, let me know. I will let you read mine in the Noel Studio during my typical workday (8 to 5). I also want you to play with Prezi and QuickMeme so you feel more comfortable with them on class on Tuesday.

Have a great weekend!

Find a Meme. Watch a video.

I enjoyed meeting you all today. For Thursday, watch this video from Ken Robinson (it's 20 minutes long so factor that time in)--see the embedded video below.

Also, I'd like you to look around this website: (http://www.quickmeme.com/). Think about the memes as they apply to your life at EKU. You can be funny, ironic, or serious. We'll work on creating memes in class, so don't get stressed. The goal for Thursday is to have some sense of what meme you like the best, so we can play with them.



Have a great Wednesday. 

Class Syllabus

Here's a copy of our class syllabus:
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0Bw5-cNqg7SUxQ0s1M3JBZEVxWk0

Let me know if you have any questions.

Make sure you add your email to the box in the top right of this blog. That way, you will be notified whenever I make a post (usually twice a week). 

You are also invited to join our class Facebook group (it's not required, but it's helpful):
http://www.facebook.com/groups/136921266451200/

Final Reflection

We managed to get all of your final presentations done today, and what an adventure! This class, by far, was the most adventurous I've seen as an instructor. I was also impressed by how complex some of your Prezis were and how you rolled with the inevitable issues that come from group projects. You've all come a long way since walking into class at the beginning of the semester.

For your final, I want you to answer these questions in the form of a final reflection paper. If you'd like to be creative and give your response via video or Prezi, feel free. Please be specific in your answers. I love details:

1. What techniques did you use to prepare for a public speech when you first came to this class?
2. How did your experiences in this class change or re-enforced the way you prepare for a public speech?
3. What did you learn about communication in your final group project?
4. How did your past experiences in this class help you prepare for the final presentation?
5. What did you like best about the class? What should I change for next semester?
6. Anything else you'd like to say?

Email your reflection to me by or before Tuesday, May 1. Remember, there is no final exam in this class, so don't bother coming to class. Just email this refection to me.

It was a pleasure getting to know you all. Visit me in the Noel Studio!

Thursday: Final Presentations

Each group gave a quick version of their final presentations today, and I'm excited about your progress. Overall, I think you are ready to present. My only concerns, generally, are how you will capture your audience's attention at the beginning of your speeches and how you will transition between speakers.

We will all need to present on Thursday, so it's important that you stay in the 8 to 10 minute frame. The closer to 8, the better. 

I hope you will take some time before Thursday to practice as a group. Hopefully, you used some of your class time today to practice.

For Thursday, I want presentations in this order:

12:30 Winery Tour Tribe
12:40 Bourbon Trail Tribe
12:50 Animal Awareness (Dixie's Tribe)
1:00 KONY 2012 Tribe
1:10 Matt's Hiking Tribe
1:20 Trey's Hiking Tribe
1:30 Triathlete Tribe

Let me know if you have any questions or concerns. But most importantly, DON'T BE ABSENT! You can't make up this final, group speech.

After your speeches, check the blog for some reflection questions. I'll post them after your speeches. Email me your answer to these questions by noon on Tuesday, May 1.

See you Thursday!

Class on Tuesday: Practice Presentations

Now that you have your speech planned and your visuals in good working shape, it's time to run through your speech in the class.

For Tuesday's class, I'd like each tribe to meet with me in our classroom--one tribe at a time. When you come in to the class, I'll want you to practice your actual presentation in front of me. No other classmate will be in attendance. Don't be absent on Tuesday or on Thursday, the day of our final speeches. You won't be able to make this grade up if you miss the class.

Here are the times I want you to present:

12:30 Triathlete Tribe
12:40 KONY 2012 Tribe
12:50 Animal Awareness (Dixie's Tribe)
1:00 Bourbon Trail Tribe
1:10 Matt's Hiking Tribe
1:20 Winery Tour Tribe
1:30 Trey's Hiking Tribe

Email or Facebook me if you have any questions. See you on Tuesday!

