Informative Speech

Well done today! The informative speeches were very good this morning. I appreciate the effort and time devoted to creating some interesting speeches. Strong audience adaptation, strong application to visual aid techniques and some wonderful delivery was illustrated in these speeches. I am looking forward to the rest of the semester. I want you to post your self critique in this blog post. Please include three strengths and three improvements that either you heard in class or you recognized from you performance. Remember you are practicing positive criticism in this class. So, be positive in your own comments too. Also, stay away from superficial improvements...I want some depth...let's discuss some of the more important criteria for effective speechmaking and communication here. This blog is due next class on Tuesday, March 2 ( those that did not speak today will complete for the following week).

Survivors using Social Media

Social Media Helping Hunt for Survivors

Our discussion this semester needs to include an examination of our society's ever growing reliance on new media and social networking sites. The devastating earthquake that hit Haiti is filled with stories of how people were saved by technology as they texted their way out of the rubble in many cases with their cell phone and facebook or twitter. The first pictures and communication were possible because of mobile technology and social networks including YouTube. The miracles and tradegies being witnessed on television broadcast are due to our technology. Would the outpouring of attention and relief from foreign aid been delayed or not as great if this urgent devastation wasn't as immediate available via these networks?

Recently, we see the power of Twitter in the U.S. Congress in this recent study: Twongress Study

What are the future implications for social networks and mobile technnology? What ways do they currently impact your academic experiences, jobs, future careers and life? Will one be lost or left behind in the future if they aren't on a social network or using mobile technology? Share in this blog your thoughts on the importance of New Media as a means to effective communication.

Welcome Com 240 Spring 2010

Welcome to Communication 240: Business and Government. I am looking forward to a creative and productive semester. I look forward to getting to know each of you and watching you evolve as effective communicators. I really enjoy teaching at TCNJ. I enjoy teaching this class because I teach from a practical perspective, although we will examine some ethical and theoretcial dimensions too. It is so satisfying to help so many of you get prepared for your professional careers. We will be examining communication from a number of different directions all in the context of real life in both business and government settings. A few of the many paths that we will explore include investigating how messages are created from the perspective of the sender to how they are received from the perspective of the receiver. The channels used, the effective of culture in the formation of a message and the networks used. We will understand how to effectively communicate in business and examine how messages travel in a business environment whether you the management or subordinate. Additionally, we will focus on the presentational skills needed to give a talk, train an employee or ace a job interview, just to name a few. We will address the message shared in government and politics by using the issues in today's government. Examining the message and learning that making important decisions is more than the charisma but, analyzing the message. We will observe and apply technology and explore how it creates and changes in the message in new and fascinating ways. And, lastly, we will focus on networking and interviewing that occurs in professional settings. Blogging on our class blog will be an important method of capturing our thoughts. We will be using this blog to communicate in many ways in the class, so it is an important class requirement that you visit this blog a few times during the week to keep abreast of assignments and other important class information.We will be using blogs as a means of recording our learning and studies. Every student is required to blog. You can begin by posting your blogs on our class blog post or as the semester evolves, create your own blog. Whatever the case, it is important that you remember that this is an extension of our academic classroom. You must use appropriate grammar, spelling and ideas in all your posts. Also, trying to rush through an assignment or making a weak effort in posting will be evident for all persons to see. Also, be sure to adhere to copyright issues in all posting. Only your originals work(s) whether words or pictures may be used. Please check out the Com 240 links throughout the semester for helpful places needed while in this course. You should feel free to email me at the address on the syllabus at any time for help, questions, concerns, or possible class absences. We will be using this blog to create discussion and complete written assignments this semester. Please be sure that you create a gmail account so you can post on our blog this semester. Please email me if you have any problems asap.

Use this blog post to introduce yourself to the class. We will use it as a practice post. I am looking forward to a pleasurable and productive semester! Share with us similiar information from class and be sure to include how you hope this course will help you further your career or personal goals.

Virtual Portfolio

Well done! Please self critique your blog presentation based on the feedback received from class. What kinds of things were communicately correctly? Effectively? What kinds of improvements need to be made? What would you do differently? What kinds of things do you plan on adding in the future?

The Elevator Speeches are over!

Bravo! You knocked these speeches right out of the ballpark this morning. I was impressed with the strong effort that went into the thought, practice and application. It was quite was evident the time that was devoted to preparing these speeches. Great job! Use this blog post to leave a self critique comment on your performance this morning. Do you think back and wished that you had done something differently? What are you proud about looking back? What did you learn about this important skill? Or about communication skills? Share your thoughts on this assignment. What was so nerve wracking about getting up? What are your thoughts on using impromptu skills in networks and interviews?

Have a Happy Thanksgiving! Take time to enjoy a rest while working on those virtual portfolios!

Building Your Virtual Portfolio

This blog posting follows up on our portfolio discussion in class. Hopefully, it will help you create and manage your virtual portfolio as I summarize some ideas shared in class.
The design of your blog should be something that communicates your personality in addition to communicating a sense of professionalism. The colors have to be pleasing to the eye and enhance the visibility of all your words. Be sure viewers can easily read your blog and the colors aren’t distracting to the intent of your message. The titles of the blog should express your personality and be easily remembered by the viewer. You want to catch perspective employer with something that illustrates creativity on your part.
Don’t try to over reach with the technical stuff. Blogger offers a lot of gadgets but remember this is about getting your message across to the viewer simply too. Brainstorm the transferable skills that you would like to illustrate. How can you sell yourself to an employer? It's important that you have good examples of what you do and who you are on your blog to back up your transferable skills. Illustrate these skills in both academic endeavors and outside hobbies, volunteer work, part time employment, etc... Be sure to include your resume and cover letter. You should use Google Docs to post large pieces of information. Give us a brief introduction in each blog and then, hyperlink whenever you can. Do not overwhelm the viewer. Create an easily scan able portfolio for the eye, similar to an easily scan able cover letter. Remember, when using Docs, you must upload your work, save it and then publish it. To do this, click on "Share" and then choose "publish/embed." Once the page comes up that shows your published document's link, you can take that link and put it in the "Edit Html" of your post so that it is immediately viewable on your blog (This is best for PowerPoint’s), or take the link and hyperlink it in your post using the hyperlink button on the "Compose" of your post. To make sure that this works, log out of your Google account and go on your blog as a visitor. Then click on the hyperlink and see if your document comes up. For those of you who may want to upload a video, use YouTube and then put the link in the "Edit Html" of your post.
Go to our blog and view some of my past students work for ideas on designing and writing. You shouldn’t hesitate to reach out to me if you need help. We can arrange to work together online or meet to discuss your needs or just brainstorm

Persuasive Presentations - Healthcare Reform

Post your critiques for the persuasive group presentations here. You will post a critique of a student in another group that had the same step in Monroe's Motivated Sequence that you had in your group presentation. Post comments that look at the strength and weaknesses of the argument and try to move past commenting solely on delivery issues. Discuss the reasoning and evidence used in the speech. Be sure to remain positive in your critique directly your comments towards ideas for improvements as well as praising on places that the argument was solid in both reasoning and evidence.