Aslyn+Y.

Book Talk speech! 01-16-10

In this speech, I had to use three resources and try to persuade someone to read my book, which ones __The Gates of Sleep.__ I talked about my book, and i thought that people were interested. When I watched my tape, I thought someone else’s tape was put onto mine. I didn’t look like me; I was stiff and kept shifting my weight, not a good sign. But as soon as I started speaking, I saw myself again. I stopped shifting from side to side and I looked confident. I feel that my volume was a little soft in some places but otherwise acceptable. I had an easy time talking about my book because that’s what I do best. I love reading so I enjoyed this speech a little more than other speeches. I feel that I had an easier time with this speech. Some of the aspects of my speech were good. I spoke with good volume, and I appeared like I knew what I was talking about. I enjoyed talking about my book and I liked watching myself talk without feeling like an idiot. However, I think that I should have practiced more. After I spoke, I realized that I had forgotten to say a quote from the book, but I pulled it off, and I don’t think anybody noticed. I also felt that I should not have gone first because it always helps me to do last minute practicing before any presentation, quiz or test. Despite all that, I feel that I deserve an A-. I did take the underdog side; most of the reviewers gave negative reviews. I also made my speech sound fluid and smooth. However, I wish that sometimes I could see the tape of where you hear the person talking but you can see the audience’s reactions. That way, I could know whether they were interested, if not, I could figure out how to make them interested. It would also show whether or not someone is actually listening to you.

OI #8 12-17-09 In this impromptu speech, we were given only three minutes to prepare for this speech. We were given a very small note card and a philosophical question as our topic. My topic asked me what the best piece of advice I have ever gotten was. I said my dad’s advice to Kill "Them" with Kindness was the best piece of advice I have been given.

I did many things well in my presentation too. Fr example, my poise wasn’t stiff, it was loose and I felt a little more relaxed. My volume was just right in all the places and I spoke clearly and enunciated every word. Even when I mispronounced a word I corrected it and shook it off. Some of my speech came naturally and the words flowed smoothly out. All my thoughts were organized and convinced the audience that my topic was the one speech to listen to. When I was telling my story, I had a funny face expression which I think was supposed to be my story-telling face.

In my speech, I noticed that I said words like, “like,” “and,” “I guess,” “um,” and “I think,” a lot more than necessary. I also had a lot of pauses in odd places, for example when I said, “He called me a … bad name?” I also had a lot of side comments that were muttered and I think the audience would have had a very tough time hearing what I was saying. For example, right after I said the above quote, I muttered, “I don’t know how to say it any other way without saying an inappropriate word.” If I were to have more time, I would have come up with three different topics to talk about, instead of three topics all revolving around the same story. It seemed boring to listen to me a little too, because I was redundant and kept saying, “It really worked for me. It still works for me today.”

From this speech I took away the skill of thinking on my feet, which I have never been very good at. I think this greatly improved that skill. I was also very happy that I stayed within the time limit. Therefore, I feel that I deserve an A for this speech considering the little time we had to prepare, the meaningful message I left behind, and my delivering went exactly the way I wanted it to.

OI #7 12-06-09 In this speech, I was supposed to talk about what makes me, me. I chose three topics, all of which made up me. They were music, religion, and a passion for reading. These topics helped define me.

During my speech, I feel that I did many things right. For example, my memorization continues to improve. I didn’t have to refer to my note card as much as I did in the previous performance. I also think my enunciation was the best I have ever done. I am sure that the audience understood every word that I said.

After watching my performance, the first thing I noticed about my presentation was that I was constantly shifting my weight was the first thing I noticed about my speech. This must have been distracting for the audience. Also, when I was trying to be funny, I think my volume should have been different. For example, when I said, “’I don’t want to be Chinese,” I should have raised my volume, not softened it. It should have been louder than the way I was speaking. Instead, I went softer, so that it was just audible. Other than this blunder, I feel that my volume was otherwise acceptable. I also feel that I should have spoken a little faster, because I spoke too slowly so I went a full minute overtime. This resulted in loss of points.

The best part of my presentation was that my topics; religion, passion for reading, and music, respectively, were unique. Most of my classmates talked about their ethnicity and different aspects within that umbrella. I talked about three topics that each played an important part in my life. This made my presentation interesting and I felt that more people were listening to me than previous presentations. These topics didn’t include my ethnicity, which was a nice change.