Tuesday visual workshop

For tomorrow's class, I'd like you all to bring the visuals you are going to use in your presentation. By the end of the class period, I'd like each tribe to finish a Prezi, PowerPoint, video ... or whatever you plan on using in your speech.

On Thursday, I will talk with each tribe individually. I will expect each tribe to be able to walk me through, step-by-step, the speech you are planning to present to the class. I will be looking for a clear attention getter, engaging visuals, a well-planned presentation, and a conclusion that is clear. The speech should be designed to entertain and delight your audience.

If you have any questions, email me or post them on our Facebook group.

See you Tuesday!

Reflection on your Persuasive Speech; Visualizing your Final Presentation

After our class on Thursday, you should have a good idea of how your next speech will be organized. Remember, be creative and have fun. When you share your experience with the class, entertain and inspire us.

On Tuesday I'll be collecting your reflection papers on your Persuasive Speech. Watch your speeches and then answer these questions:

1. What did you learn from your prior speeches in this class that you applied to your persuasive speech?
2. What did you like about your persuasive speech?
3. What would you like to do better?
4. What steps can you take to improve your next speech?
5. What about the persuasive speech assignment did you find helpful? What about the assignment should be changed?
6. Any other comments? 

Be specific. Show me you watched your videos.

I also want you to watch this TedTalk for Thursday. Chip has a very unique public speaking style that takes some getting used to, but I want you to focus on how he visualizes the best-selling books he designs. I think his ideas may be of interest as you figure out ways to visually share your experiences with the class.



Have a great weekend!

Forming an Outline: Planning your group presentation

I haven't laughed that hard in class in a long time. Thanks for sharing your favorite flashmob and improvisation videos with the class. I hope we all were inspired to think creativity and come up with fun, compelling ways to share our story and capture the attention of our audience.

During our next class, I want you to finalize a general outline for your group presentation. This should serve as a road map of sorts to help guide you as your prepare your actual, physical project/adventure. Remember, think about ways to digitally capture your story. Videos, pictures, and audio recording are something to consider. Don't rely on stock photos and YouTube videos. I'm not interested in anything you did not create as a group.

For Tuesday, I want you to watch this TedTalk. Give it a few minutes; Pranav is really doing some amazing things, and I like how he uses videos to demo his inventions.



Have a wonderful Wednesday.

Persuasive Speeches are Over: Time to join your new, and last, tribe

Excellent job everyone! I was really impressed with how you all were able to overcome the challenges of our persuasive speeches, and many of you really seemed to find your voices. Giving a 3-4 minute pitch with a stopwatch projected on the wall and nothing but a doc-cam for a visual is a tough environment. Now you've had experience with several different situations. You've presented in a conference-like setting (with colleagues sitting behind you and wall-to-wall projections of your Prezi); you've presented in a traditional, podium setting (with your visual presentation aid projected behind you), and now you've experienced the timed speech.

The goal of your last speech in this class will be to inform and entertain your audience. Your entire tribe will have 10 minutes to present on your experience accomplishing a task, and everyone in your tribe must have time to present to the class. Be sure to take videos and pictures of your adventure to share with us. You can use whatever software you think will be most suitable to share your story. We can talk about this more in class.

I formed new tribes based on your feedback to the speeches. I tried to place everyone in a tribe that they found interesting, and I'm sorry if I couldn't place you in your top choice.

The tribes are:

Triathlon: Jamie, Dylan, Brooke
Maker's Mark Tour: Carisa, Silvia, Sarah, Shawna
Animal Shelter Volunteers: Dixie, Amber, Parker, Ian
Hiking (Group 1): Trey, Jeff, Brittany
Hiking (Group 2): Matt, Kristian, Kyle
KONY 2012: Will, Zach, Bo
Acres of Wine Tour: Katie, Becca, Heather

If your topic was selected, it's very important that you attend class on Tuesday, when we next meet. If something comes up, please Facebook your tribe on our Facebook group and figure out a time you all can talk.

On Tuesday, we will be discussing our final presentation and brainstorming ideas for how to share our experiences with the class. Some of you have more preparation needed than others, and I will be able to assist you and answer your questions. 

Remember, the goal of your final presentation is to inform and entertain. It's okay if things don't work out as planned; have fun, be creative, and figure out a way to share your story in a way that will engage the class.

