ARIANNA-
The group presentations on public speaking were magnificent! As all groups were enlightening and reassuring, I enjoyed the valuable tips on overcoming anxiety, practicing, visualizing the bigger picture, and going through the steps of success to enhance our brighter futures. I learned to transform nerves into energy. I feel certain techniques such as positive self-talk and focusing on preparation stood out to me. The presentations equipped me with strategies that are practical and opportunities for growth rather than growing in fear. As I feel motivated to experience these helpful tips, I still find myself feeling under pressure when I know it's my time to present! I find this class will ease all of us. I also appreciated the small clips that were presented, as I’m sure anyone would appreciate a visual way of seeing things! As I made it an approach to practice deliverance and making an experience one to remember, the chance for growth always stands out. Appreciating public speech turns out to be quite a gift; you never know how it may come in handy with your future career. One thing I enjoy about this class is how our group presentations connect us, helps with communication and teaches us the value of being able to speak well in front of others. As we are all creative in our own ways, we get to experience the visuals of others, the opinions, and what matters most to each and every one of us in this class. I enjoy conversation with strangers, and getting to know different backgrounds and stories is all a process of growth and building strength to feel more comfortable with one another. I enjoy helping other build confidence and enhancing better skills in personal relationships. I feel that our presentations in this class will make us become more adaptable in social connections. As I mentioned "fight or flight" in my project, the adrenaline energy will make or break you! As an individual practices public speech, I think this is a great skill for overall positive differences in your life. The communication growing up at home during a childhood might not have been effective; middle school didn't enforce public speaking; not many friends or found interests to share along with others; difficulty with jobs and tedious coworkers; there are many ways positive public communication can make that personal divergence. As we improve our critical thinking, leadership, and network opportunity skills, being understanding fosters empathy for our audiences. As I learn resilience, facing my fears allows me to handle criticism to adapt on the spot aspects of life. Crafting projects helps me manage my time and personal life as I am able to show my creativity in many ways. As I intend to cultivate a range of skills and qualities that will contribute to my future, these connections will help me alongside mentorships, career advancements, and expose my profile to the highest of my abilities. I aim to develop key skills such as clarity of persuasive techniques, storytelling, and eye contact. I want to be able to deliver a message that will empower me in social and professional interactions. As public speaking is a daunting prospect for many, those grappling with feelings of self-doubt and anxiety often find themselves frozen, stifling their ability to express their opinions and ideas to connect meaningfully with their audience. I want to work on certain personal aspects, as each presentation began with a whirlwind of emotions! I noticed how some of us were nervous, excited, and a dash of apprehended. I learned that reading the chapter that was assigned to me helped me engage with the material and convey my enthusiasm. The process for the presentations were so much fun. I discovered how important it is to be organized, and I was able to appreciate all the explanation and structure crafted by each group. It makes it easy for classmates to follow along what's being spoken and being able to keep up without the feeling of being lost helps create logical flow. I practiced rehearsing which revealed what areas of improvement are needed and assisted with my flow and pace. As the day of presentations came around, I felt a mix of anticipated emotions. I understand we are sitting in front of a screen, and I'm about to speak in front of a class of strangers, but once I felt myself explaining what my chapter was about, I knew this was all part of the learning journey. One memorable moment during the group presentations were the videos that were attached, as I am a visual learner and who doesn't enjoy a good cartoon clip? I enjoy receiving feedback from my peers and instructors, as that pivotal aspect of my learning journey just means I'm improving overall. I learned to view feedback as a huge tool for improvement and self-reflection. As I analyze my strengths and weaknesses, I discovered my identity as well. With each successful speech, I discovered a new appreciation for public speaking. I enjoy engaging with others, and even the opportunity to extend this beyond our class, I know I can positively influence others. I appreciate diverse perspectives, room for relationship improvement, and connecting on a deeper level. I understand that anxiety is a universal experience even amongst those that have mastered feeling less intimidated. Preparation comes in handy throughout all aspects in our lives but reduces struggle to deliver better body language and vocal delivery. I hope to always continue to work on developing a more polished and confident delivery no matter where I go. I am motivated to create my content with various groups that really focus on relevant and impactful energy. As I aim to practice the techniques explained, my overall presence is important to me. I want to be viewed by others as someone who initiates the first move, whether opening conversation, closing, meeting someone for an important event, or even attending a parent-teacher conference; as a parent, I strive to teach my younger one how their positive attitude will influence others to be proactive in communicating whether about feelings or speaking in general.