I also learned that in order to be completely prepared, you must test each aspect of your technology. In this case, I didn’t test my video-clip on the computer I was using. The result was me not knowing that the volume of the speakers weren’t loud enough. So when I began to play my video clip, there was no sound, so I had to replay it which resulted in an extra 25 seconds that I could have avoided. This was also very embarrassing, and I had to regain my confidence quickly, something I have trouble with. Also, after watching my presentation, I was surprised that I had spoken slower than the way that I practiced. I should have I practiced even faster so I could nail the time limit. I also could have used more time to prepare; I should have finalized my PowerPoint and outline three days in advance. Instead, I had finalized it the night before my presentation and I wasn’t prepared well enough.  I feel that I deserve a B+ or higher for this presentation. Although I am not as confident as I was in the previous oral, I have high hopes for the future and am sure that I will do better the next time. I will improve my volume, make sure I meet my time limit, and practice more.

OI #6 11-11-09 For this oral presentation, we were required to find an inspirational text, and tell about how it would have, or has affected our lives. I chose to write about an inspirational book, titled __Embraced By the Light__, by Betty J. Eadie. It is based on her personal experience of dying and coming back to life. I described how this book has comforted me dealing with my Granny’s death which was a traumatic experience for me. On the positive side, I enunciated my words clearly and spoke with the right volume. I made sure that my mouth stayed near the microphone and that I didn’t turn my head away from the microphone while I was speaking. I took my time pronouncing certain words like “literally” and “as much help as possible.” I also paid special attention to improving my facial expressions. I felt good about not sounding rehearsed and pretended I was having a conversation with someone rather than lecturing someone. I was also advised earlier, to practice more, so I prepared better for this by rehearsing over and over. I was also pleased that the audience responded the way I wanted them to during certain parts of my presentation. For example, when I said, “Benjamin Franklin said ‘only two things are certain, death and taxes.’ But since I’m only 14 and don’t pay taxes, my topic today revolves around death,” the audience laughed right on cue. Although it might be a small accomplishment, it was rewarding because I tried hard to sound humorous. This presentation was also rewarding because it didn’t feel like just ‘work.’ It was nice to think that something good and inspirational might come from it for those who were listening. I feel that I met the expectations and I thought that I did A-quality work. I knew what I wanted to say, and I said it just the way I wanted to say it. I also learned a few lessons. I lost my place twice because some people in the back were tossing a ball of paper back and forth, and I got distracted. There was another time when someone on my left side of the room was making a motion so I looked in that direction and lost my train of thought. I had to quickly figure out where I was in the presentation and continue on, which is something I am not very good at. I also found it distracting when I heard people laughing and saw people whispering. I wondered if they were laughing at me, and I got a little nervous. I learned that there will always be distractions in the audience and I need to tune it out. I was well prepared so I should have been more confident in my work and not so nervous when people were talking or laughing. On a side note, it also made me understand why teachers hate it when the class is not paying attention.

OI #5 11-01-09 For my OI #5, the assignment was to do a process analysis speech in which I had to use my hands to show each step. I decided to talk about falling asleep. I did many things well. My sentences flowed, transitioning from one sentence to the next, and I explained each step clearly. I memorized my script, and even when I did forget, I was able to improvise until I remembered what I was supposed to say. I enunciated every word. I made a special effort to pronounce my p’s, t’s, d’s, z’s and s’s. However, my hand motions were too subtle. They were too small and should have been bigger and more exaggerated. I need to decide when the best times are to make the motion. When I asked a question, I should have shrugged, but instead, I didn’t make any motion at all. For example, when I introduced the acronym that helped me remember the five steps, I put up a finger for each letter, but it might have gone unnoticed because my hand was down at my side. I should have held my hand up to clearly emphasize each letter of the acronym. I realize that when I was not using my hands, they should be relaxed, hanging at my sides, not clasped together in front or in back of me. I also think that my volume was not as loud as it should have been, especially in areas needing emphasis. “What is a teenager’s favorite pastime? What else? Sleeping of course!” I liked this line because it was comical, and the rest of the class laughed because they could relate to the statement. I think that I deserve an A- for my performance. My memorization improved from my last OI and my fluency and body posture were both exceptional. Although my hand motions could have been improved, I am pleased with my performance on this OI.

OI #4 10/23/09 I think that my overall performance was pretty good. I knew my message and my manuscript well and i feel that I was able to convey that very well.