Your homework for this weekend is to read Epilogue A (392-398) in our Textbook. I also want you to watch this TedTalk:



Have a great weekend!

Speeches begin on Tuesday

Your xtranormal videos are so fun to watch. Remember to visit our Facebook group and vote for the videos you liked the best.

Our persuasive speeches begin on Tuesday (3.27.2012), so make sure you are in attendance and ready to present. Your visual must be something that you can place under the document camera, so an object, flyer, photograph, book, magazine or any object could work.

I also think you should watch this short, four minute Ted Talk before Tuesday. Consider how Graham pitches his idea and what techniques he uses that might be useful in your persuasive speech:



See you Tuesday. Email me or Facebook the group if you have any questions.

Topics Chosen: Now it's time to outline

We used Prezi meeting to have fun and figure out what topics and main points you'll want to cover in your next speech. At least, I hope you had fun and figured stuff out. If you are still struggling with speech ideas please let me know. Email me. Now. Or ask Siri if you have an iPhone 4S. Or make an appoint at the Noel Studio. Don't wait. 

Our final outlines for the persuasive speeches are due on Tuesday, March 20 along with the reflections on your informative speeches (if you haven't turned yours in yet).

I also want you to skim chapter 15 and read chapter 11 (pages 243-253) and visit other Prezis posted on our Facebook page. Look over the topics and make comments. What reasons would make you not want to join that group? What points need to be covered? Write those ideas and help out your fellow classmates. 

Have a great weekend. 

Persuasive Speeches: Some things to consider

Today we heard from Adam and Jules about why they decided to major in communication studies and why we should consider that major/minor. They did a really good job of incorporating supporting material, and I hope you all were inspired to incorporate some of their techniques in your next speech.

Speaking of which, here are a few things to keep in mind as you prepare your next speech.

1. The goal of your persuasive speech is to convince members of the class to join you on a mission, activity, event, or experience. Part of your presentation should focus on how your proposed project could be accomplished during the final weeks of class.
2. Post your topic on our facebook page. First come, first served for topic ideas. If you are stumped, read other ideas to gain inspiration or post a help message on facebook and we can all give you ideas. I will also try to help you if you email me. Post your topic idea before Thursday's class.
3. Your speech should be at least 3 minutes long and no longer than 4 minutes.
4. Your only visual will be what can be displayed on the doc cam. Your visual can be an object, a flyer, or a picture. 
5. During other speeches, you will take notes on what you like/don't like about the topic/activity being proposed, not on the speaker's presentation. This will help me decide what group you would feel comfortable joining. 
6. After these speeches, I will form tribes based on your responses and you will actually join a group to complete one of these proposed missions, activities, events, or experiences. 

Many of you turned in your reflections on your informative speeches. If you didn't turn yours in today (Tuesday) then bring it to class on Thursday.

For Thursday's class, read chapter 10 and focus on memorable word structures. I also want you to skim chapter 12.

Informative Speeches Complete: On to persuasive speeches

We may have one or two more speeches to hear on Thursday, but, for the most part, our informational speeches are complete. I want you to reflect on your informative speech in a one or two page paper due March 13--the Tuesday after Spring Break. Here are some questions that I'd like you to answer:

1. What did you learn from your first speech that you applied to your informative speech?
2. What did you like about your informative speech?
3. What would you like to do better?
4. What steps can you take to improve your next speech?
5. What about the informative speech assignment did you find helpful? What about the assignment should be changed?
6. Any other comments?

As for Thursday's class (March 1) we can now move on to the Persuasive speech--my personal favorite. As we discussed in class, the goal of your speech is to present an idea for a project, adventure, or experience to the class and try to convince a few of them to join you on your mission. You, as the audience, will vote on what you would like to do. I will form new tribes after the speeches are over.

For our next class, I want you to read Chapter 14. I also want you to watch this TedTalk. Be prepared to write about what you read and watched when you get to class.



See you Thursday!

Presentations continuing

We braved the radio station ghost in our technology and successfully completed some presentations on Tuesday. If you haven't presented yet, make sure you attend class and be ready to present. If you haven't presented, unexcused absences count against your speech grade.

