Over the course of these six weeks, I have learned so much in and out of the classroom.  In CAS 100, I have learned about public speaking as a whole, the many different components, the different types of speeches and all the aspects involved with them, and much more.  This class definitely made me open up to different people, and learn to not be as nervous to deliver presentations.  I was taught many strategies that would help improve my speaking overall, my nerves and anxiety, and my outlines and information presented.  As being previously exposed to a public speaking course, I learned so much more about the fundamentals about public speaking and about public speaking itself.  Before, I learned how to make an outline, give a speech, and some basic information.  After taking CAS 100, the information and techniques I have learned, can be useful in other courses that I take over the next four years in college.  As in individual, I feel that I have improved in some areas and still have room for improvement in others. 

My potential implications for my experiences at PSU include getting a degree in speech pathology, joining a sorority, making deans list, being apart of Four Diamonds, meeting a lot of new people, and more.  With my degree in speech pathology, I hope to go to graduate school and become a speech pathologist.  One day, I want to work with kids in an elementary school, a doctor’s office, or have my own practice.  Working with kids has always been a dream and something that I wish to pursue.  Keeping my GPA and grades up is something important to me.  I always try to do my best and put as much effort as I can into things.  Making dean’s list is something that I wish to make every semester.  Being apart of the Four Diamonds organization is something that I want to continue doing.  My high school took part of Four Diamonds, so I have been involved with it the past four years.  I cannot wait for THON and to be involved with all the activities.  I hope to make friendships here with people that will last forever.  Being in LEAP, definitely has helped with this.  I have met people that I know that I will continue to be friends with in the future years.

Reflection

When I look back at the beginning of the course, I had no idea what was ahead of me at the time. These past weeks have gone by so fast and I have learned so much from CAS 100A. When I was initially thinking about giving my first speech on the first day of class, I was so curious as to what it would be about and how I would do. That first speech seemed so far away at the time, but now that the course is almost over I realized how fast this summer semester has went.

From being nervous about my first speech in front of a class of students I didn't even know to now being able to call my classmates my friends has been an experience that I will not forget. My first blog post about FDR's address to the nation after the attacks on pearl harbor was my initial view on public speaking. After everything that I have learned, I still view that speech as a prime example of public speaking at its best. The way he spoke, organized his points, presented his message, and persuaded the United States citizens are all parts of speech that we learned about. I do understand the speech more clearly and I can imagine how he prepared for it.

My view on public speaking has changed throughout the course. When we began the course, I thought public speaking was almost an easy task that just took speaking from your mind, but now I appreciate good speakers a lot more than I did.

The things that I have learned will help me speak publicly in the future no matter what the situation. This was one of the most useful classes that I have ever taken and I am glad that I took it during the summer.

blog assignment #5

Over the time of the CAS 100 public speaking course, my ability of public speaking has become progressively more well rounded. Before entering the course and receiving education on this area of communication, I was seriously lacking the skills to deliver an effective public speaking presentation. By learning some of the basic keys to success in speech, I was able to put together my first presentation on my cultural object. This first presentation, however, lacked several elements mandatory for an ideal public speaking demonstration. The lack of proper and effective preparation was evident during the speech, as well as the high presence of filler words such as "like" and "um". Among these problems, there were also issues with my attention getter, as well as the lack of a sensible flow of content and an effective visual aid. These issues were all elements that I aimed to resolve in my second speech, the problem and solution presentation. To correct the problems with my preparation, I created an in depth outline of the material I was going to present. Then, based off of this outline, I made several note cards summarizing the speech's content. Along with these preparations, I also intended to solve the problem of an effective visual aid being excluded from my previous speech. To correct this issue I created a powerpoint that appropriately corresponded with the material in both my outline and my notecards. In addition to having better prepared the material of the presentation, I also practiced the delivery of the actual speech. After presenting the speech I was able to analyze components of the speech, such as fillers. Although the "likes" and "ums" were slightly less prevalent in my second speech, they were still noticeably existent. I identified for future presentations that this is an issue that must be worked on for the credibility of the speaker. The attention getter, on the other hand, was a problem I was able to solve in my second speech. Starting off the presentation with an effective attention getter helped to increase the interest of my audience. Although there was much progress made from my first speech to my second, there is undoubtedly multiple elements that I both need to and aim to improve for future presentations.