My introduction went well and I knew my manuscript. I think that I had more facial expressions than last time. I also did voice changes to indicate a different person speaking. I felt confident and when I messed up, I knew how to cover for it.

However, I also felt like there was a lot of room for self-improvement. My facial expressions, even though I changed them, they were subtle, and with my hair in my face, it didn't show as well. Next time, i should exaggerate my expressions a little more, especially if my hair is down. Perhaps I could have been a little louder, it was hard to hear me sometimes; I seemed to fade out, my voice would become lost.

At the very beginning, I liked how I said, "Tis' a lesson you should heed, try try again. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again." I liked the dramatic pauses that I performed, exceptionally how i just blared out the very first part, I thought that it grasped many of my audience's attentions.

I did not feel any different than my OI #3. I also felt like a criminal. I dislike having to analyze books, because they have so many rich, hidden, meanings and themes. Whenever I am forced to analyze a book, I feel like I am vandalizing it, but I also feel like I am plagiarizing the author when I quote the book.

I did not learn anything about my self except that I dislike reading a very good book and then having to spoil it by reading a passage from the book. I think that I should work on just being loud, memorizing my script better, and exaggerate my facial expressions next time, if i have to. It doesn't matter if I feel my face contort or expand, on tape, it barely looks like anything at all. I also learned that i dislike being first or last to perform more than I thought I did.

I think I deserve at least a 54/60 for my performance. I knew my script well and my performance was definitely better than the last time.

OI#3 10/18 I felt that my performance was pretty good. I looked up and made good eye-contact. I even memorized My introduction better than last time. I think my poise was a lot less stiff and I found that I wasn't as nervous as i was last time. Normally, when I am really scared, I know that I did not prepared well enough.

But I will also say that again, my face expression was not good. I looked too serious, especially places i should not have been. I really didn't like my face expression. It looks blank and it never changes. I don't know why my face does that. I think that maybe I'm too restrained.

I liked my poem because I felt connected with it. I could definitely relate and enjoy my poem. i liked this OI because it was a lot easier.

I learned that connecting with your selection really helps. You know your poem better. I also didn't feel any more comfortable than last time in terms of having a camera recording you the whole time. I also realized that I need to look at both sides of the room. I think I also overcame the fear of screwing up, as well as when I momentarily forgot my lines, I overcame that obstacle. I am proud to say that i think that i did better on this and deserve an A- for my presentation.

9/23 OI#2 I feel that my presentation was overall a pretty good performance. My eye contact, my volume, and my poise did improve from the first performance. This time, performing in front of the class was easier than the first. As I watched my performance, I saw little fidgeting. I felt that that was a good sign because I fidget a lot when I am public speaking. I had good poise because I didn’t slouch, but I didn’t look stiff. Before, when I am under camera lenses, I notice that I look really stiff. My volume was louder or quieter in the right places, and my quiet voice was still loud enough to reach the back of the room. In addition to the right volume, I feel that my articulation improved too. I think I spoke a little too fast on the first performance, which caused me to just make the time-limit. I also frequently made eye contact, more than I did on my first performance. However, although my eye contact was more frequent, I think my glances were too brief. I think I should have memorized my introduction even more than I did. I should memorize it so well, that I only have to look at my script once or twice before my poem. I also think that my facial expression was poor in some places. I looked bored and expressionless. I think I needed more energy in those places. But I feel that my other expressions really showed how I felt when I said those words. Although I had a good presentation, I did not like the limitations. I feel that we should have had a wider range of choices. When we are limited to two sites, it makes it hard to choose a poem that we actually like. I only chose this poem because it was the longest poem that fit the requirements with my introduction and I could only just relate to it. I wish we were allowed to find our own poem; I could have done a better job than I did if I had a better poem. I don’t think that performing this proved anything. I improved my public speaking skills, I didn’t fidget, but I don’t feel any different. I didn’t really enjoy it, so I don’t really think it had a positive impact on me. I just need to work on my memorization. I think I would be better off to memorize my introduction completely, I could be more comfortable. I must say that I did not encounter any other obstacles than those that I always encounter. The butterflies in my stomach, the dislike of the camera filming me, and the usual problems of public speaking; other than that, I did not have any other problems with the deliverance. I think that I deserve an A- because my speech was well delivered, the poem was interesting, and I met all the requirements I think. As I said, my poise, my volume, and all other aspects of the OI were all well done. Only two parts could have been better, and that’s an improvement from the first OI.