Back at the Beginning

Reflecting back on my first blog post I realize that I did understand some concepts that play a major role in effective speeches. I talked about how the coach made sure he made eye contact with his audience. That is important to do in order keep the attention of your audience. He spoke with the method of impromptu not extemporaneous because he didn’t rehearse his speech and then present it to his audience like the way we did in class. Through his voice and choice of language style he motivated everyone including me. He took in consideration of his audience and made sure to word things a way that we would understand. Myself as a speaker and even watching other speeches I never took into consideration the audience. The audience plays a major role in the speech presentation and taking this class made me realize this. Through his motivational speech he received good feedback not only from the team but also from myself. I received my best personal time and when I told him and thanked him I knew he was happy he made that speech. Before taking this class I didn’t realize how much of an amazing speaker he was, but now that I have and I understand the concepts we’ve learned I see that he is an incredible role model and many people could learn how to deliver a good speech from him.

Reflection/Self-Evaluation Blog

Since August, I did not mind going to effective speech class each day, and I did not have much difficulty with the material because I have previously taken a rhetoric course. Although I spoke about varying topics of afghans and ADHD, CAS 100A was like a review for me. The communication model and the rhetorical situation, which were useful constructing my speech, will further help me in life with future presentations and interpersonal conversations. These concepts have instilled in me a better understanding of how messages are interpreted. I feel that public speaking is much easier now because I covered topics in my speeches that are close to me.

I can honestly say that I have had the best summer of my life at Penn State. This experience has given me the assurance that I have made the right decision by coming to this school. Not only have I had a great time and made good friends, but also I have taken part of college classes in a traditional setting. In this picture, I am delivering my speech for the fourth time while practicing. It shows how I have managed my time to fit in my classes, which this will be a good skill that I have acquired this summer for the rest of my college career. After this summer, I now know Penn State wants to hear what I have to say.

Let's review, shall we?

At last, the summer session draws to a close, and for a precious week, we will be free to lounge about at lazy teenagers until we're kicked back into the fall semester. In the past few weeks, I've experienced a whole range of things I hadn't been prepared for, and shared in the embarrassment of standing in front of an audience to speak. While my confidence as a speaker hasn't grown, my understanding of what to do to increase that confidence has. I've always understood when I've seen a good speech, but now I understand exactly why a speech is good or bad. The useful trio, ethos, pathos, and logos, make all the difference in the world. I had never before understood the concept that in order to speak effectively, you have to convince your audience that you're worth listening to.

These are skills that will assist me in all future situations, whether publicly, professionally, or interpersonally. The course has help me to understand exactly what it takes to communicate effectively. Where as before I had only vaguely understood that people communicate, I now understand how and can improve on any flaws that I might have suffered from before. With one speech left, I hope that I can apply what I've learned, and wrap up the class in the best way that I can!

A Speech Reflection

In my very first blog I talked about one of the most revered teachers in my school, telling everyone that he had recently been diagnosed with cancer. I described how he spoke in such a diligent way, and with an amazing amount of ease. After this past summer semester I have learned what is entailed in a good and effective speech, and I still feel that this speech had the impact it was designed to have. He knew he would upset a lot of people if he went in one direction, but he used it as an opportunity to teach a life lesson. I have learned a lot from this class, including what is and isn't appropriate for different speeches. I also learned about ethos, logos and pathos. Pathos deals with emotion, and that was definitely the overwhelming factor in this speech. I now know so much more about the art of giving speeches, and feel I can evaluate them in a whole new way. My teachers speech still epitomizes what I think of when I think “public speech.” Also, my idea of communication and speaking has not so much changed, but I now know more about the inner workings and how to approach different speaking situations with a better idea of what to do and expect. The characteristics I now associate with speech will stick with me, and I will identify them with each new speech I see. The speech I discussed in my first blog post continues to be the most influential and memorable speech I have ever witnessed. In addition, with the help of this course, I appreciate it in a entirely new light.

Where did Time Go?

Although I was dreading this class from the first day I am so happy I had the opportunity to take it this summer. CAS 100 was my first speech class and might not be my last. Before completing this course I hated public speaking and was always shy and nervous. I learned that the skills for public speaking aren't hard to acquire and just take practice. Getting to know everyone in our class helped a lot. I felt comfortable talking in front of the class and giving a speech didn't seem like as big of a deal.

Even though we only gave two speeches, I believe I improved from the first. In class I learned more skills and techniques involved with communication and speaking. I was more confident in my second speech and executed it because of the new techniques learned in class. I learned to successfully construct an outline with all the necessary components: attention getter, credibility statement, preview, thesis, body, conclusion. I learned how to connect to my audience using Ethos, Pathos, and Logos but overall I actual learned what it takes to be a good public speaker.

