Chapter 6 Reading

I found chapter 6 to be very informative in helping to prepare and organize information gathered for a research topic. I find that when doing a research project the hardest part is just coming up with the topic. Once I take the time to figure out what direction I want to go in, it can be a little overwhelming to start looking for the right information. The chapter talks about the three stages of research, with the first on being preparing for the search. This is where I get stuck sometimes, just trying to find my way and getting started. After I narrow down my topic the next step is gathering the information. This can also be very overwhelming and daunting. There is so much information out there and so easily accessible, you would think that would be a good thing, but sometimes makes it harder to know what is necessary or not. The final step is evaluating all of the information found, this is where the organizing comes into play. It's easy to get a list of sources with the information, but if you don't know how to organize it so that it all flows, it can be very difficult. At this stage is when it is the most important to really narrow down your information and find what exactly is going to be most helpful and get rid of anything that will distract from that. I think that reading this chapter was very helpful in giving the information and showing me how to just focus and organize all that I need for a successful speech and the whole process along the way.

Ch. 6 Speech Buddies

I find the speech buddy videos to be very helpful and informative. This chapter's videos were helpful in talking about preparing for a research speech and learning how to gather all the necessary information. I had a class last semester that I had to do a lot of research for a 10 page paper. I found it to be a bit overwhelming at times just trying to gather and organize the information. Although, the library has a tremendous amount of help and the databases that are available are great. The video was informative in helping prepare for research and how to organize what I find. The speech was great and it was nice that she did more of a conversational speech, which I feel helps hold my attention more. I feel like when people are doing speeches and just reading from a paper it can be distracting and boring at times. I thought the use of visual aids in the speeches were very helpful to see ways to incorporate them into the speech and help fill time. It's nice to have these videos as resources for this class because it helps to see other students and techniques to apply to my speeches.

Research Interviews

I don't really have too much experience doing research interviews. I know that I probably had a couple assignments while I was in high school, but I don't really remember those outcomes and experiences too well. I did take an English class last semester where we had to do an essay and interview two different people on a topic. The topic that I had my paper on was weight lose and exercise, so it didn't seem too difficult to find people to talk to on that subject. It was more of an informal interview so I didn't need to find a "expert" on the topic. The outcome was pretty good, but I know that I'm a bit of a procrastinator so I think next time I'll try to prepare a little better. It would have been more helpful to do the interviews a little sooner than I did and take the time to organize their information a little better. I did get a good grade on the paper, so I guess the advice is to just help me get through it a little easier and less stressful next time.

Relaxing

I touched on this subject a little bit throughout the last post, but I think that the most important part of the reading this week for me was relaxation, visualization, and relabeling. I think that these are very helpful tips for both preparing and presenting a speech. In visualization it talks about seeing what will go right in the speech and being positive. I think anyone that has any anxiety about speeches can relate to thinking the worst. Trying to be positive and seeing the speech in a step-by-step process will hopefully help me to ease my anxiety. Relabeling relates to the visualization in the way that it's rechanneling your anxiety into positives and helping you cope throughout your presentation. This is something that I want to try to focus on because it seems like it will help get me through my speech and stay positive and on track. Finally, there was relaxation. This is something that is so simple, yet so easily forgotten. Simply breathing and calming yourself before and during the speech to help calm your nerves and anxiety. I tend to talk faster when I'm nervous, so taking a moment to think about relaxing will help calm me and keep me focused. While reading these tips, I thought that they would help me to cope with my anxieties. I hope that they are as easily done as it sounds and I am able to remember to just slow down and stay focused.

Speech Buddies

Watching the videos seemed to help me a little bit in coping with my nervousness. Of course it didn't take the feelings away, but it showed me ways to focus more on what's important and getting through the speeches. In the videos 2.1 and 2.2 the strategies that were introduced were very helpful. I think that visualizing yourself getting through the speech while practicing is an interesting concept. When I think of giving speeches I usually think of what's going to go wrong or what I'm going to forget. I think that trying to think of the positives and what I am confident in knowing of the speech will somewhat help. I'm going to try to relabel my fears into positive concepts while trying to practice and present my speech. I feel that may be easier said than done, but it's worth a shot. Another good thing that I learned from the videos is just breathing. It's funny that you wouldn't think of something that easy and natural would help you, but it makes sense. I tend to talk faster when I'm nervous, so I think just concentrating on my breathing will help with that. In Jessica's video I thought that she did a good job on her speech and made it very warm and inviting. Her eye contact with the audience seemed to draw them into her speech more. I found these videos to be pretty helpful and hopefully will be able to apply them to my speeches.

Public Speaking Apprehension

Public speaking makes me very apprehensive!! Just the thought of having to organize a speech and then stand up in front of the class to present it, makes me nervous!! I have no problem talking to people in one on one settings or a few people, etc. But talking to a group of people somehow makes it more intimidating. I believe that I have a little bit of speech anxiety- which is the fear of speaking in front of an audience. Before, during, and after a speech, speakers experience a wide range of sensations and behaviors that spring from the internal cause of nervousness. This pretty much sums me up! I get nervous just preparing and then sitting waiting for my turn and then when it's my turn I feel anxious and feeling like I'm going to totally forget everything that I prepared. When the presentation is over I feel a sense of relief, but tend to analyze what I did and think I could have done better. I know that these feelings are very natural since so many people experience them; I just wish they didn't happen to me! I hope that by taking this class I can learn to help cope with these feelings and focus them on the speeches and have more confidence. In the book it talks about habituation- which is fearing a situation less as it becomes more familiar, or habit-like. I'm hoping that this will happen for me. I want public speaking to be more of a habit than a fear!

Welcome

Hello there,
I am a part-time hairstylist and a full-time mom!! I am married and we have a hilariously entertaining little girl who is almost 2 and we are expecting a little boy at the end of next month. So needless to say, my schedule is a little crazy and about to get even more hectic!! I really enjoy any down time that I may get to myself, but unfortunately, that doesn't happen as often as I'd like!

I have been a hairstylist for almost the last 8 years and have been attending Sierra College off and on for about the last 10 years. Up until the last year I feel like I've been lacking direction in school and I think that's why its taken me so long, but I have decided that I want to pursue my nursing degree so that's what I'm working towards now. I am enrolled in this communications class because its one of my requirements and I'm not too found of public speaking, but it seems like it's going to be a good fit so I look forward to what's to come!