TTFN!

Coming into this semester, I have to admit I was not looking forward to this class at all. I don't want to have to give speeches in front of all of these people that I don't know! was the first thought that ran through my mind. I was never a big fan of speaking in public or in front of people in general, even though I am an actress (which seems COMPLETELY different for some reason...) So I was interested to see how this class was going to end up..

When we got the topic for our first speeches I didn't know what to do, I didn't think that I had a culture. Once I figured one out, though, I thought I would be fine. I was most concerned about the time limit and either being under or going over. Overall, though I felt very confident about this speech because it was on a topic that I knew a lot about and felt very comfortable talking about. But when it came to the speech day, I wasn't sure how I felt. When I knew my turn was coming up, I could feel the butterflies in my stomach and my heart started racing. I don't know exactly why this always happens, you'd think I'd be over this by now considering I should be used to being on stage and stuff, but nevertheless it does. However, I realized once I got to the podium I was fine! I found the same to be true for the next speech, as well. The only difference between the two speeches was that I was not nearly as comfortable with the second one. I was fairly apprehensive when it came to thinking about giving that speech. As opposed to the first one, it was on a topic that I haven't been immersed in since a young age, and most of it was new material that I was researching. I've found that it's easier to talk about something that's more familiar to you on a personal level than something that has been researched.

However, this class has really taught me how to present myself in front of an audience. I have come to find that when I speak in front of people, my voice is no longer quivery and I'm able to keep it at a consistent inflection and tone that is easy to listen to and not distracting. I'm also getting better at controlling my movements and making them less distracting and awkward as well... In the long run, knowing how to speak in front of people will really be beneficial to my line of work, going into management. So in leaving this class, I'm leaving with a stronger sense of confidence and I had a great experience overall. And there's no one else to thank other than Mia and my LEAPers! Thank you, everyone! :)

Not so scary after all!

Entering CAS100a the first day of the semester, I really had no clue what to expect. Public Speaking was not something I was born with a great natural talent at and every time I used to hear the words "Public Speaking" I would cringe. I was expecting this class to be us speaking all the time and not as much learning how to produce the speeches. Luckily, The Art of the Speaker offered many strategies and tactics we could use, along with class discussions, to help us prepare for all of our speeches.

Looking back at my first speech, the Cultural Object Speech, then on to my second speech, the Problem-Solution Speech I saw great improvement in many areas. There are definitely still some areas that need some work as well though. From the first to the second speech, there was a major increase in my confidence level. I believe part of this has to do with the use of note cards as opposed to the use of a preparational outline. At the beginning, I had always done speeches with note cards before so I figured that would be my best choice for my speeches in this class as well. Unfortunately, after my first speech I realized that they may not be my best option so for the second speech I switched to using my preparational outline. This helped me keep track of where I was better and I flowed into my points more easily. Another thing that was better in my second speech was my stage fright. In my Cultural Object Speech I had many awkward leg and body movements that didn't look natural or planned. They were obviously stage fright. In my second speech I stood behind the podium because I needed to use the computer but it helped my stage fright and even added to my confidence during my speech. All in all, my second speech was better but I still need to work on the speed at which I deliver my speech. I talked extremely fast in both of my speeches but that is because one, I talk fast in person and two I talk even faster when I'm nervous. It's just another thing I need to work on as I continue to better my public speaking skills.

Not only will I be able to use the public speaking skills I learned in this class throughout my years at PSU and even in the future but my research skills that I developed as well. The visit at the library learning how to use the databases and relying a great deal on sources throughout our second speech, I developed great researching skills that will assist me in being successful as a Penn State Student as well as in my following years acting out in the community or at my job.

