Post #1 Jamal Mirza

    As of today, each group has officially completed one group presentation. These presentations have helped us learn how to prepare for, develop, and effectively deliver a speech. Here are some of my takeaways and reflections from each of the four group presentations.



Group 1

    Group number 1's presentation covered chapters one, two, three, and five in the e-book: the evolving art of public speaking, building your confidence, listening, and adapting to your audience. In general, these tips are the first ones you will require when developing your speech/presentation. This is what gets the ball rolling on any ideas or thoughts you want to formulate into coherent, practical, and (most importantly) impactful points for your speech. As I listened to their presentation, a couple takeaways immediately came to my mind, the most prominent of which being that we often don't consider these steps when thinking about how to craft an effective speech. Most people often want to skip directly to the good stuff: giving the speech, writing things down, and getting a reaction from the audience. However, this can and should only be accomplished after properly preparing for a speech. This can be through analyzing how impactful orators convey speeches, covering notes on the topics/information to be conveyed, and creating and revising outlines that effectively provide structure for a speech.

Group 2

    I was a part of group number 2. Our presentation covered chapters four, six, seven, and eight. Our information covered how to more specifically and actually prepare for a speech. In other words, how do I gather and filter all of the possible information I can include into my speech and create something meaningful and concise? In my slides, I covered different kinds of outlines that can be utilized, and I was particularly intrigued by the idea of completely fleshed-out outlines that detail every piece of information intended to be conveyed in a speech. In addition, different outlines should be used and readily available on hand when actually delivering a speech. That means quickly glanceable notes only; these kinds of outlines should not have every word of the speech transcribed in order to not confuse or overwhelm the speaker in the moment. I also covered some specific structures for speeches, such as Monroe's motivated sequence. I had never heard of this kind of speech before, but after reading on and covering it, I came to appreciate the structuralist and effective potential of such a speech. It showed me that while many speeches depend upon the charisma of the speaker, a certain amount of rigidity within structure can help guide the direction of a speech.

Group 3

    Group number 3's presentation went over chapters 9, 10, 11, and 12. Overall, these chapters talked about getting closer to the actual delivery of the speech. It showcased what must be done in order for one to polish a speech. One of my biggest takeaways was how to use media well in a presentation. As students, we often hear about how pictures are worth more than a thousand words, and media should (and often must) be included in a well-rounded speech. However, I wasn't always clear on how exactly this should be done. Their presentation helped me realize that I shouldn't limit myself to just pictures and videos as "media"; media comes in all different shapes, sizes, and formats. For example, Kahoot games, trivia videos, and other interactive formats can all be utilized in order to make a speech more engaging for an audience.

Group 4

    Finally, group 4 discussed chapters 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17. As they were the last group to present, they accordingly covered the different kinds of speeches that can be delivered. In general, these are usually the last things we think about when crafting a speech. Once we've analyzed information, discussed and revised notes, and forged an outline to deliver, we can know focus on how exactly we'd like our words to land. Among the different kinds of speeches that can be delivered are informative and persuasive orations. One thing I found unique about this presentation is that there is an entire category of speeches called "special occasion" speeches. These range anywhere from giving a toast at a graduation party to being asked to speak at a friend's wedding. Initially, I never even thought of this as a separate category of speech. It certainly does not usually involve creating an entire outline (usually). However, when I thought about it more, it made sense. In fact, I thought that these kinds of speeches are often the most unique. They call for charisma and a different kind of delivery that must be mastered in order to deliver them effectively

Conclusions

    Overall, after all of these presentations were covered, I decided to reflect on what I could take away from it all. Despite me not having a large amount of life experience, I still find myself having a unique fascination with words and how to effectively deliver them. As a poet, I have delivered spoken word poetry in front of audiences of around 300 people. At first, I would always get nervous and find myself shaking and breathing heavier, resorting to unnatural ticks to find my balance. I wasn't really comfortable with what I was delivering. However, I learned more from the writings and videos of expert orators, such as Malcolm X. Through this, I was able to grow in the delivery of my spoken word. Instead of focusing on what I was doing, I honed in what what I was saying. More than that, I focused on why I was saying it. I honestly found myself closing my eyes at some points, simply getting lost in the delivery of the rhymes in my lines. Although spoken word is different from delivering a speech, I am very proud of my ability to write meaningful and incredibly impactful pieces of spoken word poetry on stage, and I believe all of these tips can help me to develop my overall skill in delivering orations.

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