AMANDA-
I feel like our first presentation for the class
was such an easy way to break the ice. Im sure some of us were more nervous
than others, but it's a great way to open up. Working on the presentation
helped me learn not to feel so overwhelmed before giving a speech, focus on
what you know. I learned a lot of pointers with everyones part of the
presentation. Good speaking skills help you communicate effectively in various
situations. I gained so much information on how to express interest and explain
importance of the topic. Making these presentations help equip students with
essential skills for success in various aspects of life. Public speaking is
important for leadership positions. It was overall a great experience for me,
and I learn more and more each day. Taking a public speaking class
will improve your speaking skills, help you be a more critical thinker,
fine-tune your verbal and nonverbal communication skills, and help you overcome
public speaking anxiety. speech classes can help you improve your verbal and
non-verbal communication skills, which are important for presentations,
interviews, and everyday conversations. classes can help you build confidence,
which is important for public speaking. Confidence can help you focus your
mind, organize your thoughts, and deal with unexpected situations. Speech
classes can help children develop leadership skills. Children who can
speak in front of a group are more likely to be successful leaders in the
future, it can help you overcome your fear of public speaking, which can be an
advantage in both your personal and professional life. A mastery of public
speaking allows you to relate to the audience and gain their trust. As a
skilled public speaker, you become likable and believable, and you will be able
to inspire and even entertain the crowd. By communicating in front of your
classmates and teacher throughout your class, you will learn how to
control your emotions and gain confidence to speak and present to your
colleagues in your career. Starting a student at a young age to speak
effectively will help them in connecting with the audience whilst
motivating them. The ability to make people understand your vision and hard
work are the traits of a good leader. A good speech instills confidence as well
as a sense of power in the audience. Unlike an astronomy class or floral design
class, public speaking skills are necessary and highly valuable
because they aren't just applicable to school. They're used daily in the
workplace in many different fields. Strong speaking skills contribute to
academic success, self-confidence, and future career opportunities. In terms of
academic success, students who can communicate their ideas effectively through
speaking are more likely to actively participate in class discussions, engage
in debates, and deliver presentations. Taking a public speaking class
will improve your speaking skills, help you be a more critical thinker,
fine-tune your verbal and nonverbal communication skills, and help you overcome
public speaking anxiety. Without a strong foundation in communication, children
can struggle academically, experience low self-esteem, receive poor grades, and
not set themselves up for future success. This enhances our reputation
among our listeners. Speeches have the potential to motivate and inspire
people. A great speech can ignite passion, spark creativity, and instill a
sense of purpose in our audience. One of the key benefits of writing a speech
is the ability to tailor the message to a specific audience. you will learn how
to achieve four common public speaking goals as a beginner: overcoming
fear, engaging your audience, delivering your message, and getting feedback. Speech,
language and communication skills play a crucial role in a child's school
readiness and ability to achieve their educational potential. However, not all
children have the speech, language and communication skills they need to fully
engage with their education. Good speaking skills help you communicate
effectively in various situations. I gained so much information on how to
express interest and explain importance of the topic. Making these
presentations help equip students with essential skills for success in various
aspects of life. Public speaking is important for leadership positions. It was
overall a great experience for me, and I learn more and more each day. Taking
a public speaking class will improve your speaking skills, help you be a
more critical thinker, fine-tune your verbal and nonverbal communication
skills, and help you overcome public speaking anxiety. speech classes can help
you improve your verbal and non-verbal communication skills, which are
important for presentations, interviews, and everyday conversations. It allows
us to form connections, influence decisions, and motivate change. Without
communication skills, the ability to progress in the working world and in life,
itself, would be nearly impossible. Public speaking is one of the most
important and most dreaded forms of communication. Taking a public speaking
class will improve your speaking skills, help you be a more critical
thinker, fine-tune your verbal and nonverbal communication skills, and help you
overcome public speaking anxiety. Without a strong foundation in communication,
children can struggle academically, experience low self-esteem, receive poor
grades, and not set themselves up for future success.