All in all, CAS100a has provided me with a wonderful experience. I'm very glad I took this course and I will now take what I have learned and use it in my everyday life. Thanks Mia & the rest of my LEAPers for making it a great CAS class :)

See Ya Later CAS

For my first blog assignment in CAS 100A I chose William Wallace's speech from the movie Braveheart. At the beginning of the year I thought that this speech was the best understanding of public speaking. After six weeks of learning the inns and outs of public speaking I have found this speech not to be the best example of public speaking. In fact, it is only one aspect of public speaking. The speech from Braveheart was a motivational speech. After taking CAS 100A I now think of public speaking as public advocacy. I think of people speaking for a cause whether it be political, for charity, etc. This class has made me realize the challenges of public speaking and how much thought and preparation really goes into communication. I also think about how persuasive these public speeches can be and how effective for a cause that they can be if you are an effective speaker. This class has taught me how to be an effective public speaker. Thanks CAS.

Goodbye CAS

I’ll admit, this speech class was a much better experience than my previous public speaking class. My first experience in ninth grade left me a little scarred, but all in all, this class, as well as my own speaking experience, was not as terrible as I had expected. At the beginning, just the thought of having to give any type of speech nearly had me shaking already. As I prepared to give my first speech, I wasn’t as nervous as I thought I was. I practiced a lot, but I was still able to keep my anxiety under control. When I got to class on my speaking day, that’s when all of my nerves really hit me. I was shaking a bit and I read most of my speech right from my outline, as well as speaking too quickly. I didn’t really carry this over to the second speech, as it was about the same.

I do feel like I learned a great deal from this class. I’m always extremely anxious and I criticize myself too harshly, which I’ve learned not to do. I’ve gained some experience speaking in front of a group of people which will help me later in my college career. I have also learned that public speaking is in fact a large part of our lives and the skills I’ve learned will carry over to anything that I choose to do in my future.

Thank you, Friends and Instructor

I impressed this speech course, and this course became one of my favorite class ever. Through this course, I particularly recovered my confidence. Since I came America, I lost my confidence which express my idea to people. Before I took this course, I was a “yes-man” who keep saying "yes" without supporting any reasons because I thought people might not understand what I say. However, my friends and instructor gave me an encouragement to do well on the speech. This encouragement makes me that I can express my idea to forign people even though I am not good at English. Also, I recognized that many experiences are really helpful to speech, because when I compare to first and second speech, second speech is more comfortable and professional.
When I did my first speech which is a cultural object speech, I was worried it would be really hard to transmit my message to my friends, because English is not my first language. I did not even know how I can express my idea clearly. In addition to, I misunderstood the topic. I focused on the general information of Hanok instead of how Hanok affects to my life. When I watched my digital recordings for my cultural object speech, I could not even do eye-contact well, because I experienced speech anxiety. I try to do eye-contact with audience, but I was scared to do it. Friends, who did their speech before I do, were really good to express their thesis. I did not see they experienced stage fright. So, there was a tension that I should do this speech well. I put too much pressure on myself. That burden bothered me psychologically. After I finished my speech, I realized that I would not put pressure too much on myself, and I would focus on my own speech instead of focusing on how my friends do well on their speech.
After I fisnished my cultural object speech, I tried to do my best to fix the defects of my speech through my instructor’s and my friend’s feedback. One of my friends wrote on the feedback paper, I should understand the topic. I recognized that understanding topic is the most important process of the speech. If speaker misunderstands the topic, the audiences will confuse what speaker says. So, I made a meeting with my instructor to understand the topic completely. So, I thought this speech would be better than last time, because I learned how to reduce stage fright at the textbook. Also, the sources that I prepared were reliable sources, such as CNN, Bloomberg and many more, so it would not make confuse my audience because of the resources. However, when I watched the videoI realized that I kept shaking my body during I was doing a speech. It seemed that I was dancing during the speech. I recognized that this movement might interfere the understanding of audiences. Also, some audiences were hard to understand what I said, because my ability to deliver to audiences was not clear. Through this problem-solution speech, I learned that I would not do any behaviors which bother the attention of the audiences, and try to do my best to transmit my word clearly.