Some unfinished business:
I turned back grades for the first speech last week. If you didn't get a graded speech rubric then you may have opted to watch the video of your first speech and write a reflection about it using the grading rubric as a guide. Please do that ASAP. I really want you to watch your speech and reflect on it before you present. (A detailed reflection will probably be two pages long.)

Something to look forward to:
Everyone will write a reflection on the speeches we are doing now. I'll post questions on this blog after we are done with the speeches.

Have a wonderful Wednesday. See you Thursday.

Practice, Practice, Practice

Today we learned ways to bring our senses into a story and how visuals can stimulate emotional responses with your audience. We discussed ways of using notes and an ancient technique for memorizing speeches. We also saw Garrison Keillor accept an award for his storytelling by sharing the reason why he became interested in stories. And we discussed how the placement of elements, the shape of the font, and the location and size of the words can change the emotional response we have to a message.

Wow. What a busy day.

Now that you've turned in your outline, I want you to use Thursday to practice your speech. Remember, there is no class on Thursday. Use the day to practice. If you have questions email me. I'll be helping and presenting at the SWCA conference here at the Noel Studio on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, so I'll do my best to schedule a time if you need to meet with me.

In keeping with our theme of great story tellers, listen to advice from Ira Glass of "This American Life." He gives some great advice to those of us who feel like what we do, what we create, isn't living up to our standards. This, I think, is something we all face when we give an oral presentation, write a paper, or design a flyer.

Ira Glass on Storytelling from David Shiyang Liu on Vimeo.

Email me if you have any questions.

Finalizing your Speech Outlines

After our class today, you should have a good, working draft of what your outline will look like as well as some idea of how you will keep and hold your audience's attention during your speech. I really enjoyed talking with you and seeing you all interact with your tribes.

As you design your outline, be sure to consider the format used on pages 208-209 in your textbook. I'll be grading your outlines based on this format. 

For Tuesday's class read chapter 9 and apply what you learn to your outline, which is due that day. Your outline needs to be finished and printed before class.

Since I can't find a good speech on outlines, I've included a fun video to watch that, I think, demonstrates good teamwork.



Have a great weekend. See you Tuesday.

Outlining your Informative Speech

I hope you all were able to use class time to collect your research. I didn't see any of you at the QEP symposium today, so I'm guessing you all are moving along just fine. Based on the emails I've been receiving today, you seem to have a good grasp of how you are going to organize your informative speeches.

If you are struggling at this point, please email me, post questions on our Facebook page, or talk with your new tribe. Tribes should work together because the tribe with the highest point average will get bonus points.You, as audience, will be allocating points as people present.

For Thursday, I'd like you to read chapter 13. I also want you to watch this short video (here's a link); as you watch this video, focus on the section of the book that discusses maintaining your audience's attention.



Have a great Wednesday.

Researching and narrowing down your Informative Speech ideas

On Thursday we formed new tribes and began collecting research ideas for our next speech. If you can, get on our Facebook group and thank Trenia Napier, our research consultant, for showing us the online digital archives at EKU. She's a member of our group.

You may also use the Facebook group to ask Trenia, me, or other classmates, questions about your research, the assignment, or your topic. We all need to support each other.

After our last class session you should all have five or so sources to help you generate ideas for your speech. Many of you are using interviews and personal experiences to gather information. As you collect info, be sure to take pictures and video footage. You may want to use this in your speech.

For Tuesday's class time, I want you to conduct the research you'll need to create a compelling story to share with us. Remember, there is no class on Tuesday, but I will expect you to check the blog. I'll be presenting at the QEP showcase in the Library if you'd like to stop by and play my Zombie card game.

Before class time ends on Tuesday, I want you to email me a freewrite on how you intend to organize your speech. Read Chapter 7 and incorporate what you learned into your freewrite. You can email this freewrite to me from now until Tuesday.

I also want you to watch Amy Purdy's Ted Talk.



Have a great weekend.

