Monday, December 8, 2008
Blog Post (HW#6) Self Performance
This is the last official blog post of the semester. Briefly, share your experience in this class. What ways have you become proficient in your communication skills? What are the gains that you have experienced from taking this class. What things do you still need to work on? How will you use the information from this course in the future?
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It has been a privilege and an honor to be in this class. Honestly, I have not learned as much in any other class as I have here. I have never had a teacher who is so engaging and so concerned with the class and their well being. I ALWAYS felt in the loop and never felt uninformed, and I sincerely believe my classmates felt the same way as well. Throughout the semester my communication has become more and more proficient. I have gained so much knowledge and understanding of what it takes to be an effective speaker and also know where my problem areas are. I even know the necessary steps that I need to take in means to fix those problem areas. I also know and understand the importance of citing your sources when you are speaking so you always remain credible. I think that it is imperative to understand how to cite and incorporate sources when you are giving a speech; otherwise everything that you are saying does not stick and people tend to question your knowledge. The amount of information that I have learned this semester has been so helpful not only in public speaking but in everyday life as well. This information will most definitely help me in the future when I am trying to get a job. It will also help me once I enter the workforce and continue to grow and move on into bigger things. Again, it has been a pleasure being in this class, everyone has been so kind and considerate and I truly appreciate it. I hope that you all have a great future!!
I believe that this class has been very beneficial to my communication skills. Having strong communication skills is one of the most important skills I person can have. It can help them in every aspect of their life and is especially useful in the workplace. I believe that I have become more comfortable with public speaking since taking this class. I have learned a lot of skills that have made me feel more comfortable speaking in front of a group.
I think one of the most important things about public speaking that I was previously unaware of is how important it is to cite your information. I always cite when writing essays but never thought before to cite verbally when giving a speech. I learned how important this really is and how it helps to earn credibility with the audience.
I also thought that I learned a lot of important information about networking. This is a very important skill one should have in oder to help them get ahead in the workplace. I now would feel more comfortable speaking to a professional to start networking opportunities.
I believe I still need to work on being more comfortable speaking without notes. I had some trouble in the class connecting with the audience because I focused too much on presenting the information and not enough on the audience.
I will be able to use the information I learned from the class in my personal, academic, and employment life. I will be more comfortable and prepared to speak in front of audience or just speaking to an individual for networking purposes.
This class has given me a new found understanding of what I am capable of and how I present myself to the world. I have seen myself improve greatly in many areas which I did not even realize I needed help. I have become a calm and collected speaker and realize now that everything I say and do has an objective.
Thanks to this class I have become more knowledgable and in control of what I say and do to get a point across. Whether it was working on a speech by myself or putting together my blog, I have learned how to be clear and concise. I also discovered that I need to be more patient when putting a well-informed speech together and brainstorming with a group. I realized that I have to take more time in getting my thoughts organized and how to use different forms of media to present myself to others like a blog or video of myself; two things that I have never attempted to use before.
The information I gained from this course will help me throughout my everyday life as well as in pursuing a career. The elevator speech as well as the procedures for putting together presentations are talents that I can easily take from the classroom to real life and that I will inevitably use as a Marketing major.
This class has been, by far, my favorite to be a part of. Not only are the students in it supportive and willing to give insight, but what they say in critiques is really helpful too! Everyone has been a real pleasure to be around, and this class has been a pleasure to be a member of. On top of that, Professor McManimon has been the most involved, understanding professor I have ever had. Being so available to students outside of class and having such interest in what we are doing are just some of the the things that stand out and make her a fantastic instructor. I really feel that I am taking something very important away from this class. Not only do I feel that I have become a more confident speaker, but I also feel that I have learned how to best present an idea to a good-sized audience. As someone who wants to one day be a professor, the lessons learned in this class are invaluable to me. I would also like to point out what Alexis said earlier and note how important verbally citing in a presentation is. I had never done so before - in any class - and now, every time I give a speech I do, and it really helps me stand out. I am impressed at what a difference a little more credibility makes! All I can do now is practice more! Obviously, all of this will come in very handy not only in grad school, but in the professional world (especially teaching), it is imperative. I just want to thank everybody for making this class great...and Professor McManimon, I hope I can still be in COM240 next semester! ;c)
I have truly enjoyed this class and it was due to both our professor as well as my classmates.
As far as the professor, it has been great to have someone so caring and interested in seeing everyone succeed. We all worked hard, but what a team we all have been! I have enjoyed all of my classmates more than all others taken at TCNJ. You are all the greatest!