BRYAN-
Hello class, my name is Bryan, and I was part of group 1 and our presentation on public speaking. As a group, we presented on chapters 1,2, 3, and 5 with me specifically having a chapter on listening!
When Mrs. Sinkoff first came to us during class and explained that we would have to do a group presentation I almost fainted. It’s not that I have a problem talking or interacting with people but I just dread depending on them for my grade. I hate the idea that one person must do more than the other. I hate the illogical thinking of groups because I just don’t think a random group of people can work together. However… I was proven wrong. My group was amazing! As soon as we were placed in our breakout room everything felt great. We were talking, planning, and even having fun. We started off by introducing ourselves to each other and starting a group chat so we could communicate. From there we discussed who had what chapter and what our goals were.
When I arrived home, I quickly started taking a deep dive into my chapter on listening. I took notes, broke down concepts, and planned how I would want to proceed with my slides. The first key feature I focused on was the components of listening. Why you may be asking? Why begin with this? I felt as if this chapter was that held a lot of information. So much so that I was finding it hard to organize myself in a way I could fit all my information into just 5 slides. However, every time I went back to my notes, the components of listening always stuck out to me. I feel as if it’s a perfect way to introduce us to the topic at hand. Furthermore, what are these topics?
· Hearing: physical reception of sound.
· Understanding: having the intent to listen and grasp what is being said.
· Remembering: Being able to recall what you heard.
· Interpreting: the ability to assign some sort of meaning to sound and senses you feel.
· Evaluating: a tool that allows you to thoroughly examine the message.
· Responding: being able to verbally or nonverbally respond to the speaker’s speech
These six ideas are what listening is from top to bottom, it helps you grasp the big idea of the chapter keyed in on. It continuously popped up in my notes in various ways. Is that being each component separated or all of them being brought up together? I felt it was important to emphasize it in the first slide.
Moving on to slide number two I went more in-depth into what barriers can affect your listening. This in specific was one of the points in the chapter that I was really able to connect to my life the most. I feel that my biggest issue when it comes to listening is I get easily distracted. One that I didn’t even know I continuously did was pseudo-listening. As explained in the presentation, pseudo-listening Is the action of pretending to listen to be attentive but you’re not. This hit home because I can name countless times when I acted as if I was paying attention, but I was thinking about what I was going to have for dinner. Barriers are something a lot of us must face on a daily occurrence, it's hard to continuously stay focused on things when we have a thousand things racing through our minds. However, if we want to become better listeners, we must be able to block out and minimize these barriers to help improve. This could be:
· Catching your mind wandering
· Moving to a quiet side of a room
· Asking someone to repeat themselves
· Turning off and silencing phones
Furthermore, the following slide was on creating dialogue. Yes, I know, what does dialogue have to do with listening? Well, I was asking this myself and I got my answer fairly quickly. Someone who listens must be able to react. I like to think about it as Newton's third law. Every action (in this case every speech) has an equal and opposite reaction (an answer). We as a listener must be able to read a room and pose questions and challenges to speakers. This helps you as the listener further understand the speech and what it was on. Any questions, concerns, or even anecdotes you might want to say you should a hundred percent do it. However, you should do them following two rules:
· Being respectful
· Being honest
Following these rules, you’re able to keep a cool and respectable way of communicating your thoughts. The following two slides consist of a brief summary and a video that helped me further understand the chapter.
Additionally, I felt the most important thing to talk about was the actual presentation in itself. I’ve always considered myself to be a good speaker. I have a good voice, attitude, and confidence (as I have been told). So, walking into this I felt at ease with presenting, but something felt different. I blame it on a Zoom call because unlike most people I like talking in front of people so it kind of felt weird talking to a bunch of black squares. But overall, everything felt good after starting everything started flowing and felt natural. Overall, I felt as if my group and I did an amazing job presenting our project and I loved how everything turned out.
Lastly, everyone in all the other groups did a great job presenting their projects. I loved all the different ideas, styles, and creativity that everyone showed.