Thank You CAS

Before entering this class, when I heard the term “public speaking” it made me nervous. I knew that I was not the best at giving speeches and was not so comfortable about getting up and speaking in front of 25 strangers. After presenting my first two speeches, I felt a lot more confident about public speaking but I acknowledge that there are still some skills that I could improve. When I gave my first speech, I was not very nervous; however, when I actually got up to the podium my nerves really hit me hard. I noticed that I read off of my outline a lot, did not give a lot of eye contact, and was not very clear nor spoke at an appropriate pace. Although I believe that I practiced the speech to the best of my ability, I was not very satisfied with my performance on the first speech. During the second speech, I made sure that I practiced more and knew my speech better to avoid having to look down at my outline, so I can make more eye contact. I also spent more time researching my topic and on the outline which I believe helped me to do well. Although my second speech was far from perfect, I definitely improved on it. I still made some of the same mistakes that I did within my first speech; for example, not making full eye contact and sometimes speaking at a pace that was too quick. Besides the little errors, I was a lot more confident for my second speech as I began to know my classmates better which helped to ease a lot of my nerves. Overall, after presenting these first two speeches, I believe that I have gained very important public speaking skills and hopefully will be able to utilize these skills in my future experience whether its here at Penn State, at my future job, or within my community.

Adios CAS!

Over these past couple of weeks in CAS 100A, I have embraced many new methods in becoming a successful speaker. When I first entered this class, I didn't know what to expect. I thought I was a decent enough speaker, but with all of the things I have learned, I realized that I still had work to do. I learned numerous ways in preparation for a speech. I learned different types of outlines and speech components that I will benefit from as well.

Over the time period in CAS, and the two individual speeches I gave, I realized that I have improved. My first speech was not as organized as my second speech. With a more organized outline and setup for a speech, the speech will flow better. This helped me improve my second speech tremendously. Throughout my college years to come, and any speech that I will approach, I will take it on in more of an optimistic way and prepare myself by using the new methods and techniques I have learned. Thank you Mia for teaching me everything I have recently picked up in CAS!

Its Been Real

Before learning anything in this important class I was asked to post a blog about what came to my mind when I heard the term “public speaking”. The blog I posted was about a motivational speech because that was the only experience I have had with speaking in front of people. However, my understanding of public speaking has changed after taking this class.

I learned many different examples of public speaking such as, civic, special event, and academic. I learned many of the purposes of speaking and how important it is to be prepared whenever giving a speech. I learned many different ways of preparing for a speech and the different types of ways to present speeches. Learning all of these different aspects of public speaking opened up my mind to a lot more than just giving a speech in front of a class or talking to friends at school or at a sports event.

Because of all of this new knowledge I received about public speaking my perspective of the term has changed. I realize now how much public speaking is used in todays society and how important it is while making an impact on the world as a whole. Communication effects the lives of many people and it can change the way society thinks. One speech can change the way the world works and I never thought of it that way. This speech class has taught me the importance of being good at public speaking and the different ways of doing it. I enjoyed taking this class even though it was a challenge for me to speak out in front of my classmates. I think this class was an important part of my amazing first semester at Penn State and I am so honored to have such a wonderful teacher and classmates.

You Stay Classy CAS 100A

Over the time I have been in CAS 100A, my view of public speaking has not been changed too much, but I have become much better at it. My initial example is an excellent reflection of public speaking but I now know that it is only an example of a commemorative speech, when there is all different kinds of speechs, informative, persuasive, celebratory, and more. I also have an even greater appreciation of the way Lou Gehrig gives his speech because I was nervous in front of a class of 24 kids, 1 mentor, and a teacher, and he gave his speech in front of thousands of fans, as well as all of the people that were listening to it on the radio. I have a new found respect for any boring speech that I will ever have to sit through because I know that the person who is giving the speech is having a minor panic attack because he or she is so afraid to make an embarrassing mistake. I have not learned too much more about actually giving speeches in this class, because I was already taught much of the information in high school, but I value my new experience in giving speeches. Public speaking, for me at least, only gets easier the more I do it. I may never achieve the level of comfort that some people have in front of a crowd, but I have certainly improved greatly in that department. Farewell class

Reflection

Looking back, I had a much different idea of public speaking before then I do after taking CAS. In my first post, I said public speaking was usually thought of a a formal event where one person speaks to a large crowd. Now, I see that although this is public speaking, there are so many other types and opportunities where public speaking can take place. Some examples of these problem solving: either with a group of friends or in the work place, interpersonal: communication with family members or a spouse, and professional: which is the type of speaking I originally talked about.

