The Internet Detective (Evening)

Because our classrooms are not equipped as computer labs, I'm sending you home early to complete a tutorial on responsible use of internet research. The tutorial claims it will take about an hour. It took me less time than this, but you should reserve a good amount of time for going through this website. I'll be including info from the website on the mid-term, so I recommend that you don't just blow this off. . . Click here to begin the Internet Detective Tutorial. (You'll need to scroll down and click "Next" on the first page to begin the lesson.)

Is Wikipedia Really So Bad. . . ? (Evening)

Wikipedia definitely gets a bad rap.  Even the popular media has spent some time and energy making fun of the user interactive website.  Still, semester after semester, I have students tell me how much they love it -- even my thesis advisor told me the other day how useful she finds the website for certain things.  Sooooo, I'm not going to tell you what I think of Wikipedia.  I want you to tell ME what YOU think of Wikipedia.

Post your comments on using Wikipedia as a research tool.  What is its place in the research process?  Does it even have a place at all?  Why does it get such a bad rap?  Do you use wikipedia.  Comments are due by July 6th by class time.  I'll give a well-developed comment 5 points.  If you include at least one strong piece of evidence (by strong, I mean you should include a link or some other source citation), I'll give you 10 points.

Mid-Term

The mid-term is coming up, so I wanted to give you some guidelines for what you can expect. The content of the exam is primarily made up of information contained on the PowerPoints (as well as things we discussed in class that are NOT spelled out on the PowerPoint).

I also pulled some information from the Internet Detective blog post that I assigned last week, the Delivery PowerPoint and Audience Analysis stuff you were assigned over our snow days, and the Multiple Intelligences blog post (though this last one is an optional question).

Question types are as follows:

30 Multiple Choice Questions (1 point each)
1 Required Diagram/Sketch (15 points)
Choice of 3 Short Answer -- paragraph long (10 points each)
Choice of 1 Essay (25 points)

You will need to bring:

No. 2 Pencil
Pen (optional for writing section)
Skinny Green Scantron Form
Blue Book

Final Exam Information (Morning)

On Thursday, you'll take the final exam which will be very similar to the mid-term. Like the mid-term, the info on the final is from class discussions, PowerPoints, and blog posts, as well as the short section of your text on the Elaboration Likelihood Model that I assigned you during the Persuasion chapter.


Question types are as follows:

30 Multiple Choice Questions (2 points each)
5 Matching (2 points each)
10 Word or Phrase (3 points each)
Choice of 4 Short Answer (5 points each)
Choice of 2 Essays (15 points)

You will need to bring:

Pens or Pencils (up to you)
Several sheets of lined paper

Once everyone has finished with the exam (I'll allow a maximum of two hours to complete the exam), we'll move on to make-up speeches.  You can expect grades to be posted on engrade by 4:00.  Push through -- we're almost done!!

Persuasive 2 Topics (Morning)

As you continue to work on your Persuasive 2 speeches, let's see what the rest of the class is working on.  Enter you topic (or topics if you're still deciding) into the form below.  The results can be viewed here.

Death by PowerPoint (Morning)

The semester is quickly coming to a close.  Here's one last chance to earn some quiz points through blog enrichment (remember -- you can still do the 2nd Persuasive Speech self-critique, as well).  Below is a presentation created by the "Corporation for a Skilled Workforce" on how to prevent what they call "Death by PowerPoint."  Watch this presentation (you can turn off the sound if the song is annoying to you) and fill out this quiz to receive up to 5 points.  This is due on Wednesday, June 30 by class time.

Increasing the Odds of Persuading Your Audience (Morning)

Although we finished discussing persuasive strategies last week, you should still be thinking about how they will affect your next speech.  Below is a checklist for the ways you can increase your chances of persuading your audience.  Enjoy!

The History of Free Speech (Evening)

Ethics and Propaganda (Evening)

One of the biggest debates surrounding the legal and ethical issues of freedom of speech regards Kansas preacher, Fred Phelps.  Documentary filmmaker, Michael Moore is an outspoken proponent of free speech -- in the following clip, he approaches Phelps' group.  However, some would argue that Moore's actions are sometimes over the line of ethical speech -- he sometimes takes speaker's comments out of context in order to prove his point. 

What do you think?  How far should our legal system go to protect our rights as speakers?  Should the government intervene against Phelps?  What about Moore?

Watch this video and tell us what you think by posting a comment on this blog post (click "Comments" under the title of the post).  It's worth 5 points before class time on July 1st.

