Self-Evaluation 2- Informative Speech

The purpose of my speech was to inform my audience about what dreams are, how to interpret them, and how dreams can be controlled and remembered. I believe I achieved this purpose in my speech. I could have expanded more on how exactly to interpret your dreams, rather than just using an example. I felt a lot more comfortable and confident while presenting this speech compared to the last one. I rehearsed my informative speech much more than the demonstration speech. If I could do it over again, I would have rehearsed twenty more times until it was perfected. I could improve the content of my next speech by focusing on three main points instead of four so I could have supported each one better. When delivering my next speech, I should also try to write less on my notecards so I am not tempted to look at them so much and can have better eye contact with the audience. I looked at my notecards more than I should have, but much less than my first speech. The tone of my voice was more enthusiastic than my first speech. I did not use any visual aids this time, which could have helped the audience be more interested. I went over the time limit on both of my speeches, but this time only by 30 seconds. On the last speech I went over the limit by more than 3 minutes, so this was an improvement (although I still need to work on time management).

After watching my video, I noticed I swayed from side to side a lot, which was very distracting. A few people even mentioned this in my peer evaluations, but I’m not sure what made me do this because I did not sway like that in my first speech. During the course of my speech, I mentioned all 4 source citations. However, I got most of my information from one of them, so I could improve on this next time by getting sufficient and valid information from each of the 4 sources. Although I mentioned them each once, I think I should have gave my sources more credit throughout the entire speech. On my last self evaluation, I rated my eye contact a 4 out of 10, but this time I think I improved and would rate it a 6. I prefer using my notecards to aid me instead of memorizing my entire speech- I think speeches sound more “smooth” and believable this way. Yet, I still need to work on eye contact because I know I can do better than a 6.

Overall, I thought my speech was a lot better than my first demonstration speech. I felt more comfortable, had better eye contact, and the content of my speech was very organized. The negatives included going over the time limit, not having a visual aid, and looking at my notecards more than necessary. With this being said, I would give myself a B+ because on the last speech I gave myself a B- and I believe I made several improvements. I had a good introduction, supported my four main points with valid information, and had a good conclusion. I think the infractions I made were minor and shouldn’t bring my grade down that much. Anyhow, on my next speech I will make sure to improve on the delivery and time management again and more so than I did the first time.

Presentation Media

I remember last year I attended a meeting to be one of the founding sisters of a sorority. A few girls came from Berkeley from the same sorority and did a PowerPoint presentation in hope to recruit people. The speakers used over 20 slides because there was a lot of information to get across. In the beginning they used slides with bullet points of the qualifications you need, the rules, and the steps in becoming a founding sister. This helped focus on the most important points since they were providing a lot of info. They showed many pictures of the Berkeley sorority girls, their clothing, and their hand signal. This was helpful because I got to see proof of the girls having fun and showing pride outside of their meetings. It wasn’t necessarily distracting, but the speakers had too many slides and a long speech. They could have improved on their speech and use of presentation media by narrowing it down to the most important information, showing less slides, and less pictures. But overall, the presentation media helped persuade me into wanting to join the sorority because I saw how fun it would be and how it would benefit me.

Videos 11.1 and 11.2

The interactive videos for Chapter 11 displayed some helpful tips. Most of the powerpoint presentations I have seen in the past used slides with too much writing. However, the ones used so far in this class were mostly pictures that focused on main points. The videos suggest that the presenter show on slides what they can't say verbally. They are an addition to the speech, not the speech itself. They are not supposed to distract the audience from the overall message. Presentation media should be simple and be a visual for key ideas only. They also explained how the colors you use on your slides should not be so bright or take the focus off of the pictures being shown. For my next speech, I will consider all of these tips.

Chapter 13

Towards the end of Chapter 13, the text explains how you should inform to educate. When choosing a topic for this speech, at first I wanted to do it on global warming, which is something that I think is an important issue and that most people know little about. But then, I decided that this topic might be a little boring to my audience, plus college students may already have a good understanding of what global warming is, so I changed my topic to dreams, which is much more interesting. But know I am hesitant because I should be presenting a topic to inform and educate the audience. I’m not sure how much students can benefit from knowing why they dream at night, but I remember someone telling me a history of dreams years ago and it certainly grabbed my attention. In a way I will be educating the audience, but I also have to think about the purpose of my speech and how important it is.

Intro and Conclusion

According to Chapter 9, an introduction consists of an attention getter, the purpose and thesis of your speech, a preview of the main points, and establishes credibility. The primary effect, or first impression, is very important because the audience usually remembers what is said in the beginning of your speech and decides from that impression whether or not they are going to tune in to the rest of the speech. Also, the purpose should be well worth the audience’s time and attention, so it is important to make sure your purpose will benefit and connect to the listeners.

The conclusion consists of a review of the main points, a restatement of the purpose, and should provide closure to the speech. The recency effect is the opposite of the primary effect and suggests that the audience is more likely to remember what the speaker says at the end of the speech rather than the body. The conclusion reinforces what you have talked about in case the audience dazed off during the body of your speech, so the conclusion should be strong. Transitions help the audience know that you are moving from the body to the conclusion and that the last closing sentence means that your speech is over. The primary and recency effect is new to me, so I will use these ideas in my informative speech.