What did I learn? That I knew less about speaking than I thought, got more nervous than normal, actually could create a power point and....BLOG! Wow, that was some accomplishment. Professor M. I too hope that we can stay in touch because I know that you are a dedicated teacher that will always be there for all students present and past. And...classmates, you are all so bright and promising. I hope to know what happens to each of you. Best luck to you all.
What did this course teach me that I can use as I move forward in my career? Plenty of technology, and that it pays to rehearse.
I feel as though I have learned a great amount in this class that has resulted in developing my public speaking skills. Even though I think I still have to work on my delivery skills, I think that I have learned everything I need to know to really work on that part of it. Furthermore, I think that I have become more aware of my habits when I speak, as well as when others speak. I believe that this will help me now and in the future to present myself better because I will be aware of how I may or may not be coming off to others. The skills I learned in this class will be carried with me long after the semester ends.
One of the things I need to work on is being able to speak conversationally when giving a speech. For some reason my nerves tend to get the best of me and I tense up. I think with practice and application of the concepts I have learned over the few months, I will be able to further enhance my public speaking skills. Furthermore, this class has helped me to improve my organizational skills because I had to work to make the speeches flow.
This final presentation was the result of the combined criticism and practice that I received all semester. I feel that I have sincerely grown from just a few months ago. I used to have a problem with body language. I would not directly face the audience and I would always keep my body slightly turned toward the powerpoint, (or any visual that was behind me.) I also would talk very fast and go through my presentation very fast and would forget to slow things down. By the critiques of my classmates I was able to begin to correct this mistake. I have attempted to create a strong conversational and enthusiastic style of speaking that I hope will help me in my future career!
In my last presentation I feel that I have taken these constructive criticisms into account and applied them throughout my speech. I still have a tendency to sometimes talk to fast, but that is something that I am sincerely going to try and work on in the future. Maybe to correct this habit I can first present my speeches to my friends ahead of time and have them tell me if my speed is too fast or right on target.
This class has taught me so much about presenting inside and outside the classroom. It was one of my favorite classes to attend and everyone around me seemed to have felt the same way. The consideration and helpfulness I received from my peers and professor created a positive atmosphere that I thoroughly enjoyed. The business lessons I have received from this course has already assisted me in getting one internship and a recent interview for another! I loved how we did not just learn about facts and processes of the business world, but we learned how to actually apply what we learned. One of the most important things that I am going to bring with me into my future is the elevator speech. I feel that having a strong sense of knowing what to say and how to say it will really give me a personal advantage when looking to further my career. The outcome of this class surpassed my expectations and I am really going to miss it!
Through this class I feel that I have become more proficient in my communication skills. I am more comfortable speaking in front of a group then I ever have been before. I feel that this class has helped me to become a more confident speaker, which is important, especially if I want to go into Public Relations in the future. I have also become more proficient in my communication skills through learning exactly how to formulate a speech. In previous classes I have made many speeches, but I never knew the specific formats that I could possibly utilize to present my information in an organized manner. These speaking styles are important, and I will use them from now on in my classes.
I have gained many important skills from this class. I feel that creating an elevator speech is very beneficial to me for future encounters with potential employee's and potential grad school representatives. I truly learned the importance of always being prepared to network. I also gained a professional blog. I feel that this was one of the best projects I have ever worked on. I think that it will be highly beneficial for me to use this when applying for an internship, a grad school, and a job one day. It is a way to set myself apart from other resumes and to show my originality. I am so excited to have this blog, and I already included a link to it on my resume (which I have handed out to a few grad schools). I will most definitely use this blog and my elevator speech in the future and think that having both of these prepared will make me a marketable candidate for employment.
Something I still need to work on is impromptu speaking without the use of filler words (um, like, uh). Though I do not generally use filler words when I plan a speech, I tend to use them often in impromptu speaking. I feel that if I eliminate these from my everyday speech I will be able to present myself as a more professional person.
This class has been a great experience and has provided me with the knowledge and skills to carry on in future jobs, internships, and graduate school experiences. I now feel completely confident that I know how to formulate a speech and I feel knowledgeable on the importance of centering a message to a specific audience. I feel that I have received valuable feedback, not only from the teacher, but also from my fellow students. It is always good to hear criticism, positive or negative, to be able to improve and grow as a speaker.
I think we all can agree that we've received quite an amount of information that we will use in our everyday lives and futures, which is not common in most courses. I have undoubtedly enjoyed the experiences and information that I will take away from this course, and am grateful to have been a part of it.
