Readers and Preparation

So, two students have actually admitted to reading some of my blog! One, a member of my weekend class, told me on Sunday that I hadn't written about them yet so I wrote something that a member of my MW class also read. My MW student said, "You love your weekend class" and then told me that he'd been bored so he found and read my blog.

I talked about my weekend class this morning. For Speaking Assignment #2, the "main point, research, visual aid" assignment, I noticed an interesting difference between the MW class and the weekend bootcamp. A majority of the MW class used the whiteboard and didn't prepare a visual aid on paper or the computer while only one of my weekend students had relied on the whiteboard. So I asked the students this morning why it was when they had so much more time they didn't take that time to make visual aids.

One young man said that it was because he was counting on the spontaneity of the moment to be able to write a class response to the question on the board. I believed him because he actually used the live audience well. A young woman said that if she was actually giving a full speech she would have gone to the trouble but wanted the experience of the spontaneous use of the whiteboard. Another student admitted that she had a paper due in another class that she'd given her time to and one admitted that having so much time actually cut down on preparation because it became easy to procrastinate. One student also noted that the weekend class had nothing else to do that weekend but take my class so they could focus. Now, that may or may not have been true.

I like this assignment because it's interesting to me to hear their stories about cheating.

Public Speaking Bootcamp

It's lunch on Sunday of the first weekend of my public speaking bootcamp. This is a hard core, hard working class. All of the course is taught on two weekends and students have to be highly self-motivated to survive. Actually, the main concepts of the course are taught on the first weekend and the students have three weeks to write three speeches which they will give on the three days of the second weekend. The course is emotionally and physically exhausting but it's an excellent way of learning the basic skills of public speaking. Students tend to bond closely and the intensity of the class helps write what they are supposed to be learning into their neurons.

Yesterday they did their introductions and their impromptus. One of the most interesting comments about speech anxiety was made by a student who actually had the best delivery. She said that she didn't remember what she said. But she looked so calm -- had good eye contact, a strong natural vocal style, and natural gestures. While the rest of the class had a few problems with their delivery, overall I was very happy with the performances. Almost every person got the concept of a clear thesis statement (core outcome of the first assignment) and they all passed the impromptu. They are an energetic bunch. It's students like these who make this course manageable for me. They give back a lot and that keeps me upright. I was dreading this weekend but it's turned out to be a lot of fun.

FACT CHECKING

Well, turned out they BOTH lied last night. See Calvin Woodward of Associated Press here

The home of fact-checking is here at FactCheck.org

For other interesting reading about the debate, there's wonderful live blog by Rick Klein of ABC. I love his comment: "9:23 pm CT: Maverick, maverick. Maverick. Maverick maverick maverick."

Well, there's so much out there for political junkies. For a quick overview go to USNews and World Report.

As for me, if I were still a graduate student in speech communication (and I gave a rodent's derriere) I'd do a close analysis myself but frankly, I got bored after about 45 minutes with the stump speaking and standardized responses.

Watching the VP Debate

Gwen Ifill of Washington Week is a terrific moderator -- calm, intelligent, and not pompous like some.

Watching the debate --

I am already being driven CRAZY! First question goes utterly unanswered by Joe Biden who runs off into an attack on Bush and a standard issue blah blah blah about Obama. Then Sarah natters on about John McCain. Neither answer the moderator's question about "Was this the best or worst of Washington."

So far, they both sound like people prepped to spout their stump drivel.

Yes...the moderator noticed and SAID that neither of them answered the question "What would you do as vice president."

Ah. The republican is calling for "strict oversight" of Wall Street. Hmmmm.

But they do both look good in their black suits.

They are both using the standard advertising technique of repeating the name of the front of the ticket...though for some reason Biden is repeating John McCain's name a lot.

Ah. Biden smiles at Sarah's claim about voting for biggest tax bump. Big Joe smile. Then he seems to remember that he's not supposed to smile.

The point about McCain supporting deregulation that is made by Joe is a good one.

Moderator says, "Why is this not class warfare?" taxing over $250 thousand. Joe says it's fairness. The wealthy should pay more.

The naming of things. I do like Joe Biden's discussion of the label given to taxing corporations more: he says fairness, Sarah says "redistribution of wealth."

Biden cheap shot -- "Ultimate bridge to nowhere" put an annoying twist on a thoughtful attack on McCain's $5000 for healthcare idea.

What did Sarah do with the oil companies? This is something I'd want to more about. Ah...Joe says the she supported a windfall profits tax on the oil companies...so he's saying he hopes she can get McCain to support her way of doing things.

