Cassandra Chery - Blog 1


The Art Of Public speaking


Blog created by Cassandra Chery


Upon Initially taking this course, SPC2608, my knowledge on public speaking was very surface level. I have done a few public speeches throughout my academic career  trough the typical Canva or PowerPoint slides, add a few information and design effects stand up in front of  a class then called it a day. To me, that's all there really was to public speaking. However,  this class, SPC2608 taught by Professor Sherri Sinkoff  has taught me other wise. From the evolution of public speaking to the importance of adapting to your audiences customs, from the time that I have spent in my public speaking class, my knowledge just keeps on expanding and I am learning something new everyday. In this blog you are about to read, I am going to list and summarize some of the most key factors that I have learned so far in this class based on a few group presentations which we have covered in class as well as some of my personal experiences which some what relate to the topics.

        First Presentation - The Introduction to Public Speaking

Presented by group one, the first presentation gave us insight on what Public speaking even means. After collecting various credible information from the Cengage; Public Speaking - The Evolving Art book, the presenters from group 1 collectively worked together to educate the audience on various topics such as the art of public speaking and the importance of having confidence, Listening and adapting to your Audience. 

Let me break it down for you!

First of all, what is public speaking and why is it even considered an "Evolving Art"? Public speaking is defined as a craft centered on effectively connecting with the audience. Now, how and why is this craft considered an evolving art, you may ask? Public speaking is consistently advancing with time and we see this now more than ever. "For instance, you will use the internet to help you research and organize your speeches. You may conduct an online audience survey or use presentation software to add visual elements to your presentations. Distance speaking—where videoconferencing software brings speakers and audiences together across time and space—has become a common form of human communication, including speechmaking." (quoted from chapter 1). From the words of one of our presenters, "speaking is both an art and a skill, and it's considered an art because it involves a lot of creativity and expression, and we use personal style a lot."





        Second Presentation - A successful presentation

Presented by Group 2, the second presentation was all about guiding you to creating a successful presentation. Chronologically, group two spoke on topics such as developing your purpose, researching, supporting your ideas and organizing and outlining your speech. It is very easy to assume that a speech or presentation is very simple but from this presentation I learned that there are so many factors that work together to creating a successful speech. The first presenter went over Developing your topic and purpose. People present for many reasons, main ones include to persuade, to inform and to honor or celebrate someone, soon in this blog I will give an example of a speech which I personally enjoy and believe is a great example of what it means to "develop your topic and purpose". Secondly, You would not choose to do a presentation on a topic which you have done absolutely no research on, right? two presenters from this group further elaborated on the significance of doing research for your speech. Preparation for your speeches are key and there are many resources that will help you prepare, such as the library, the internet and even socializing with people that are likely well versed on the topic. and finally, back up, organize and outline your speech. All really important factors to creating a successful speech. In summary, a great speech starts with a clear purpose and solid research. When you organize these ideas into a logical outline, you move from just having a topic to delivering a clear, impactful message.

"The Walkable City" by Jeff Speck:

One thing I unironically enjoy doing is watching TEDX talks, one of my favorites being "The walkable city" by Jeff Speck and I enjoy his speech so much because he deep dives into a topic that I am so deeply passionate about. On the contrary, if someone were to have a passion completely perpendicular to environmental design and the study of human behavior, more specifically when simply walking, they may have a completely different view on this presentation than I do. This elaborates a little bit on Group 1's topic of the importance of connecting to your audience 


        Third and Fourth Presentation - The Evolving Aspect and The Different Types of Presentations

Repeatedly throughout this blog there has been a constant mention of the Art part of public speaking, now, let's really take the time to go into that part of public speaking. "Public speaking is an art because it requires a speaker to creatively manage the interaction between themselves, the audience, and the message in a way that is unique every time." (quoted from chapter 1). Group three and four discussed how public speaking is consistently changing and the many different types of presentations that are out there. 

This image of Dr. Martin Luther King was taken when one of the most historically significant moments happened in the United States of America's history. Dr. King's speech touched the mind and hearts of millions of Americans which created huge opportunities for minorities across the United States. His speech and presentation skills is remarkable and whenever I am reminded of the the art of public speaking, I think of him and all of his impact.

Overall, the presentations were amazing and every presenter's insight gave me a perspective that I strongly believe that I will carry on for a very long time, especially given my major. 

I would also like to point out that as a project leader, working with all the students was incredible because every day I would get a new perspective on something new. In addition, working with my partner Haili has also been great because it feels like we consistently have each other's back and our support for each other is incredibly strong partially thanks to this class.

Thank you for reading!












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