Communication Presentation

Instructions

There is a lot of information here. I know it is a lot to digest. Don’t worry, as you will have several weeks to get the presentation ready.

You are to organize and deliver a 2-4 minute presentation on what you have learned in this class. You will turn in the presentation in the form of a video. You are required to present the information in a way that is clear, accurate and interesting.

In class discussions, we will talk about how to organize the presentation and how to deliver it effectively.

Topic

The good news is that you don’t actually have to do any outside research for this presentation. You will have to look over what you have learned in this class, think about it, and show that you understand how these topics apply to you.

The presentation should consist of 3 points:

• Overall, what did you learn about yourself in this class?
• Choose one of the following topics and talk about how it applies to you:
  • Listening
    • If you choose listening, talk about what your listening challenges are. For example, do you use a particular type of nonlistening? Have you had people close to you tell you you need to work on your listening skills?
  • Defensiveness
    • If you choose defensiveness, what type of defense mechanisms do you catch yourself using? Have people around you told you that you are defensive?
  • Conflict
    • If you choose Conflict, what conflict style (or styles) do you use in particular situations? How have people around you described your approach to conflict?
• What do you need to change about yourself in order to be a more effective communicator?

Organization

You should organize the presentation in the following way:

I Introduction

A Attention Getter

B Social Significance

C Thesis and Preview

II Body

A What I learned About Myself

B Specific Topic and how it applies to me (Listening, Conflict or Defensiveness)

C What I need to change about myself to be a more effective communicator

III Conclusion

A Thesis and Review

B Brief Summary

C tie back to the attention Getter

Purpose

These are the main goals of this assignment:

• You will take a more in-depth look at a some communication topics from this class and specifically how they apply to your own life.
• You will learn something about your strengths and challenges as a communicator, and hopefully make a plan to improve.
• You will also develop and practice your public speaking skills. Since this course meets the Oral Communication requirement for the California State University System, you are each required to complete at least one assignment that gives you the opportunity to do some public speaking. This presentation gives you that opportunity.

Grading

Total Points: 45

Structure/clarity: 5

You should have an introduction, a conclusion and some number of main points in the presentation. Please preview those main points in the introduction. Follow the structure above. See the Oral Presentation modules for more detail and explanations of the various parts of the presentation. I have tried to make it really clear and easy for you.

Creativity: 5

Please be as creative as you can. You are encouraged to use props, posters, music, costumes, art, etc. Make it fun for the audience– or in this case just me 🙂 to listen to!

Physical Delivery: 10

I am grading you on how effective your physical delivery is in the presentation. This includes what you are doing with your face, eyes and body (stance, gestures, expressiveness, etc.) In order for me to grade your physical delivery, you must be standing during the presentation and use a camera angle that allows me to see your stance, gestures, facial expressiveness, etc.

Grading:

I am grading your eye contact. Look up at the audience. You need to look up from your note cards.

I am grading you on your Stance. Don’t lean or sway—stand straight and tall with your feet shoulder length apart.

Vocal Delivery: 10

I am grading you on how effective your vocal delivery is in the presentation. This includes what you are doing with your voice (volume, expressiveness, lack of vocal fillers, etc.)

Grading:

I am grading you on pace (don’t talk too fast) and volume (don’t speak too softly).

I am also grading you on verbal fillers. Verbal Fillers are pauses a speaker avoids by saying um, uh, ok, like, etc. I don’t expect you to have zero verbal fillers, but I am expecting you to minimize them. Rather than say “Um”, just pause.

You are also being graded on speaking to us, rather than reading to us. If you read your presentation, you will lose a lot of points.

Content: 10

Your content should be clear and accurate. It should cover the questions in the prompt.

Effort and Enthusiasm: 5

I want to see that you put in some effort and thought into this presentation.

How to Turn It In

When you are finished, post the video to YouTube as “unlisted” (NOT private) and send me the link. Here is a short video to show you how to do that.

Tips For Success

• If you are nervous, please talk to me about it. Most importantly, believe in yourself. You can do it!
• Time affects your grade. Your presentation should be 2 minutes minimum and 4 minutes maximum. You will be penalized by one point for each minute you are outside of that time limit to a maximum of 3 points. It is much more common for students to run over than under time.

Anxiety or Nervousness

Nervous or Anxious about Public Speaking? For those of you who are concerned about public speaking anxiety, I have some helpful tips.

• Fear is Normal. Everyone has some fear of public speaking. In fact, in most studies on fears in America, public speaking has been ranked the number one fear of humankind, placing higher than death in many cases. It is OK to feel some fear. We need to work to manage that fear. If by chance you aren’t afraid, you are unique and very lucky!
• We have control of the fear. The fear is within us. No one else knows it is there and most others can’t see it, unless we tell them we are afraid. Only we have control of our fear.
• Think about how you feel when you watch someone else speak. It helps to know that in almost every case, the audience does not wish to see us fail. They are there to support us.
• Most of the nervousness involved in public speaking comes from fear of failure or fear of the unknown. The single most important factor in decreasing fear is preparation. If we know we have practiced and are sure of what we are going to say, how we are going to say it, how long it will last, etc., we are likely to be much less nervous.
• Concentrate on slow deep breaths.
• Think positive. You can do it. If you believe that you can, you’ll be much more successful. If you believe that you can’t, you are less likely to be successful.
• If you have any problems or questions, please ask me. I am happy to help!