I have personally created something that I will use in my professional future, and that is my blog. This is a piece of work that I've created in a class that I am actually proud of and will benefit my future. It was a great pleasure being in a room full of people with great insight, beautiful minds and hearts, and wonderful ways of making everyone feel welcome.
I definitely feel so much more comfortable in front of an audience, and have found ways to overcome the persistent problems I've had in the past when it comes to public speaking. The problem I have with saying "ums" and "likes" is easily remedied by taking a breath when collecting my thoughts, and leaving the audience behind in the dust can be solved by slowing down and speaking more conversationally. These, and many more things, are pieces of information that I can actually use in my future, and have started using already!
I am a huge fan of the professional blog, and have added a link on my resume so my prospective employers can get to know me as more than a name on a piece of paper. This is a tool learned in Com240 that I will use always in my future, as well as the other techniques and critiques to effective public speaking. I thank all who participated in this class and made it a rewarding and enjoyable one. Take care :)
I feel that in this class I have experienced many things that I could definitely use in the real world especially when getting a job. I feel the professor always was helping me, not only with assignments but also making me understand that one day all these lessons and tips can be used through out my college years. At first I really did not want to take this class but now I can see that this class has helped me grow. I feel that I performed very well and I think that all the hard work I put in the speeches and assignments has paid off.
One thing that I liked the most is the critiques that we had to make about my fellow classmates because I can see what I can improve in to be an effective speaker. I believe that I can improve a lot in speaking one thing is to be able to be more confident while I am up in front of people. I feel that once I know that I am in control, I am able to deliver my message more effectively then just being nervous. I can see the changes that I have gone though while in this class, when giving a speech or just speaking in public.
I can defiantly work on showing credibility by making more bibliographies of all the sites i used. Its very important to make a habit out that. It’s honestly been amazing, I feel that I was a sponge and I have tried to take in as much information as possible to use for the rest of my life.
I believe that this class has improved my public speaking skills. Even though it is still difficult to go up to speak and not look down at my note cards, I still feel as if i have improved in terms of using a conversational tone of voice and reaching out to the audience, pulling them in to pay attention. I took a similar class in high school, but this one explored ways to effectively deliver more professional, businesslike presentations. The incorporation of power point and citations was a first for me, giving me the knowledge and experience needed to effectively present my ideas and proposals with a sense of credibility and legitimacy. Overall, this class has made me a more comfortable public speaker. The comments and criticisms from my fellow classmates have definitely helped in me becoming a more effective presenter and speaker. Good luck to everyone, it's been real...
I am a Business Management major, so I had no idea what to expect when initially coming to class. This class has proven to be more than insightful, but arguably the most important class I have ever taken. What other class teaches you how to use the knowledge you’ve obtained to help find a job, communicate data efficiently, and present based on the audience.
Even though we had to wake up early, and class was over 3 hours long, I always was happy to come to class and be among such a supportive group of people. Having my peers support really help me mold myself based on valuable feedback. There was a ton of other lessons I found myself learning in this class… How to properly cite my sources, how to present and argument in a logical and organized fashion, how to incorporate humor in a presentation to facilitate the presentation without going overboard, and even how to work with others to organize a presentation.
In the past, I always thought of myself as a good public speaker, but this class showed me that I have so much to learn and so much to work on. I also thought I had a very solid resume but this class showed me that there is always room to improve. I still have problems with filler words such as “um” “like” and “uh”, but this is something I will continue to work on. As an amateur stand-up comedian, and aspiring General Manager of a sports team, public speaking is the most important attribute to master to succeeded in the field I want to go into. Whether it be press conferences or interviews, I think this class has really better prepared me to succeed in the field.
I also really enjoyed making my blog. Originally, I was very negative toward the idea of creating a blog. However, after getting into it, I couldn’t stop. I really loved incorporating technology to help sell myself to future employers and set myself apart. As mentioned earlier, the endless support of my classmates really helped make this experience and enjoyable one. I wish everyone the best in the future.
I want to start of by thanking Professor McManimon, I definitely feel so much more comfortable in front of an audience. Throughout the semester my communication has become more proficient. I have gained so much knowledge and understanding of what it takes to be an effective speaker and also know where my problem areas are. I even know the necessary steps that I need to take in means to fix those problem areas. The amount of information that I have learned this semester has been so helpful not only in public speaking but in everyday life as well.