NSA Code of Ethics (Evening)

Today's class focused on the ethical responsibility we have as public speakers.  Ethics is not a black and white issue, though, so lots of organizations set rules for what constitutes ethical activity.  Click here to see the Code of Ethics used by the National Speakers Association.

Persuasive Critiques (Morning)

Congratulations on some good speeches today!  Now that you're all starting to feel a little more comfortable in front of an audience, I'd like to encourage you to start thinking critically as audience members.  I posed some questions to you on yesterday's blog post -- and I hope you listened for these traits in your classmates' speeches. 

For 5 quiz points, choose one of those speeches and analyze it using two of those questions (printed on the form).  The form is located here -- this is due by June 29th at 10:00pm.

Toulmin Model (Morning)

Today we discussed the Toulmin Model of argumentation.  However, we were only able to briefly skim the surface of this cornerstone persuasive theory.  The fine folks at University of Nebraska Lincoln Department of Communication Studies have created a comprehensive tutorial of this concept -- available for you to explore.  You can complete the four steps of the tutorial here, and if you complete the assessment page with at least 80% accuracy, I'll give you 10 quiz points.  You'll need to PRINT the assessment page before you click Submit, and bring it in by June 29th by class time.

Preparing to be Persuaded (Morning)

Tomorrow, you'll be presenting your first persuasive speech.  You'll also be watching the persuasive speeches presented by your classmates.  I'll be putting up a blog post tomorrow that will allow you to identify the persuasive techniques employed by the other speakers in your class (worth 5 quiz points).  In order to be able to complete the assignment, you will need to be critically analyzing your classmates' speeches.  Think about the following questions as you listen/watch:

1. Where do they employ persuasive techniques?
2. Did they adapt to their anticipated audience receptivity?
3. Were you persuaded?
4. Did they use logos/pathos/ethos, Maslow's hierarchy, etc. 

You may want to take notes during and between others' speeches so that you are equipped to answer these questions on tomorrow's blog activity.

Stranger Danger (Morning)

Though there are many persuasive personalities in our popular culture, many of them do not employ solid reasoning.  One group who I have found to use solid evidence is the magic and comic duo, Penn and Teller.  They have a series called "Bullsh!t," in which they discuss current issues in a comical, but persuasive manner. 

Watch the episode called, "Stranger Danger" (links below) and complete this quiz to receive up to 15 points.  This assignment is due June 29th by 10:00pm.

When you follow the link, you will see a notice that the video has been taken down.  Wait just a few more seconds, and it should load just fine.
Stranger Danger -- Part 1
Stranger Danger -- Part 2
Stranger Danger -- Part 3

Adapting to Your Audience (Morning)

We have talked about audience analysis several times in the past, but this concept is particularly important when we are attempting to persuade our audience.  The handout below gives specific ways you can adapt your topic to your audience's anticipated reaction.

You can also take a 10-point quiz on this handout here.  Since these techniques should be used on your persuasive speeches, you DO NOT have a full week to complete this assignment.  It needs to be completed before Persuasive Speech 1 day -- before class on June 24th.

Persuasive 1 Topics (Morning)

You know the drill -- enter your name and up to three topics you are considering for your 1st Persuasive.  If you've already chosen a topic, you should only enter THAT ONE TOPIC.  That way, we know if a topic is already on the table, which will help others avoid duplicating.  Before you enter your topics, be sure to see what others have entered here.

Outline Template (Morning)

I've embedded the link for the "Outline Template" in the Outlining PowerPoint.  For easy reference, HERE it is again.  It might be worth bookmarking. . . ?

Quiz Points Update (Morning)

I spent the afternoon entering grades for assignments, so I wanted to let you know where we stand with quiz points. 

-- I have entered all of the grades for quiz points submitted so far.  There were a few submissions that were late (therefore not accepted).  However, if you did not receive points for something that you did, please let me know so we can figure it out. 

-- About half of you in the morning class have less than 50 quiz points accumulated.  Remember, you have to have 100 by the end of the class.  We are exactly half way through the course right now -- and over 100 quiz points have already been made available.  There aren't an infinite number of points available. . . so some of you need to step on it!

When it comes to grades, the biggest piece of advice I can offer is COMMUNICATE!  If I don't know something is wrong, I can't help you.  Grades aren't negotiable, but I do want to work with you, and if something is going on, you need to tell me so that we can figure out a solution.

Speeches Tuesday (Evening)

Evening Class -- Remember, you have speeches on Tuesday night!  Don't put your preparation off!!!  You want to make sure you are finished gathering information in plenty of time to rehearse your speech!!