ALYSSA-
Hello everyone! My name is Alyssa and I am part of Group 1. For our previous presentation, we mainly focused on how to excel in public speaking. The recent speech presentations were a success, showing the impressive talents and hard work of everyone involved! I noticed that each speaker brought a unique perspective to their topic, capturing everyone's attention and sparking engaging discussions! I found the videos everyone put in their presentations really helpful when it came to explaining their topics. It gave a fresh perspective on things. As I listened to everyone presenting, I was inspired by their confidence and clarity. Their ability to connect with the audience had me reflect on my own speech skills and find new ways to improve with their tips. Even though I noticed how effective body language and eye contact enhanced their delivery, motivating me to practice these techniques in my future presentations. I learned the importance of structuring a speech as it’ll help keep the audience’s attention. Before each presentation, our group would meet to discuss our topics, divide responsibilities, and rehearse our parts. I noticed that those who were well-prepared spoke with more confidence and clarity. For example, when one of my classmates had a strong outline and practiced multiple times, they were able to deliver their part without stumbling over words. This taught me that taking the time to organize my thoughts and practice my delivery makes a significant difference in how I present information. To improve my preparation skills, I started making detailed outlines for my speeches. I wrote down the main points I wanted to cover and included examples to support each point. I also practiced in front of a mirror and recorded myself so I could see and hear how I sounded. This helped me identify areas where I needed to improve, like my tone and pacing.Another important tip I learned was the effective use of visual aids. During our presentations, many groups used slides, videos, or pictures to help illustrate their points. I noticed that when visual aids were clear and relevant, they made the presentation more engaging. For instance, one group created a colorful poster that summarized their main ideas. It not only captured everyone’s attention but also helped us remember the information better. Body language is another critical aspect of effective speaking that I learned about from my classmates. Many of my peers demonstrated strong body language by using gestures, maintaining eye contact, and standing confidently. I observed that these speakers seemed more persuasive and engaged their audience better. For example, one classmate used hand movements to emphasize important points, which made their presentation more dynamic.After noticing this, I began to pay more attention to my own body language. I practiced standing tall, making eye contact with my audience, and using appropriate gestures. I realized that when I moved around a little and used my hands to express ideas, it made my speech feel more natural and exciting. It also helped me capture the attention of my audience much easier. Many of my classmates shared their experiences with feeling nervous before speaking in front of others. I was not alone in this struggle, and hearing their stories helped me realize that it was normal to feel anxious. One of the best tips I received was to take deep breaths before starting a presentation. This simple technique can calm nerves and help focus the mind.I started practicing deep breathing exercises whenever I felt nervous about speaking. I would take a few deep breaths before my turn to present, which helped me feel more relaxed and confident. I also found that smiling at my audience and reminding myself that everyone was there to learn helped reduce my anxiety. This shift in mindset made a big difference in how I approached public speaking. Engaging the audience is crucial for a successful presentation, and I learned many techniques to do this. One effective strategy my classmates used was asking questions. By involving the audience and encouraging them to think about the topic, it made the presentation feel more interactive. For example, one group started their presentation with a question that related to their topic, which immediately grabbed everyone’s attention.I decided to try this technique in my own presentations. I began by posing a thought-provoking question or sharing an interesting fact to pique the audience’s curiosity. This not only made my presentation more engaging but also encouraged my classmates to participate in discussions afterward. I realized that when the audience is involved, the overall experience is much more enjoyable for everyone. During each presentation, our professor Sherri provided feedback, and we also shared our thoughts with each other in our groups. This feedback was incredibly valuable in helping me understand what I did well and where I could improve. For example, I received comments about my pacing and stuttering from one of my group members. I spoke too quickly sometimes when I was nervous. By hearing this feedback, I made a conscious effort to slow down during my next presentation, which made my speech clearer.Receiving constructive criticism from my group also encouraged me to be more open to learning. I learned that everyone has different strengths and weaknesses, and by supporting each other, we can all improve. I made it a point to listen carefully to the feedback I received and to ask my peers for their thoughts on my performance. Participating in group presentations taught me valuable lessons about improving my speech skills. Through preparation, the use of visual aids, effective body language, overcoming nervousness, engaging the audience, and learning from feedback, I became a more confident speaker. Each presentation was an opportunity to practice and grow, and I’m grateful for the experience. I now feel better equipped to tackle public speaking in the future, and I look forward to applying these skills in my academic and personal life. Public speaking may have once seemed daunting, but now it feels like an exciting challenge. I’m excited to carry these lessons into future presentations!