Interactive Videos 9.1-13.1

In the first clip 9.1 I learned that attention getters are really important and should be well thought out, unique, and appealing to the audience. Humor is a good way to get peoples attention, but for some reason in speeches it may come across a little corny. In the second clip 9.2 I got the idea to use a concluding story that goes along with your topic, like how the girl used the tragic story about the accident that happened to someone who was talking on a cell phone and driving at the same time. The third clip 13.1A reminded me to use clear transitions and to clearly separate your 3 main points. The speech in 13.1B gave me the idea to use various visuals so the audience is not bored with the same technique. This speech as well as the last one on 13.1 had good catchy endings, like how one girl said "say cheese" and took a picture of the class. Also, using comparisons help the audience understand your topic.

Interesting Chapter 7

Most of the things in chapter 7 and 8 were refreshments of how to put together a speech. One idea that I didn't think about before was using analogies, metaphors and similes in my speech. If I have ever used these before in any speech that I have done it was accidental. I never think to intentionally uses these types of figurative speaking. However, the text is right; These may help the audience understand a new idea to them by using something familiar and comparing it to something that is unfamiliar. I don't know how I would use this in my speech though about dreams. Even so, it is a good idea for future speeches to come.

Facts and Statistics

I always like to use facts and statistics in my speeches. It is a good way to show the audience how it is currently affecting the world. However, when looking up statistics, it is important to use reliable sources with valid information. Statistics can vary with every experiment, in every survey and can have completely different results depending on location and population. You can use statistics with almost any topic or issue. For example, my teacher in my Prison Community class uses statistics almost every class period because it makes information easier to understand. Just last class, she explained that one in every 32 adults are currently incarcerated, and one in every 8 black men are incarcerated. My professor uses Powerpoint so it is easy to read and comprehend the information. If she gave too many statistics, this would be confusing and the main points will not get across to the students. So its better to state only the most essential points. It is effective to use facts when trying to explain a subject in detail. For example, for my demonstration speech, I used facts when I stated how many calories were in the foods I was using. However, I gave too many facts, so this was a problem too. You just need to manage the uses of facts and statistics throughout your speech for them to be effective.

Interactive Videos 7.1, 7.2, 8.1, and 8.2

These videos refreshed my memory of some helpful tips I learned my freshman year at USF. I always try to start my speeches with a narrative to get the audience’s attention. Personal experience is always best because it is unique and more interesting. I also like to use facts and statistics to show the audience how my topic influences the world. However, the speaker in the video was right when she mentioned that sometimes saying facts and stats may be too overwhelming for the audience, so it may be better to have a powerpoint or poster with these facts, which I will consider using for my next speech.

Something that is hard to notice is media credibility. It is so easy to believe everything you read online, in books, and in newpapers. In the future, I do have to think about how reliable the information really is because I tend to get most of my information from internet sources. A few years ago, I did not know what Wikipedia was, so I used it as a source and my information turned out to be incorrect.

I had never thought about how I am going to organize my speech, I guess it just happens as I go. However, now I know of the different types of organizational patterns that there are. I noticed that the speaker in the video mentioned the cause and effect pattern could be used for informational speeches. And I always thought transitions were sort of repetitive, but now I can see how they help the audience follow your speech better instead of bouncing from topic to topic.

Self-evaluation

The purpose of my speech was not only to teach the audience how to make a healthy smoothie, but to be aware of what they eat and why they should choose healthier foods. I think I achieved my purpose because the recipe I used was simple and easy to remember, and I went into detail about the nutritional breakdown of the foods I was using. I made it clear that drinking fat free milk is healthier than drinking whole milk and that frozen fruits are healthier than using icecream. Although I was not one hundred percent confident while presenting my speech, I feel I gave more than enough information to achieve the purpose of my speech. I was the second to last person to present and I think this worked to my advantage. I was able to observe other speeches, chat with a couple classmates during the break, and felt a lot more comfortable with my environment by the time it was my turn to present.

I did not pay attention to the time cards and accidentally went over the time limit by more than 3 minutes. I believe this was due to a combination of a few things. When I rehearsed my speech, I spoke very fast and did not literally practice my demonstration of making the smoothie. I just quickly verbally went through the steps of the recipe. When presenting, my nerves choked my speed and I spoke very slowly. If I had to do it over again, I would practice my speech exactly how I am going to present it to the class, including practicing my demonstration, and speak much faster.

The content of my speech was too detailed for such a simple demonstration. I focused too much on my main point about nutritional facts rather than my actual demonstration. After watching my video, I noticed that I did not keep eye contact with the audience, constantly looked at my notecards, and talked with an unenthusiastic tone. I was looking at my notecards so much in the beginning of my speech to remind me of the details regarding nutritional value that I didn’t even try to keep eye contact with the audience. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would probably rate my eye contact a 4. I was afraid of getting so nervous by looking at the class that I would go blank and forget everything that I needed to say. I will definitely try to know my information 100% so that my delivery will be better. By knowing it instead of memorizing it, perhaps I will be more confident, speak faster, and not need to look down at my notecards before each sentence.

On a brighter note, I did manage to give credit to all four of the sources I used. Based on what I noticed from the video tape, you could tell that my topic was well-researched with valid information, and that I was really trying to tell the audience to make healthier substitutions to what they consume for the sake of their life and body. I had a good introduction and personal experience to get the audience’s attention, I had good examples of nutritious substitutes, I spoke loud and clear, my topic related to the audience, I used good transitions, and overall my speech was organized. However, my delivery and time management could have been much better. On a letter grade scale, I would give myself a B-. Out of all the elements we were graded on (Intro, Organization, Content, Conclusion, Delivery, and Time), I did good on the majority of them. I will take the constructive criticism from the audience and my professor and make my next speech stronger in delivery and time management.