The example of public speaking that I used was Sean Payton in the "Boys of Fall". I considered this type of speech motivational, which I now know is one of the four types of speeches. The purpose of the other three types are to inform, convince, and to celebrate. All four of these have a right time and place and all have a specific purpose.
My outlook on public speaking is still basically the same that I had before. However, with the knowledge that I have now, I understand what public speaking can be used for and now see how important it is. As I have said, I previously saw public speaking as a formal event and now know it can take place anywhere at anytime.

Farewell to CAS 100A

Over the course of the semester, CAS 100A has improved all of our public speaking abilities. I believe that we made a smart decision taking CAS as our first college course because it has prepared us for the rest of our college careers and beyond. The ability to speak well is an important skill, and we now possess the knowledge to master it.

I am proud of the progress I made from my first speech to the next. I used the flaws from my first performance to craft my second. In the process, I learned a few valuable lessons that I will keep in mind next time I speak publicly:

Before speaking, figure out what memory aid works best for you.

Once I began speaking the first time, I got caught up in what I was saying and forgot to flip my first note card. I learned that note cards are not an effective tool for me. For my next speech I used an outline instead, and it worked out a lot better.

Take a moment to pause and think.

In my first speech, I said “um” a lot. It came off as if I were very nervous. For the next speech, I stopped myself before saying “um.” I realized if I take a moment to pause and gather my thoughts while I am speaking, rather than use fillers, it would not be noticeable.

Be confident in what you are saying.

As the first speaking day approached, I did not realize how much speech anxiety I would experience! After hearing feedback on my speech, I realized that my anxiety does not appear to the audience as much as I feel it while speaking. I learned that as long as I am confident in what I am saying, I would come off as a confident speaker.

A look back on Cas 100A

I decided to make my summer schedule very convenient. I picked two classes that were required just to get them out of the way, but both did not really appeal to me. I am not very into English, which both of these classes happened to be, but I had to take them at some point, so I thought I might as well get them over with. While English 15 I could handle, I was very nervous for Cas 100 A. All through high school I would get very nervous right before giving a speech. I did not see myself as a public speaker and now I had to take a class where that’s all we did. While I was very nervous at first, as time progressed I started to feel a little bit more confortable. After learning all the techniques of speech and not relying on memory or a manuscript outline, I feel as if I have improved on my speech skills and because of that the speech anxiety has started to subside a little bit. While I still feel as if I am not a professional speaker, this class has taught me the skills to be better at giving presentations or speeches in general. I learned how to communicate better with people and how to make more eye contact, without forgetting what I was saying or becoming more nervous as well as how to use body language the right way (not just nervous movements). All in all, while I felt as if I was not a good public speaker at first, I now feel more confident about my speeches, even if I am not completely there yet. I know that I am definitely a better speaker in the end.

Reflection on CAS100A

Looking back before I took CAS100A, whenever I heard the term "public speaking" I always thought of motivational speeches because they were the most familiar to me. Now, whenever I hear this term I think much differently. I now view "public speaking" as much more than just motivational speaking. I now also associate this term with informative, celebrating, and convincing speaking. I now attach pathos, ethos, and logos also to this term, along with the occasions for public speaking. MY understanding of communication and public speaking has changed drastically thanks to CAS100A and this summer. I never would have guessed that there was so much material, strategies, and concepts to public speaking. I always thought that delivering speeches was just plain old speaking. Now, whenever I hear the term "public speaking" I think of my problem-solution speech. This is because it was something that I worked on very hard and had to apply all aspects of what I learned into this speech. It was something unlike my first speech where I just went up and talked. It was something that required me to apply all the concepts I learned into one speech and make sure I got my point across. Therefore, this CAS100A course has changed my viewpoint on public speaking by widening my understanding for public speaking and delivering speeches.

