Open Pedagogy Assignment
Welcome to The HeART of Public Speaking. My name is Christina Neubrand and I will be your guide as we explore the tools, the techniques and the creative choices involved in the ART of speaking publicly. Let’s get to know a little about each other and what expectations you have for the semester.
Do you get nervous or anxious when you must network or interact at business/personal functions? Always, the butterflies never go away. I use breathing techniques to calm my nerves and support my voice.
Have a big proposal/presentation coming up and not sure how to prepare? I am constantly creating PowerPoint presentations, they call them “Decks” in the business world to showcase the work my organization does. It takes some practice, but there are some simple, yet effective strategies like including clear images, using bullet points and transition slides that can help support your speech and keep you on track with confidence.
Do you have trouble focusing in front of groups of people? I am claustrophobic and quite short, so I sometimes feel overwhelmed in groups. I have found it helpful to always start a presentation, speech, or lesson with a check in. If I can connect with people on a personal level, add a little humor and find commonalities everyone feels for comfortable.
Always feel awkward in interviews? A great way to feel confident is to be sure you research the company you are interviewing with, find out what their priorities are, who works there, does their company culture match the type of environment you want to work in. I always go to an interview with the mindset that I am interviewing them as much as they are interviewing me. We spend most of our time at work, life is too short to be miserable. I always have questions to ask them like, what is your favorite thing about working there? What is the most challenging thing? This helps put you in control which always relieves anxiety.
Is English your second language? Nope, but I grew up in Texas with a lot of Spanish speakers and I have worked with students from a variety of language backgrounds like Creole, Mandarin, Spanish and have lots of fun tools for building confidence.
Like over half the people on earth, are you terrified of public speaking? No, but I have been doing this a long time. When you understand the structure and have tools in place it gets easier. I can’t guarantee you will love public speaking, but you will have the skills and that in and of itself is empowering.
Let’s make a plan.
But first, take a moment to reflect on the following…
What is your experience with public speaking?
Can you identify several times when you have had to speak out?
How might public speaking be needed in your career journey?
When might you utilize public speaking in your everyday life?
Below are the Learning Outcomes BMCC has outlined for this course. Let’s collaborate to create Learner Outcomes that meet your needs and expectations too.
1.) Prepare presentations for listeners.
2.) Prepare presentations using effective delivery techniques including extemporaneous speaking, standard language, and eye contact with the audience.
3.) Prepare presentations that locate, evaluate, select, and incorporate different forms of supporting material, including visual aids.
4.) Demonstrate acceptable ethical standards in research and presentation of materials.
5.) Research and organize material to support a thesis.
6.) Listen critically and respectfully to others’ speeches.
Now create a 1-2 minute presentation of your choice, Skit (YouTube, Splice), Short Film (iMovie, Magisto), Stop Motion Animation Film (Pic Pac, Stop Motion Studio)Slide Show (PowerPoint, Prezi, Keynote…), Song(Garage Band, Topline), Rap/Hip Hop (Rhymers block), Poem (Poet Assistant), Podcast (Audacity), Collage (Canva)… or any other format that interests you. Communicate what you need from this course and how the 6 listed outcomes apply, or don’t apply to your career goals, personal goals and everyday life.
*Suggested Apps in (…)
Be sure your presentation…
- Has a Clear Beginning, Middle and End
- Addresses key outcomes for the course
- Identifies how the outcomes will support you, your career, and your everyday interactions
- Showcases your personality and your style
Your creations will become part of the resources available on Open Lab as well as Black Board to outline the goals of the semester.
You may access and integrate content, research and support material as needed using phones, laptops, tablets…and other devices as needed.
I want to hear your voice in identifying the outcomes/goals of the course, how they connect to your fields of study and how the skills explored can be applied your everyday life.
Be clear, be creative and be concise.
So impressed by this assignment.
Like Ingrid, this assignment is very impressive. First, I like the title {I’m still thinking about it}. Second, after reading through the steps, I wonder what content you provide for the students to acquire the skills needed to be fully engaged and how long it would take to complete; it’s very involved.
Enjoyed reading this assignment, and the inclusion of the introductory portion, a sort of Q&A to lower student anxiety.
Since the assignment involves students’ responding to the overall course outcomes, I gather it is meant to come early in the semester. As such, the area I think you may find requires an awful lot of instruction is the wide choice of tech apps given to students. Of course, students can use something they already know, such as PPT, but if they’re interested in trying one of the more advanced tech options, they probably would need a good deal of instruction in it. I’m also not sure whether all of those forms of media are “created equal,” i.e. will a poem, hiphop, or collage aptly lend itself to addressing the assignment questions about outcomes and goals. It’s definitely a fun assignment worth experimenting with!