Final Grades (Evening)

Students,

I've posted the final exam grades and final course letter grades on Engrade.  Though grades aren't negotiable, I am happy to answer any questions you may have about the outcome of the course.  Please feel free to email me.  I plan to enter the grades into Crowder's database late tomorrow evening.

PLEASE NOTE -- Engrade will be down on Saturday and Sunday (bad timing, I know), so if you want to have access to your grade over the weekend, you should PRINT your grade on Friday.

It's been a good semester -- It's been great getting to know each of you, and I have certainly enjoyed your willingness to participate in class discussions.  I believe it really did make the class much more interesting and enjoyable!  Please don't hesitate to let me know if you need anything in the future.

If you received this in an email -- don't forget to unsubscribe -- there is a small link at the bottom of the email.

Have a great summer!
Amanda

Final Exam Information

The final exam is quickly approaching. 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.

The final exam will be slightly different from the midterm exam, in that it will be divided into two distinct parts: a scantron section and a take-home section.

The scantron section will include 40 multiple choice questions and 5 matching questions. You will need to bring a number two pencil. University of Arkansas students also need to bring one of the skinny scantron forms (you can purchase these at Club Red or a number of other on-campus stores).

The take-home portion of the exam will include questions similar to the essay portion of the midterm -- download the questions here. This portion is expected to be typed and formatted according to MLA or APA guidelines and free from grammar and spelling errors. You'll need to bring your printed answers with you to the exam: I WILL NOT accept late submissions, and you WILL NOT be allowed to leave the final to print your paper.

Persuasive 2 Topics (Evening)

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

Death by PowerPoint (Evening)

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 Tuesday, July 27th by class time.

Increasing the Odds of Persuading Your Audience (Evening)

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!

Persuasive Critiques (Evening)

Congratulations on some good speeches tonight!  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 July 22nd at 10:00pm.

Preparing to be Persuaded (Evening)

Thursday, 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.

Adapting to Your Audience (Evening)

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 July 15th.

Toulmin Model (Evening)

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 July 20th by class time.

Free Shipping from Amazon for Students!

Normally I don't post things that aren't directly related to class work, but this seemed worth posting (especially since I shop Amazon a TON for books and media).

Right now, you can enroll in Amazon Prime as a student for free (it's a program they have that gives you free shipping) -- the free subscription lasts a year, and it would normally cost $79.  I did this a second ago, and it went through fine -- I just had to put in my .edu email address, they sent me an email with a validation link, and now I have Amazon Prime.  Awesome!

Click here to sign up!

Stranger Danger (Evening)

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 July 15th 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

Persuasive 1 Topics (Evening)

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 (Evening)

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. . . ?

Introductions, etc. (Evening)

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. Create a new comment by clicking "Comments" under the title of this post.
3. Paste the URL into the comment box.
4. List the 3 parts of a good introduction, and list whether or not the speaker has included each.
5. Tell us (in a sentence or two) what you think of the introduction -- is it good or bad?
6. Does the speech include transitions? What is the conclusion like? Is this speech a good example?

This assignment is due by July 8th at 10:00 PM.

Final Grades (Morning)

Morning Students,

I've entered your final grades into engrade, and tomorrow I'll be putting those grades into the Crowder system.  If you have questions or concerns, now is your last chance to communicate.  Most did very well on the final, and I was also pleased with the last speeches.

It was a pleasure having ALL of you in class.  It is rare that a class is made up entirely of students whose personalities I sincerely enjoy -- I can honestly say that I like every one of you!  Please don't hestitate to email if you need anything in the future (letters of rec, etc.).  Have a great summer!

P.S. If you're receiving this in an email, be sure to "Unsubscribe".  There should be a small link at the bottom of the page that says "Unsubscribe now" -- click it, so you don't have to keep hearing from me until the end of time!