Monica: Before and After Summer 2011

I first claimed that body language was one of the most important elements in public speaking. While I still believe that body language is extremely important in public speaking, I have learned from this class that the content and organization of a speech is probably the most important thing of public speaking. Without a good and organized structure, a speech can be confusing to the audience and not mean anything to the audience. Learning how to produce successful outlines of speeches has been extremely helpful in organizing the message. Also, ethos, pathos, and logos have also been drilled into our heads since the start of classes. These three elements mean for credibility, emotion, and logic and are also key terms in understanding communication and public speaking. These past few weeks here at Penn State summer sessions have been extremely valuable. Not only have I learned more effective ways of communication my public speaking course, but I have gained a lot of maturity, independence, self-discipline and a better understanding of who I am outside of class. Learning how to cope with unfavorable situations and live with a room mate had made me more mature. Having to do my own laundry and take matters and responsibilities into my own hands has given me more independence. Being dedicated to my school work even though at times it was tempting to put it aside has taught me more self-discipline. Making all new friends and meeting new people has given me a better sense of who I am and the type of people I would like to surround myself with. I came to Penn State about two months ago not knowing what to expect. I was nervous about meeting new people, fitting in, getting all my work done, and the overall adjustment in itself. I progressively got used to my new environment and I can honestly say that I am very sad that summer sessions are coming to such a quick end. Overall, I have enjoyed the past two months because I have gained a lot of knowledge, learned many important lessons, and am now ahead of the game!

Reflection

The first post that I completed for the class blog was about Jimmy Valvano's 1993 ESPY speech. While I still find this speech to be a great example of public speaking, my understanding of this subject has changed very much. The speaker here does an excellent job and is very motivational and influential. However, his speech purpose is different from the many examples I have listened to and evaluated since the start of class. In Jimmy's speech, he talks a little about his own life and inspires people to change the way that they live theirs. Although this is an effective speech, I have learned in class that not all good examples of public speaking need to be as formal or professional as this one. Also, according to the textbook, most motivational speeches include a call to action which is not the case in Jimmy's speech.

A different example that I consider to be more relevant to the concepts taught in CAS 100A is Al Pacino's speech in the movie "Any Given Sunday." In this motivational speech, the coach does an excellent job at inspiring his football team to beat the odds and come out on top at the end of the game. The call to action is for the players to work together and play as a team so that they can go that extra mile that they need to in order to win. The coach also establishes his ethos, or character, very effectively when he explains the negative consequences he suffered when he made poor decisions in his life. In doing this, he is able to inspire his players to follow their dreams of winning the game.

Farewell CAS

When I chose my courses for summer session at PSU, I was very happy with my decision. I thought to myself, getting a public speaking class and an english class out of the way is genius. However, the first day is CAS changed my mind. I walked out of class that first day in a panic. I remember thinking, ''What did I get myself into?'' I was so intimidated and I thought there was no possible way I could stand before 25 strangers and make a speech.

After the first speech I delivered, the cultural object speech, my feelings about public speaking only got worse. When I sat down in my seat after speaking, all I wanted to do was cry because I knew I didn't do well. I wanted to drop the class all together and give up. To make matters worse, I had to watch myself speak on the recording! However, watching that recording is what changed my mind about public speaking in the long run. It inspired me to improve on the things that I knew affected my grade in the first speech. As soon as I was done writing my second speech, I practiced making my delivery stronger and more effective. The thing I focused on the most was the extemporaneous delivery and making eye contact with my audience. I was determined to do better on the next speech.