I know I have my flaws, and still get speech anxiety, but I feel more confident in talking in front of crowds now. I realized I simply need to practice and put my work into giving a great speech to be successful. Unfortunately CAS 100 was only 6 weeks since it was over the summer, but I've learned things that I can carry into my classes this fall. I'll be able to give great presentations and if ever forced to speak in public I feel that I will be able to do so. I had a great experience in this class and am happy I had the opportunity to take it.

Five weeks later...

Looking back, it is crazy to think about how much I have learned in five weeks. I can assert with complete assurance that I know infinitely more about communication, public speaking, and critical listening than I did upon first entering CAS 100. I thought that this class would be pointless for me personally because I can honestly say speech anxiety is not something I struggle with and I knew that upon entrance. I had this idea that the class would be completely focused on facing the fear of speaking in front of people. It turned out to be so much more than that and I believe it was really helpful in making me not just a speaker, but an effective speaker.

Through the course and preparing different speeches, I realized just how much work it is to be a successful speaker. I had never before thought about the prospect of actually having logic behind the outline, relating it to the audience, and maintaining their attention. All the while having to constantly remind myself to choose appropriate and accurate language, keep a good tone, speak at a moderate tempo, and use my body language in a useful manner. From the time the class began until now, my entire thought process regarding public speaking has transformed. I once thought it to be a mindless task of just being comfortable in front of people. I realized, though, that there is a lot to consider if a speech is to be executed successfully. I definitely grew in my approach to public speaking situations.

I know that the skills I have acquired through this course will make me a better student, future career- woman, and overall communicator. I will be able to apply what I have learned to almost every moment in my life because communication is such a huge part of life. Though this class was not something I was looking forward to, it turned out to be a great learning experience and I know it will aid me in all my future endeavours.

Reflection/ The Hangover 2

Reflecting on my first blog post, The Hangover Wolf Pack speech does still reflect my understanding of “public speaking”. Prior to taking this class, my knowledge was limited, but now I am a lot more familiar with public speaking and its concepts. I previously mentioned how Alan gave the speech to his three friends, so the occasion would be a special occasion and the speech purpose would to be to celebrate. Simply by presenting speeches in class, I can identify with some of the struggles that he was going through while delivering his speech. I've learned from the readings, however, that speech anxiety is a very common thing, and that the audience can hardly see how bad it is as compared to what you are feeling. It can also be controlled by relaxing before giving the speech.

Alan's genuine love for his friends is an effective use of pathos, which appeals to the emotions of his audience. Alan was aware of who he was speaking to, and by performing an audience analysis, he incorporated humor to catch their attention. Even though this speech is not a historically significant one, I have learned how to not only be a critical thinker, but a critical listener as well. I definitely give credit where credit is due for those who speak in front of others; it can be a very difficult task. I not only admire others for speaking publicly, but I am more confident in doing so now that I have taken this class.

I would like to point out another clip (from 0:07 -0:30) in which Alan gives a different speech from The Hangover 2. I'm pretty sure Alan would be a great CAS100 student. Right off the bat, he uses an interesting statistic to gain his audience's attention. Props, Alan. Another thing that I noticed when viewing it was that he was using note cards. He has incorporated the use of visual aids as if we was following one of our rubrics. I now understand how useful they can be to trigger your memory and guide your speech in the direction that you want it to go. Although his delivery was not quite extemporaneous, it was a good attempt and I can admit that it is a difficult skill to perfect.

Good job, Washington

With all of the things I learned this semester, I can now confidently reaffirm that George Washington's Farewell Address is an example of good public speaking. Throughout the course, a speaker's ethos and a good delivery are requirements that have been greatly emphasized. Washington has a great deal of credibility, or ethos, with his audience so they wanted to listen to what he had to say and they trusted his advice. Also, he delivered his speech with confidence and commanded his audience's attention, which is a key element of being an effective speaker.

Although I was able to recognize an example of good public speaking from the beginning, I think I have learned how to be a better public speaker. Now I know how to apply the important skills I recognized in Washington's speech, to my own speaking. I am glad I took the time to revisit my first post because it gave me the opportunity to remember my thoughts and opinions from the beginning of the course. I am glad that now I know what goes into making a good speech, and more importantly, why these techniques work.

a new outlook on public speaking

When we were given the first blog on an example of public speaking, I automatically thought the Valedictorian at my eighth grade graduation. I thought about how well she started out to the mess she made at the end. I believed her to be an example of bad public speaking, which I still think is. However, now when I think of public speaking a different image comes to mind. I think of the great speech makers like Martin Luther King Jr. and John F. Kennedy. They had such power and meaning behind their words and spoke out to thousands of people. They took on the challenge and presented a speech that is still well-known today.

Another reason I think of these speech makers is because they had a reason behind their speech. While the Valedictorian's speech went on celebrating and reflecting our time together, their speeches motivated others, informed them of current issues, and persuaded people to take action. While learning in this class over the past few weeks I realized that all speeches have a significant purpose and what those purposes are. My understanding of communication and public has changed and after taking this course I've come to realize just how essential speech is. We use it every day for numerous reasons and it only us helps in life. Communication is key and being able to present yourself well and be well spoken will only help you progress and grow into a better person.

