Week of February 22-28

This week will be busy for you in a bit of a different way - there are no blogs due. Please make sure you complete everything I have listed here before our meeting on Friday:

1). Reminder: Our meeting is on Friday, February 27th from 12:00pm to 5:00pm in HGH225. Please plan on being in class the entire time. We will take a few breaks, but plan on being in class for the full 5 hours.

2). Practice your speech AT LEAST 7 times OUT LOUD (and get feedback from at least one other person at some point during your practice sessions). Practicing in your head while you are driving or resting is not sufficient. You should practice WITH YOUR VISUAL AIDS at least 7 times this week. Make sure to time yourself so you can fall within the 4-5 minute time frame. Points will be deducted if go over or under time.

3). A visual aid is required for your speech. Create your visual aid this week if you have not done so already. It is RECOMMENDED that you put together a powerpoint presentation. If you put together a powerpoint presentation, you need to EMAIL ME WITH YOUR PRESENTATION BY THURSDAY AT 5pm. I will not accept any presentations after that time, and you MUST email me with the presentation so I can save it to my computer and have it ready by the time we start our speeches on Friday.

4). Print out the grading sheet for the Cultural Artifact Speech located on the Handouts Page on Blackboard (titled "Cultural Artifact Evaluation Form"). Review it. Get to know it well. Make sure you are aware of how I will be grading your speeches. BRING A COPY TO CLASS AND PUT YOUR NAME AT THE TOP. I WILL COLLECT THE GRADING FORMS AT THE START OF OUR CLASS MEETING.

5). Obtain a VHS videotape. We will be taping your speeches for a Self-Evaluation assignment due next week.

6). Start reviewing for your midterm next week. The midterm review sheet is located on the handouts page.

7). You should receive your outlines back tonight - Sunday. Take that outline and make the appropriate changes. You will not turn in your outline again, rather the changes that are made will be for your verbal speech. Your outline is simply a plan for your speech.

8). Transfer your outline to notecards. Please ONLY USE 4x6 notecards (a maximum of 4 cards). Do not write out your entire speech on your notecards, nor your entire outline on your notecards. Since this speech is an extemporaneous speech (look that up in your book and refer to the assignment sheet), you will only use keywords and transfer facts/statistics/quotes, etc... onto your notecards. If you write out the majority of your speech, you might be compelled to rely heavily on your notecards. You should have eye contact with your audience the MAJORITY of the time while you are speaking (approximately 90% of your speaking time). This means that you will need to practice your speech quite a bit (see item #2 on this list).

9). Practice your speech enough so you can make eye contact with your audience for the majority of your speaking time. Since you will not be writing out your entire speech on your cards.

10). Please check my blog everyday this week for further "Speech Tips" which will be about the actual presentation.