Group Project 1

     Our class's first project entailed reviewing and teaching the class the chapters in the textbook, "Public Speaking- The Evolving Art". Each group was responsible for reading and putting together a presentation for the assigned chapters, and it was done beautifully. Starting with group 1, they're chapters were 1,2,3 and 5. In chapter 1, the group went over the importance of conversing rather than speaking to adequately connect with the audience. This is improved when you know your audience, maintain eye contact and practice, practice, practice! In chapter 2, the group further dives into the preparedness of the speaker and being confident in yourself and the presentation itself. They gave visuals with a really cute video on the reality of anxiety when it comes to giving a presentation and give an explanation on why it happens. In chapter 3, they went into the listeners perspective and how to be a good listener when someone is speaking to you. Feedback is super important when giving a presentation and when the listener is providing it and asking questions, they are actively listening to what the speaker is saying and also showing respect. Setting goals such as identifying the main idea of the speech, and eliminating distractions are great ways to be a great listener. In chapter 5, the group finished off with building confidence and structuring your speech to deliver a more fluent speech. They gave tips and tricks to make you more comfortable on stage such as making a joke, bringing your water, and avoid large meals right before the speech. Finally, sharing your personal thoughts on the topic and how it has personally impacted you. After putting all of this information together, group 1 did an incredible job at showing us how to be better prepared for our presentations.

    Group 2 was the next group to present, and they were responsible for chapters 4, 6, 7, and 8. Beginning with chapter 4, the group explains the importance of speaking with a purpose and how to develop your purpose and topic for the presentation. They spoke about brainstorming and the techniques on how to get your ideas and thoughts together. Considering your interests, time, occasion, and audience all help in constructing a well-thought-out speech. They group included a cute Charlie Brown short film that tied the end of the chapter together. Chapter 6 goes into preparing research on the topic you chose. The group went over frequently asked questions about how to become an expert on your topic such where to get the information from and finding research materials. Chapter 7, the group explains narratives and the different types of narratives and how to use them to impact your audience. In the final chapter, the group goes over the different parts of speech, introduction. body and conclusion. They have us different patterns that we can use to properly organize our speeches, such as chronological, cause/effect, and topical patterns. Group 2 prepared the class in how to properly plan and execute a speech or presentation.

    Group 3 did they're presentation on chapter 9-12, which focused on essential skills for effective communication. In chapter 9, the group dove deeper into strengthening the beginning and end of the speech. They taught us that using effective transitional words and phrases can really provide the cherry on top for your speech. In chapter 10, the group explained the fundamentals of language. They provided awesome examples such as the word "straw" can be said in many different ways in the Spanish language. This was an example of ambiguous fundamental language. They also expressed the importance of taking culture and gender into consideration when speaking. In chapter 11, the group explained integrating presentation media. It is a tool that is helpful in bringing the entire project together in fully understanding. They expressed that using one or two forms of media that accurately help capture the message of the presentation is more effective than using random media that easily turns into clutter. In chapter 12, group 3 showed us how to properly deliver our speeches by selecting a delivery method and considering factors that influence the delivery. They also provided a video on body language when presenting that was very informative on how our body language affects our audience and ultimately, the speech.

    Finally in my group, group 4, we went over the final chapters in the book that will help elevate your speech skills. Chapter 13, focused on informative speeches and we explained how to properly plan, organize, and deliver an informative speech. In chapter 15, our group went over how to understand and construct an argument. Evidence is important in supporting your claim and constructing your reasonings. Chapter 16 goes into detail in the fundamental and principles of distance speaking. Our group explained and went into detail on the different forms of distance communication, such as, video conferencing, online presentations. and telephone meetings. While it has its obstacles, our group made sure to go over the advantages of these types of presentations. I presented the first half of the final chapter, and it went into detail on the 9 most common types of special occasion speeches and how they differ from each other. As an example to one of the forms of speech, I included a tribute speech how it highlighted how it hit every point to qualify as a tribute speech. In the second half of chapter 17, my group went over the different group presentations and what sets them apart from each other. They highlighted how these forms of presentations are used in the real world and a skill that is important to develop to prepare for future endeavors. Group 4 did an awesome job at closing off the presentations and bringing the first project of our class to an end. It was a fun experience working in our groups and watching how all of our ideas came together to form a formal presentation that would be shared with the rest of the class and Professor Sinkoff.