My hard work and dedication definitely helped me deliver my problem-solution speech very effectively. After delivering that speech, I walked back to my seat with a smile on my face: I knew I had achieved my goals. I felt this overwhelming sense of accomplishment and confidence. In fact, I am even looking forward to delivering the next speech. Maybe because I will have three other people up there, but mostly because of my new found confidence in my public speaking. I'm very glad I decided to stick with Cas100 because I met a lot of great people, made many memories, and found out I can deliver a speech pretty well :)

Miracle on Ice

As the course comes to an end, the example I choose for my first blog assignment does represent public speaking, however not in the same way I now associate public speaking with today. For my first blog, I choose Lou Gehrig’s retirement speech. Although this is a form of public speaking is not the most common. It doesn’t have to due with persuasion, motivation, or giving information. The speech is more of a thank you to his fans and family for always being there for him. Although it remains one of the most famous sports speeches, it is not a speech I would tie together with this class. Instead of this Lou Gehrig’s speech, a speech that would relate better to this course would be Herb Brook’s pre game miracle on ice speech. This is one of the most motivational speeches I have ever heard. It is the kind of speech that gives you the chills after listening to it. Brooks pumps you up as if you were about to put on skates and play in the game yourself. Motivational speeches are a big part of public speaking, especially within sports; therefore this choice of a speech is far better than the original I chose. My understanding of public speaking has changed since the beginning of this class. I am know much more well informed on the types of speeches people give, the correct way to give the speech, and all the little details in between.

Reflection

In my first post, I spoke about my experience with public speaking. I wrote about my presentation that I did in high school to my peers. I presented in a small group and spoke about the risks of HIV and other information about it. This example still does represent my understanding of “public speaking” I think this speech is a persuasive speech and informs the audiences of students about HIV and also persuades them to stay safe and refrain from risky behavior. It convinces them to use protection and to be careful with their decisions. I had to present in a group setting, communicate with my members, and divide the information we would speak evenly; we also had to create our own presentation, using our own ideas to help keep the class interested and be willing to listen to us. Now that I have learned more about public speaking, I feel that I am a better speaker and am more aware of my word choice. I now know that public speaking requires prior knowledge of the subject and much time is put into all speeches. The research process is very long and an important part in this process. I never realized how significant this step was. I learned the difference between different types of speeches, and the different occasions to give a speech. I also learned the different types of language to use depending on the audience, and how the audience can affect the speech given. In this class, I learned many valuable pieces of information that will be useful to know in the future, weather it be in my community or in a future class.

CAS100A Taught Me...

When I decided to take CAS100A for one of my English credits this summer, I was horrified. I had never taken a public speaking class and I had very little experience talking professionally in front of an audience. However, I realized how valuable this class was and it taught me a lot about speech techniques as well as myself. I really feel like I am much better at communicating to an audience after taking this class. I thought the most valuable thing that we have done in speech was the policy speech. Although this speech was nerve-racking because of the time requirements, it was the one chance I had to talk about something I really cared about. I've never had that opportunity before and even though I don't really enjoy giving speeches, I did enjoy having that opportunity.

I think at the start of this summer session I was very overly anxious and critical on myself when delivering my speeches. However, I now feel a lot more confidence when I go up to the podium. I can do this. And to be honest, it really isn't that bad. The worst part is the anticipation of giving your speech if anything is. I think the skills that I have learned in this class will help me throughout my college career and the rest of my life. Now that I feel more confident in front of an audience, I won't be as hesitant to voice my opinion and stand up for what I think is right. Getting up in front of an audience used to be the most terrifying thought to me. Now, I see it as just another valuable challenge in my life.

Reflection

In my first post I completed, the example I chose to reflect my understanding of "public speaking" was an acceptance speech made my Natalie Portman. However, it definitely does not still reflect my understanding of "public speaking." After learning about the different kinds of speeches and after making my own speeches, I've come to realize that acceptance speeches are not as relevant as a persuasive, informative, or a motivational speech would be. I've also realized that there are so many other types of speeches that are interesting and that any type of speech could evoke an audience.

Over the course of this semester, my understanding of communication and public speaking has changed; I've learned that there are parts to a speech, how a speech can depend on the occasion and time, and most importantly, how to be a good public speaker. At first, I thought I would never be able to make a speech in front of the class, but now, this course has helped me overcome stage fright and any other insecurities I had about public speaking.

If I were to give an example of a speech that reflects my understanding of "public speaking" now, I would choose President Obama's speech about the death of Osama Bin Laden because it is memorable and it reminds me of everything I have learned about what to do in a speech; he gives eye contact, has a strong voice, and is descriptive.