New Topics, New Stories

I had so much fun working with you and Edistorm today, and I hope you found the session helpful as you brainstorm ideas for your next speech. Here's a word cloud I created from our discussion on Edistorm:



Remember, the Informative Speech must be four to five minutes long and should inform us of a service, place, object, event, or phenomena here at EKU. There are many ways to structure your speech, but since we are focusing on storytelling, find or create a narrative that helps us connect with your information.

For example, the narrative of the search for information may be a useful way to tell us your story and to help you connect to your audience. The point is to focus on your audience and tell us a story. Don't tell us things that we can find on wikipedia or YouTube. That's boring. Collect and refine information that will enable you to deliver a speech that really excites and interests you, and your audience will enjoy listening.

You are in a tech-savvy room, so feel free to use the technology available: Prezi, PowerPoint, xtranormal, videos, music. Part of the rubric involves your presentation aids, but I reward calculated risk-takers when it comes to visuals. In other words, this is a safe class to take chances and create videos and have some fun with your visuals. Just make sure it's content you created or that I approve.

• The speech is worth 50 points. (Be ready to present on Feb 21)

• The outline of the speech is worth 25 points. (Due on Feb 14)

• After the speech, you'll watch a video of your speech and turn in a reflection worth 10 points. (Due before the Persuasive Speech)

For Thursday, read Chapter 4 and focus on the section we discussed in class. I also want you to watch this short video. As you watch, consider how Fabian is making technology adapt to the user and think about how we as speakers can adapt to our audience.



See you Thursday!

Intros complete, now let's think about topics for our next assignment

I really enjoyed getting to know you all a bit more through our first speeches. Congratulations on presenting in public and working in small groups with new people and new technology. Those are big challenges and I hope you are pleased with your work.

For Tuesday's class, read Chapter 5 in the textbook and watch the video below. Here's a link to use if the video isn't showing below.

Our next assignment will be to present an informative speech about a building, statue, historic marker or event, or place here at EKU. I'd like you to start looking around campus and see what you might be interested in. It could be a ghost story or the story behind a statue here on campus.

We'll talk about the assignment more at class on Tuesday, but I want you to begin thinking about something you may be interested in. You can post questions on our Facebook group if you want, but remember, I'll be out of pocket for much of the weekend.

If you have a topic in mind, post it on Facebook. I only want one person to do one topic. First come, first served.

As you watch this video of Eva, consider how she comes up with research topics.



Have a safe weekend. See you Tuesday.

You spoke today and so will the President

I learned so much about you today as you told us stories of the people you've lost, lessons you learned, and experiences that have shaped you as an individual. Thank you for sharing with us.

For Thursday, we'll be continuing our presentations. Be ready to provide comments and to present, if you didn't present today.

I also want you to read chapter 3 in our book and apply it to the President's State of the Union address tonight. Make sure you pull in what stood out to you in the book.

Once you've read the chapter and watched the speech, write some thoughts on our Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/165019053604145/

Be sure to leave a unique comment. Those who post first have the easiest time I would think. So don't put it off!



Have a great Wednesday!

Be ready to present on Tuesday

On Thursday's class we discussed ethics, the grading rubric used in this class, and how to stand with your group and with a clicker. We even had time to work on our Prezis. Looks like you all are getting the hang of it.

I hope you'll be able to find at least three approaches to determining whether you are making ethical decisions. I find the concepts of utilitarianism (best for the most), universality (if everyone did this, the world would be fine), and virtue ethics (who you aspire to be/who mom would be proud of)to work in many situations. Remember, a decision may not work for all approaches, but two out of three isn't bad. At least you'll be able to defend your actions.

Be ready to present on Tuesday. There is no other homework besides perfecting your Prezi and practicing for your presentation. Email me or your tribe members if you have any questions or post your question/comments on our Facebook page. (See link in post below.)

I'll be selecting tribes at random unless a tribe volunteers.

Have a great weekend. Until Tuesday, practice out loud and with your Prezi. I'm looking forward to hearing your stories and learning more about you.

