My Demonstration Speech: How-To Conduct an Orchestra for a Symphony

One form of informative speaking includes the demonstration and/or a How-To speech. These are process explanations, which, if involving cookies that we eat at the end, can be darn good rhetoric people! Bakers, you know who you are! However, many complex processes just can't be explained if a few steps as part of a 6 minute info speech, in a broken-down -trailer.... OH, sorry, I mean a fine community college portable with a dusty overhead projector and no screen.(!) FOR THIS BLOG: Consider here, and reveal, what would a really bad demonstration be about?  Why would it be unrealistic or rediculous to try and demonstrate this? Finally suggest one dangerous and impractical visual aid for this speech that should never be made! Keep it PG and show me some audience analysis with your amusing response! (I am not kidding about the cookies people)

Swift Recoveries and Funny Spoofs

Quick, watch this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRvzl0zOsO8&feature=player_embedded


couldn't resist--it seems interruptions are everywhere! REP senator Wilson interrupted Pres Obama, shouting "you lie" during the health care reform speech, then Kanye threw down during Taylor's acceptance speech...is heckling the new applause? Has the world gone mad? Speechmakers everywhere must unite and support eack other, how does one survive interuptions? Let's prepare JUST IN CASE --what happens if/when  Kanye or Senator Wilson interrupts you right after your thrilling attention getter people??? It could happen! (More likely: Paul's cell phone rings in class) Will you lose your place...get thrown off, be horribly embarassed??? Will you curse, cry, maybe even rise above the event to come out shining even brighter than before...maybe Beyonce buys you Starbucks or gives you a cow on Farmville....

GET TO THE POINT SANDRA! This week tell me here, what did you think of these two recent moments from a public speaking perspective? I am NOT asking your opinion of the people OR even their specific behavior and words, I am asking you to comment on the rhetorical situation: The way the speaker handled it and how a good speaker might be prepared for such a thing...is it effective to address the heckler or just ignore them and move on? What do you notice in on-line clips of either speech as far as reactions to these interuptions? How do they make the audience feel? Are there social rules and expectations surrounding these types of unscripted, awkward moments? Can you think of another recent example? Finally, what would you do if you were interupted by either Kanye or Carolina Senator Wilson in our classroom at CRC during your big moment???

Credibility: Street Creds

Hey gang--Don't forget, next week we make the group speeches--bring popcorn and snacks, it will be a fun class--maybe we'll hit coffee garden afterwards? We'll see what time we finish--Excellent meeting on 9/9!--You all worked really hard! NOTE: I repaired the problem on our blog with anonymous posting, so you can post away without dealing with any hassles by using the anonymous bubble--Just be sure and type your name along with comments! So, credibility is important for a successful speech. Visit my You Tube masterpiece "The Making of Sandrah's Thesis" at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F16X_AoVd9I   (haha) I made this short film with a crew at Sac State as part of my thesis. According to this silly "Making of..." mockumentary, what might I be credible to speak to you about? In 5 or 6 sentences, identify a line or scene  and connect it to my credibility:

Here's an example: Don't steal it! ...in one scene you didn't have any cash and couldn't buy parking, so you would be credible to speak about student parking issues here in Sacramento.

Read all previous posts and don't repeat what someone else has said or it won't count,  and you may be playful and light-hearted in your examples, as long as you make a connection between what you see and the idea of speaker credibility, or "ethos." See you next week!

Now that I have your attention......

Atention getters: A great place for us to start talking about good speeches. Think of a speech or speaker you either admire or can't stand! How do they hold the attention of their audience? Do they do it well? Why? Typically, unusual visual or video samples, startling statistics, moving quotes and even PC jokes can be used effectively. Combine them for even more "wow"power! It is most important to begin and end memorably, but peppering the speech throughout with these clever devices is even better! Be sure they suit the theme and tone of your speech overall! Feel free to share a link in your response so we can see what you are talking about!