Check out the Documents tab for more info on speech requirements and rubric.

Trouble in Topic-Land? (Evening)

Our first "big" speech is fast approaching. . . have you chosen a topic yet? 

If not -- remember my first piece of advice -- this is just another assignment!  Don't feel like you have to have an earth shattering topic (or even the "best" topic in the class). 

Here's a worksheet to help generate ideas.  You might also want to check out StumbleUpon -- it will take you to random websites within the interest areas that you put in to its interest form (warning -- some people get SUPER addicted to this, and it becomes a mega-time-waster).

If all else fails, use one of the topics you listed when you had to put in three possible topics.  Even if you don't love your topic, it's better than postponing to make-up day and getting a point deduction, right??

The Dark Side of Audience Analysis (Evening)

Audience analysis goes hand in hand with an advertising strategy called "target marketing."  As public speakers, we analyze our audience to increase our credibility. . . but what are the ethical issues?

Watch this video and post your thoughts (by clicking "comments" right below the title of this post) on the ethical issues of target marketting for 10 quiz points (due June 24th by 10:00pm).  (PS -- this is actually just a trailer, but you can watch the whole documentary here.)

Commenting on Posts (Morning and Evening)

It was brought to my attention that some students were having difficulty posting comments on blog posts.  I've changed some settings on the blog in general, so posting will now be much, much easier.  You no longer need a google account, and you won't be asked to enter any squiggly letters.  So if this was tripping you up in the past, give it another try!  :)

Introductions, etc. (Morning)

Today we talked about introductions and conclusions. I've also shown you some examples of speeches from my classes. However, there are lots of other speeches on the internet -- some follow our format, and some don't. To receive 15 quiz points (all or nothing), find a speech online that meets the following guidelines:

1. The speech must include and introduction.
2. The introduction must include at least 2 of the 3 parts of a good introduction (as covered in class).

To get the points follow these directions:

1. Once you find the speech, copy the address (URL) from your browser's address bar.
2. Paste the URL into the box below.
3. List the 3 parts of a good introduction, and list whether or not the speaker has included each.
4. Tell us (in a sentence or two) what you think of the introduction -- is it good or bad?
5. Does the speech include transitions? What is the conclusion like? Is this speech a good example?
6. After you click "Submit," go here to see your classmates' responses.

This assignment is due by June 24th at 10:00 PM.

Internet Detective (Morning)

Because our classrooms are not equipped as computer labs, I'm sending you home early to complete a tutorial on responsible use of internet research. The tutorial claims it will take about an hour. It took me less time than this, but you should reserve a good amount of time for going through this website. I'll be including info from the website on the mid-term, so I recommend that you don't just blow this off. . . Click here to begin the Internet Detective Tutorial. (You'll need to scroll down and click "Next" on the first page to begin the lesson.)

Is Wikipedia Really So Bad. . . ? (Morning)

Wikipedia definitely gets a bad rap.  Even the popular media has spent some time and energy making fun of the user interactive website.  Still, semester after semester, I have students tell me how much they love it -- even my thesis advisor told me the other day how useful she finds the website for certain things.  Sooooo, I'm not going to tell you what I think of Wikipedia.  I want you to tell ME what YOU think of Wikipedia.

Post your comments on using Wikipedia as a research tool.  What is its place in the research process?  Does it even have a place at all?  Why does it get such a bad rap?  Do you use wikipedia.  Comments are due by June 23rd by class time.  I'll give a well-developed comment 5 points.  If you include at least one strong piece of evidence (by strong, I mean you should include a link or some other source citation), I'll give you 10 points.

Mid-Term (Morning)

On Monday morning, you'll take the mid-term, so I wanted to give you some guidelines for what you can expect.  The content of the exam is limited to the information contained on the PowerPoints (as well as things we discussed in class that are NOT spelled out on the PowerPoint).  I also pulled some information from blog posts and areas of the text that I verbally assigned to you to understand. 

Question types are as follows:

25 Multiple Choice Questions (1 point each)
10 Word or Phrase (2 points each)
1 Required Short Answer (15 points)
Choice of 5 Additional Short Answer (5 points each)
Choice of 1 Essay (15 points)

You will need to bring:

Pens or Pencils (up to you)
Several sheets of lined paper

After the mid-term I'll give a pretty short lecture -- we'll cover outlining, so you should make sure to bring your notebook (or whatever you're using to take notes).