A More Meaningful Understanding of Public Speaking

After reviewing my first blog post about Miss South Carolina in the 2007 Miss Teen USA competition, i can say that it still represents my understanding of public speaking to an extent. As mentioned in my first post, preparedness, and, confidence are essential tools of a successful public speaker. However, after completing this class, I now have the understanding of what public speaking really is. Its not just speaking alone in front of a group, but rather speaking in everyday life. Sometimes we are required to speak in front of groups yes, but more often than not, we are engaged in conversation with peers, elders, friends, and family. Public speaking is in fact a part of our everyday life whether we know it or not. Good public speaking skills will take you far in life, and I feel as if this class equipped me with some useful tools for my future.

New Understanding of Public Speaking

When I look back at my first blog, I still feel like the woman who came to talk at my high school was the epitome of a great public speaker. She not only had good delivery and style, but I still remember to this day some of the things she said. I feel like if you're able to accomplish those things through a single speech, you're doing something right.

Through this course, my understanding of public speaking has definitely changed a lot. Six weeks ago, when I thought of public speaking, the delivery was the first (and sometimes only) thing that came to mind. Things like eye contact, speech anxiety and just the way one presents a speech was what I thought of. I never considered the actual writing of the speech and how much work is put into it.

I thought I was experienced in public speaking because I was on my high school's Speech and Debate team for three years, but this course was completely different because I actually had to take the time to research and write my speech. It turns out that I knew a lot less than I thought I did! I didn't know what to expect going into this course, but it gave me a new understanding of public speaking, and I know everything I learned will be useful for the future. I also learned that if you put in the right amount of time researching a topic that you find interesting, it can be really fun to present!

Deliver is (Still) Key

While I still believe that delivery is a key component, I have learned that there is much more to public speaking than that. Delivery represents the end result, or the final product, of a speech, but there is so much more that goes on behind the scenes. Before one can focus on delivery, they must follow certain steps to prepare a well, thought out speech that effectively gets a message across to their audience. In my first blog post, I talked about the speech the valedictorian of my high school gave and i explained how i was disappointed that she did not deliver as well as I had hoped. Looking back now, however, I realize that there are other things that the speaker did do really well. For example, the structure of her speech was excellent and I should have given her more credit than i did originally.

As this class comes to a close, I realize that I have learned so much more than simply how to get up in front of people and give a speech. I have learned about how communication works on different levels and I have learned that it takes a lot more to prepare a speech than just throwing a few words together. Communication is a tool that is important in everyday life, and I am sure I will use the techniques I have learned in this class in many different aspects of my life.

A New Perspective

My first blog post dealt with the example of Martin Luther King Juniors' "I have a dream" speech. After taking this class, I still feel that this is a great example of public speaking. It fits many of the requirements of public speaking such as being in front of a large crowd in the public setting. It has a specific purpose to gain support from the audience. King uses his speech to try and convince the public of the importance of the civil rights movement. Although I still find this speech a good example, my understanding of what public speaking is has changed. At the beginning of the class, I thought public speaking was only a formal speech in front of a large crowd. After this class, I recognize that public speaking is done by all of us everyday. It does not have to be a formal speech to be considered public speaking. I now know that it can be done in all types of settings and in front of audiences of all sizes. Also, I already knew that speeches, like King's, had different purposes, but now I have a much better understanding of the many circumstances that shape these purposes. For example, King's purpose in speaking was a result of the racism in America and the need to gain support for the civil rights movement. He had to adjust his message for the audience he was speaking to. Since they were mostly supporters, King made sure his speech focused on showing the public his 'dream' for what America could be like when the racism ended. I now know this technique as the Visualization step in Monroe's Motivated Sequence. I can now look at King's speech and see it as much more than just a famous speech. I can see how it fits into the ideas of public advocacy and civic engagement in his attempts to convince people of his cause and get them to stop the racism. In addition, when listening to the speech I can recognize many of the techniques he utilizes as ones we learned about in class. I would not have picked up on these techniques if I had not taken this class.

Better Pageant Answers

My first blog post was about Miss Teen USA contestant Caitlin Upton. The answer that she gave during her final question was an example of bad public speaking. Her answer only added to the typical beauty pageant stereotypes. She tried her best, but she was unprepared to answer the question.

I found a better example of beauty pageant answers from the 2008 Miss America pageant. I felt like all eight girls meant what they were saying. They answered their questions with confidence. They proved that not all pageant girls fit the stereotypes. This would be an example of good public speaking and also public advocacy because their speaking out about important issues. Throughout this course I learned to be confident when speaking and not to get too nervous. No matter what you have to keep going. You can't just stop speaking. Communication is an important part of everyday life.