Study your Text

Chapter 2: Ethics Matters: Understanding the Ethics of Public Speaking

This chapter is very extensive. Please read the Introduction to the chapter, 2.1 the Ethics Pyramid, 2.2 read at least the gray box with the National Communication Association Credo for Ethical Communication (You are welcome to read it all, but not required.) and 2.3 Free Speech

Chapter 3: Speaking Confidently

Quiz

There is one quiz for each web lesson. Each quiz has 10 questions and is worth 10 points. Some of the quizzes will cover one chapter others will cover 2.

You will only be able to log into take the quiz up to three times. If you take the quiz the first time and would like to take it again to get a higher score you will be allowed to log in and take it again. There is no risk to taking it a second time. If you get 8 the first time, which would be considered a B, and you want to try for an A. I will give you the highest grade out of the 2 attempts. So if you get 6 the second time your grade will not go down. There is a half an hour time limit. I would suggest that you don't take too long because you may loose internet connection or get distracted by life. And you must take the quiz before the deadline. After that the quiz will be closed and will be no longer accessible. Click the link below to take the quiz.

Stand Up Quiz 2

Virtual Field Trips

This week you will explore websites that relate to the topics from Chapter 2 and 3 in your text.

Here is a link on chapter 2 with some tips on how to be an ethical speaker.
Ethics in Public Speaking

Click on the link below and read the article on speaker anxiety.
How to Conquer Public Speaking Fear

And here is a link for those of you who believe you have a debilitating fear of public speaking.
Home Remedies for Anxiety

Online Group Discussion

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Is this how you feel when you think about public speaking?
Post five of your fears about public speaking to the Class Message List. Click on the link below to get to the class message center. On that page, you will find a link to send messages to the whole class.

Respond to at least one of the fears, of at least 5 students in this class. Give suggestions that you have learned about managing fear from studying your text, going on virtual field trips, the homework assignment and/or your life experience. You may be wondering how to read the fears of your classmates. If you click on the Message Center link below you will arrive at the Message Center page. At the top of the page, there are links for sending messages to the whole class, to the red group, purple group and so on. If you keep scrolling down the page, you will find links for receiving messages from Monnet, the whole class, from the green group, yellow group, and so on. You will use "send message to the whole class" for this group discussion. And you will go to "receive messages from the whole class" to read the messages from your classmates.

Some Web Lessons will include a group discussion that goes out to the whole class like this one, but most group discussion assignments will guide you to interact with the members in your small group. You will be assigned/choose a small group when we meet on the first day of class.

Discussion 2

Homework Assignment

Each week you will turn in an assignment to your instructor. Here is this week's assignment. Click on the link below for the Homework questions.

Dealing with the fear of public speaking

Winston Churchill was once asked, "Doesn't it thrill you to know that every time you make a speech, the hall is packed to overflowing?"

He replied. "It's quite flattering, but whenever I feel that way, I always remember that if instead of making a political speech I was being hanged, the crowd would be twice as big."

Many famous people have shared their feelings about public speaking.

Cicero 2,000 years ago "All public speaking of any merit is characterized by nervousness."

Johnny Carson "Every time I walk out on stage I get nervous."

Carol Burnette "The idea of making a speech does more than make me nervous. It terrifies me".

What you need to know about the fear of speaking in public is that the fear of public speaking is normal.

In order to reduce your anxiety of speaking in public, use the following guidelines.

1. Know your topic well. Research your; topic and practice talking about your content in your daily conversations.
2. Practice your speech aloud. It is not enough to read through your notes silently, you must read them out loud and understand the material.
3. Use relaxation and redirection techniques to reduce the tension caused by the physiological effects of fear.
4. Relax by taking in a deep breath and releasing it slowly. Stretching, yoga and meditation are effective relaxation techniques.
5. Redirect your energy to turn your fear into power. For example, increased heart rate can be used to project your voice and create dynamism.
6. Replace negative thoughts with positive ones.
"I'm going to forget my speech", can be replaced with. "I know the material well and have practiced it out loud several times."

There are many more resources and suggestions for dealing with your fear of public speaking. Click on the link below. It lists 4 steps
1. Getting Ready
2. Day of the Presentation
3. The Presentation
4. Additional Considerations
Each step offers many ideas that will ease your anxiety.

Thirty Ways to Manage Speaking Anxiety

Homework 2