Clarification (Evening)

I wanted to clarify a couple of things:

1. Regarding the first informative speech -- a student has asked me about using a visual aid. To clarify -- you should not plan to use a visual aid. You won't learn the correct ways to use visual aids until just before the final speech, so I'll only have you do a visual aid for the last persuasive. So no visual aids on this first speech.

2. I don't have a smart phone, but after realizing that some of you have been using the blog via smart phone, I used my husband's to check it out. Now I see why you were asking about the PowerPoints being posted! There are a few elements of the blog that appear in "iframes". The iframe content (syllabus, documents, and PowerPoints) WON'T show up on your smart phone, so to access that information you'll need to use an actual computer. I'll try to get a link added for alternate content, so that those pages won't just show up blank for you, but I did want to let you know what was going on.

As always, drop me a line if you've got questions about anything!

Informative Topics (Evening)

Evening Class,

Next week, you'll present your informative speech.  How exciting!!  Let's start thinking topics -- remember, you need to choose a FAMOUS PERSON as the topic for your speech.

HANDS DOWN -- THE MOST COMMON REASON STUDENTS DON'T FINISH THEIR SPEECHES IS THAT THEY NEVER PICK A TOPIC!!!  This is an assignment -- you don't have to change the world -- pick a person and go with it.

You have until class time on Thursday to list three possible informative topics (famous people).  Before you enter them into the form below, CHECK HERE to make sure you aren't duplicating other students' topics.

Gardner's Multiple Intelligences (Evening)

Howard Gardner's theory of Multiple Intelligences is a staple for educators and speakers across the country.  We covered four of the learning styles in the Speaking to Inform PowerPoint.  This theory used to have seven intelliegences, but currently has eight intelligences (or learning styles), and it is constantly expanding as Gardner's research progresses.

You can take the test to determine your learning style here, and read more about it here.  Print the test, fill it out, and bring it in by June 22nd for 5 quiz points.

The History of Free Speech (Morning)

Ethics and Propaganda (Morning)

One of the biggest debates surrounding the legal and ethical issues of freedom of speech regards Kansas preacher, Fred Phelps.  Documentary filmmaker, Michael Moore is an outspoken proponent of free speech -- in the following clip, he approaches Phelps' group.  However, some would argue that Moore's actions are sometimes over the line of ethical speech -- he sometimes takes speaker's comments out of context in order to prove his point. 

What do you think?  How far should our legal system go to protect our rights as speakers?  Should the government intervene against Phelps?  What about Moore?

Watch this video and tell us what you think by posting a comment on this blog post (click "Comments" under the title of the post).  It's worth 5 points before class time on June 22nd.

NSA Code of Ethics (Morning)

Today's class focused on the ethical responsibility we have as public speakers.  Ethics is not a black and white issue, though, so lots of organizations set rules for what constitutes ethical activity.  Click here to see the Code of Ethics used by the National Speakers Association.

Speeches Monday (Morning)

Morning Class -- Remember, you have speeches on Monday morning!  Don't put your preparation off!!!  You want to make sure you are finished gathering information in plenty of time to rehearse your speech!!

Check out the Documents tab for more info on speech requirements and rubric.

Rules for Listening (Evening)

This is NOT OPTIONAL!  You need to go through this Slide Show and READ AND UNDERSTAND the rules for speech day.

Listening (Evening)

Does your cultural background affect your ability to listen to others?  Check this out and "free-write" your comments here to receive up to 15 points (due June 17th by 10:00pm).

Trouble in Topic-Land? (Morning)

Our first "big" speech is fast approaching. . . have you chosen a topic yet? 

If not -- remember my first piece of advice -- this is just another assignment!  Don't feel like you have to have an earth shattering topic (or even the "best" topic in the class). 

Here's a worksheet to help generate ideas.  You might also want to check out StumbleUpon -- it will take you to random websites within the interest areas that you put in to its interest form (warning -- some people get SUPER addicted to this, and it becomes a mega-time-waster).

If all else fails, use one of the topics you listed when you had to put in three possible topics.  Even if you don't love your topic, it's better than postponing to make-up day and getting a point deduction, right??

The Dark Side of Audience Analysis (Morning)

Audience analysis goes hand in hand with an advertising strategy called "target marketing."  As public speakers, we analyze our audience to increase our credibility. . . but what are the ethical issues?

Watch this video and post your thoughts (by clicking "comments" right below the title of this post) on the ethical issues of target marketting for 10 quiz points (due June 17th at 10:00pm).  (PS -- this is actually just a trailer, but you can watch the whole documentary here.)