Facebook Group

Here's a link to our class facebook page. Feel free to use it as a sounding board when you have questions.

http://www.facebook.com/groups/165019053604145/

Speech Anxiety and our First Speeches of the Semester

Today we discussed techniques for overcoming speech anxiety. (Here's a link to the Prezi I used to frame our discussion.) I hope you found the discussion helpful and that you are able to transfer that extra energy your body gives you to help you prepare and feel confident about your first, introductory speech.

Speaking of which...For your first speech you will be sharing a story with the class. Here are some guidelines:

1. Tell us a story about yourself, your pet, your relative, a struggle you overcame, a victory in your life, a place you've visited, a religious experience, anything that is important to you as a person. Pick one main story. 
2. You have 2 to 4 minutes to share this story with the class. Do not go over 4 minutes.
3. Use Prezi to visually tell your story while you speak. You can use pictures, words, a short video, colors, shapes, whatever helps convey your story visually. Do not put paragraphs in your Prezi to read to the class. 
4. Your story should apply to the class. Tell us the "moral of the story" or the lesson we could all learn from your experience. 
5. If you have any questions, email me (shawn.apostel(at)eku.edu) and/or ask your tribe for help. In addition to public speaking tips, I can help you think through the visuals you want to use or work through any issues you have with Prezi.
6. Help your tribe. The class will be evaluating your speech. The tribe with the best reviews will get bonus points on the speech grade. (We can talk about this in class. Just ask.) The point is, make sure your tribe members are getting the feedback they need.

For Thursday, I want you to read Chapter 2 in the textbook. Focus on the section we discussed in class and see how it applies to the video below. We'll also be finalizing our Prezis, so make sure you've got the images/videos you'll need. 



Here's a link to the video just in case: http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_ariely_beware_conflicts_of_interest.html

Hope you enjoy your Wednesday.

Developing our Stories and Prezis

Well, we had our first real encounter with technology today, and I think we came out ahead. I hope you enjoyed playing with Prezi and getting a feel for it. There are not many times in your adult life that you can play; enjoy the times you get in this class. I know I do.

Today we talked about the way Lewis used his story to encourage his audience to reconsider their thinking about the environment. We talked about how effectively Lewis related to his audience, how he built up his story with visually-evoking language, and how his ending offered suggestions to deal with climate change.

As you consider your story, think about ways to relate to your audience. How can you set the stage to get us excited about what you learned? What visuals can you explain, or show, with the Prezi going on around you? Remember, you'll have 3 to 4 minutes to tell us your story. You must use Prezi. And you will be presenting with your tribe standing with you.

For Tuesday, I want you to read Chapter 1 in your textbook (Public Speaking: An Audience Centered Approach, 8th edition). If you were in class and paying attention, you know the section I want you to focus on. As you read, consider how it applies to the video below:



If you are having trouble understanding William's accent, click on the "languages" button and choose a language you feel comfortable reading. If the video isn't showing up, follow this link: http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/william_kamkwamba_how_i_harnessed_the_wind.html

Have a great weekend.

First Ted Talk of the Semester

Welcome to the class blog. This is where you will find a quick summary of what we did in class and assignments to complete before we meet again. Notice the "FOLLOW ME BY EMAIL" sign at the top right portion of this blog--just above the class mascots. I suggest entering your favorite email address. Every time I update the blog, you'll be notified the morning after.

So today we found out that many of you don't like tomatoes, that Seattle is a cool city, and that we can roughly divide our class into two sections: those who like sushi and those who don't. We also talked about using Prezi in this class (www.prezi.com) and the topic of our first, informal, speech. Since we will be discussing storytelling in this class, I want you to think of a story you can share with the class about your past. It could be about an event that changed the way you see something, a memory from your childhood that brings you joy, a friend who overcame great adversity ... you get the idea.

Come up with a few ideas and bring them to class on Thursday. We'll also be playing with Prezi. I think you'll like it. Our speeches will begin on January 24.

For Thursday I also want you to watch this Ted Talk below. It's about Lewis Pugh's swim across a lake on Mt. Everest. Consider the way he tells his story as well as the approaches he takes to address a difficult situation. Consider what you found effective, and perhaps not so effective, in his presentation. Be prepared to talk and write about it in class.



If the video doesn't work, follow this link.

Hope you have a great Wednesday.