I enjoyed working together with the class on how to improve my public speaking, because during my presentations I tend to talk fast and rush through my presentation, the critiques of my classmates I was able to begin to correct this mistake. ALso I have attempted to create a better understanding of how to fix another problem. For example, I still have problems with filler words such as “um” “like” and “uh”, but this class helped me change this problem. I feel that I have become more adept in my communication skills. I am more relaxed speaking in front of a group; my body language has changed due to my friends in class with their help and criticism. I feel that this class has helped me to become a more confident speaker; a key skill that I feel is much needed in my line of work in television and film. I will definitely use my new skills of confidence everyday, next semester while I intern, and when I continue my school career in graduate school. It has been a pleasure being in this class, besides waking up early, everyone has been so great and understanding.
Take care,
Mo
I am now much more comfortable speaking in front of crowds than I was before I took this class. I gained the knowledge of how to properly "sell" myself by creating blogs and shinier resumes. I look forward to using my elevator speech in the future. This is the type of networking that I can use at any place at any time I am so glad that i can now feel comfortable when I find myself in those situations. I definately need more experience to add to my resume and I need to stop freezing up and forgetting what I needed to say just because I'm in the spotlight.
During the course of this semester, I found that this class has taught me a lot about what is accepted in a business environment when delivering a speech and how important it is to cite your information.
The class was always welcoming and I never felt left out of the loop when there were times I had questions. The people in the class helped me understand what was going on and made me feel more comfortable going up in front of the classroom.
There are many things I will take away from this class but I think the most important ones are to always cite everything in powerpoint (even pictures), to always make sure to remain credible in my speeches, and my virtual blog. The idea of networking also will influence me in how I go about my day as well. I've already started to build connections to possibly help me in the future.
It was a pleasure to be part of this class and I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday. Thank you! <3
It was a pleasure to take part in this class. At first I was nervous about speaking and public, and I knew that my grade would reflect that. Later on, however, as the class discussions continued I learned the ability to be confident in what I was saying in front of a large audience. I really value the feedback that I got from both my fellow classmates and Professor McManimon. The feedback alone is what allowed to me to progress so successfully in my public speaking abilities. Through this class, I have learned that I am able to get in front of any large audience or even an important networking opportunity and speak knowledgeably and confidently about any particular subject. The skill that I have become most proficient in is the skill of engaging my audience in what I say. Some of the improvements I still need to make include staying relaxed and getting rid of "uhs" and "ums". In future class presentations, speeches, and networking opportunities I will be sure to use what I have learned in class (such as backing up what you say with sources). Once again, this class was a pleasure to participate in and I can only hope that I will keep all of the skills I learned through all of my life experiences.
This class has increased my ability to be an effective speaker. Although I am a business major, I am glass that I took this class. What I learned during my time in this class I will be able to use my whole life with my professional career. The best part about this class is that most of the assignments didn't feel as though they were assigned just to be assigned. Each assignment had its purpose and had a real world spin on it, which was refreshing to see.
The thing I will most take away from this class is that I still may have some weaknesses in my approach to public speaking, but I now know the ways that I can work on improving those weaknesses. Public speaking is not something you can become an expert at by simply sitting in a course in college. But I've learned that you can use the skills learned from that class and continually work on improving your speech abilities.
My experience in this class can be described as enriching and positive. I have had a chance to contemplate meeting with individuals who may have a hand in my future successes. Also, I feel that I learned more about networking, which is not one of my strongpoints, as I feel that I am a shy person. By practicing this skill in class, the topic is not as overwhelming as it seemed prior to the course. I feel that I do need to continue to work on this however, and also my impromptu speaking.
I noticed that I do tend to speed up my speech when I become excited about a topic, however, I feel that I have improved on monitoring myself while I am talking, in addition to calming myself down while in front of an audience. I will use the information that I gained in this class to better plan and design and outline presentations using powerpoint and notecards.
Com 240, has easily been the most useful class that I can taken thus far in college. Everything I learned was extremely useful and I am certain that I will use the skills I have learned throughout my life. I've always felt that I was an effective speaker, but what I learned in the class has surpassed my expectations of the class and my own speaking abilities. I can now more easily formulate my ideas through impromptu speaking and have worked out the kinks on giving a presentation from a powerpoint.
The proper techniques have certainly improved my skills of effectively giving a powerpoint presentation instead of just reading off of the slides. Also, the elevator speech forced me to work on my own quick self advertisment. Overall, I greatly appreciate Prof. M, the entire class, and the curriculum for all working together to make the class unbelievable.
Susan...I forwarded your blog info to the chamber because they needed the info.
http://www.blogger.com/profile/16965708949267155030
Wendy
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