ASHLEE-
Hello Good Morning / Evening class, My name is Ashlee Rubiera. I joined this class this fall to to learn about SPC and how I can use it in my every day to day life, I love learning about this topic and enjoy this topic very much even if it is a bit repetitive when it comes to its concepts. I still enjoy learning on ways to improve and expand my expertise of speeches and public speaking. I am part of group 1 which had to do the chapters 1 ,2 ,3 , and 5 . We basically were in charge of putting those chapters into smaller details for you guys to understand better and easier. They had to do with the beginning of Public Speaking. We mainly talked about tips and ideas with strong details and main points for public speaking. On how to find a better way to give a speech. Such as having confidence, and using research to better understand the context of your speech. I also learned how to interact with our audience while giving our speeches. Public speaking is important and can play a role in your ever y day to day life. It can also help you make a better speech and can also help you get the job you have always wanted with a more positive attitude. These chapters and presentations did teach me tips on how to give better speech such as when you have an audience it is better to converse with them than to just talk to them. It would make them feel more encouraged to respond to you and have a great conversation starter. As well as topics and ideas are important when making a speech. It can also cause the audience to pay more attention and have more respect towards your public speaking. Confidence is the biggest role in your public speaking speech because it can cause a shift towards the audience its to respond in a better way affirmative way. From what I enjoyed learning from the other groups presentations was that public speaking can be a little scary at first, but with the right tips, it can cause you to feel more confident about your speech and enhance your future public speaking skills. It is always better to start with picking a topic you are passionate about and it will add interest to your speech because you will be more fluent with the topic and can already know certain facts about the topic. It is best to divide your speech into sections such as an eye catching opening, a body that includes a few important ideas and facts, and an impacting ending. Another important tip in pubic speaking is practice makes perfect. So it I best to practice with friends or in front of a mirror. To k keep your audience interested, always remember to smile and maintain eye contact with them to enhance level of interest and enhance their way of thinking and knowledge. It is good to maybe bring some flash cards with you or maybe a poster to maintain a steady conversation flow. Certain chapters in the book used techniques for practice and preparation, encouraging speakers to rehearse their speeches multiple times to improve fluency and reduce anxiety. It outlines strategies for creating effective outlines, which help organize main points and supporting ideas. It also influences the importance of practicing speeches multiple times to refine content and delivery, ensuring that speakers are well-prepared and confident for their speeches. During the presentations we also watched a few other videos, the most eye captivating video was when the one of the groups presented they had in put a video of when 911 had occurred. Which Which it showed a great example of a public speaking moment. Even in a bad event it is good to keep your cool in front of everyone especially when public speaking. Mainly so the room you are in does not start to panic and so they can o view you as a calm and collective person who is great at public speaking to the point that even when horrible events are happening in this big world, you can still provide a great leading example by achieving that level of calmness and supportive engagment. It is good to be calm and and to strive your best to lead the speech with a serene attitude. In order to keep feeling relaxation even if you're feeling anxious. It is best to take a few deep breaths and remember who you are and why you want to strive and give that speech. It is mainly to encourage others to be themselves and to have them engage in your conversation. Finally, just be yourself and show off your uniqueness. As I was watching the other groups presentations. I saw how creative and different everyone was with their own idea of Public Speaking and giving speeches. Some are shy, outspoken, short spoken, funny, and unique. Everyone did a great job in capturing the ways of public speaking and giving speeches. Almost all the chapters together provide a comprehensive foundation for effectiveness of public speaking, covering essential skills from delivery to preparation, being confident and overcoming anxiety. It is great to see others relaying information regarding public speaking mainly because every one thinks differently and you can understand a lot more when some one else is giving a speech. I definitely learned so much information and achieved a better understanding on how to give a speech. I am better of prepared to give a presentation than I was before I joined this class, and it is only the beginning. I cannot wait to see what this class has in store and will bring for us. It was overall a great and wonderful experience and cannot wait to see what the future holds for us in this class especially my group and the other groups in this class as well who did an amazing job capturing the essence of giving a speech. Goodluck to all !!