OK....once again, she's not responding to the question about McCain's position on banking...now she's going off into energy. She's arguing energy independence.

Sarah keeps has reversed causal relationships twice. Main street and wall street switch and a man/climate switch. It's just a speaking thing but still...a bit unusual for a public speaker her age and her level.

Joe loves the data about McCain voting 20 times against funding alternative forms of energy.

She says she is tolerant. Hmmm. Palin is saying she agrees that there should be no civil rights distinction for gay couples. Though she hedges a bit. And neither Biden nor Palin believes in gay marriage.

"Your plan was a white flag of surrender." Big attack by Palin. She emphasizes that we must win. Victory within sight. Now Biden is saying that he gave the warning. John McCain "has been dead wrong on the fundamental issues."

Palin sounding much more intelligent than expected after her bad Katie Couric interview. Hmmm. Palin calls for a two-state system. Biden doesn't support a two-state issue.

Sarah is being very good about showing respect to Joe.

They are wacking each other pretty well. I think Joe is winning in the use of data and facts and Sarah is winning in the presentation of self as ordinary American tough in the face of Washington chicanery and a nasty world..

Introduction Speeches

The classes seem active and energetic. I listened to all the introduction in the Monday/Wednesday class and most in the Tuesday/Thursday. In the latter class there were some absences so on Thursday we'll also get to listen to reasons for missing and the class will vote on whether or not they buy the reasons.

But why is it so hard for my students to get the concept of "the general purpose." On the prep sheet I've worked and worked to make the response simple but they always want to go beyond "to inform," "to persuade," or "to entertain." Sigh.

It's also interesting that classes sometimes seems to have grouped delivery problems. By that I mean some classes have a preponderance of "um" sayers while others have dancers or manuscript readers. There were more ummers in my MW class and more leg twisters in the TTh.

First Week

Just two classes this week. What a life, huh? Almost as little work as a university professor. One class meets T Th, the other MW, each for one and a quarter hours. Classes around the campus are packed. Hard times are good times for community colleges. I think enrollment is up 20%.

The first week is always interesting because I present myself as, well, something of a goofball. After I take role and cast out the overflow of the wait list, I have them play a game I call "toss." The rules for toss are 1. Toss the object over the head of at least one other student. 2. Don't let the object hit the floor. The four objects are two white, squeaky dog balls, a koosh ball, and a stuffed cat. Usually the students start laughing as the objects fly around the room. Then, after I collect the four things, I tell them, "I have you play this game for a reason. It amuses me." They laugh. "But there's also a good pedagogical reason. I think that the skills and attitudes you need to succeed at Toss are similar to the skills and attitudes you need as a public speaker." And then I have them brainstorm. Oh, you know. Eye contact. Body language. Awareness. Verbal skills.

Classes are always so different from each other, even when the subject matter is the same. My MW class was so quiet. They had some good ideas but not many people seemed willing to share. My T Th class is a bit more talkative. It may be because the MW class is at 8:50 and the TTh class at 12:45.

Not all my goofiness is intentional, sadly enough. In my MW class I got confused about the time on Wednesday and started at 8:45 instead of 8:50. Fortunately one young man called my attention to my error. Thank goodness for students who speak up. And today, in the TTh class as one of the young women students walked out at the end of class she told me I had something white on my cheek. Great! She rubbed it off and I rubbed at it. It was some of my face cream that no one else had bothered to notice. Sigh. Reminded me of the time I spent a half hour lecturing in a movie class and then one student took a break and as she walked past me she turned away from the class and said, "Your fly is unzipped." Such minor embarrassments help me keep my humanity, or so I tell myself.

But, as I look at the interesting mix of students, I have to agree with the VPI (vice president of instruction): "It's going to be the best year ever!"

Starting Soon

So, it's about to start again. I'm entering my twentieth year at COCC and my 25th year as a speech comm. teacher. This quarter I plan to ask my students, AFTER they've received their grades back, if they mind me mentioning them by name in the blog. I also hope to deconstruct at least one commercial every couple of weeks. So far nothing's excited me like the Fritalians or Pepsi Max. But we'll see what comes up. There's so much political crap-trap right now. I find most political ads stultifying and annoying. I've been irritated by political advertising since the famous "daisy ad" which, as a fan of LBJ (when I was in, what, 6th grade?) I believed in that ad.

One of my favorite jokes. An old guy is asked, in 1966, who he voted for in the last election. He says, "People told me that if I voted for Goldwater in 1964 we'd be in a war. So I did and we are." A little historical humor. Just to remind all of us that the future is a mystery.

Or, as Criswell once said in some Ed Wood movie, "The stars do not compel, they only impel."