
Content for Your First Week(s) Online
Take these favorite learning modules/lectures/ideas and modify them into your own LMS system (e.g. copy and paste to Blackboard/Canvas), or use this site as is for immediate online operation. In my mind, each entry below is the equivalent of one "class period" and its associated work.
Here is a list of my 10 favorite Business Communication, Speech for Business, and Public Speaking Units. Includes the "ABCs" of how to adapt for your class/week/assignment.
01
All speech courses should be teaching Motivated Sequence for persuasion. From Public Speaking 101 to Business Communication, it is fundamentally important students know persuasive techniques. Here are some quick instructions how to adapt this (without links currently 3/12) for your Learning Management System.
A) The nugget of theory/information. Place a video on your LMS (borrow from my YouTube) or video link from the web explaining the concept of Attention, Need, Satisfaction, Visualization, Action. This should lead up to your final course presentation of persuasive speaking, a pitch, business client pitch, a debate, or an interview.
B) Have the students (or as a student) look for content that puts theory into practice. Completing this as an analysis narrative is enjoyable to read and write. Might I suggest asking the students where they are seeing Motivated Sequence in the MEDIA as it relates to public service announcements regarding the Coronavirus. Once students complete this, have them either turn it in or post to the bulletin board in your LMS.
C) Discuss how (via online meeting or bulletin board, or even reply-all Emails, how Motivated Sequence is in play all around us and how students diligently and smartly identified it in the media messages during this odd time.
02
Death By PowerPoint
All speech courses should be using media and PowerPoint to present. It is important to show students proper forms of effective presentations using media in order to avoid reading from slides. Here is how to adapt this for your online LMS for this module/week/lecture.
A) Find a "Death by PowerPoint" video you like (without links currently 3/12). Please the video in your LMS and ask students to respond with 5 things they like and 5 things they disagree with based on their own knowledge. May be done using discussion board, chat function, Email.
B) Ask students to find 3 videos they like and 3 videos they dislike of speakers using medi.
C) Ask the students to turn in their analysis with links a the end of this module.
D) Follow up should be with a video by the instructor with overall successful ways students should be making their next big presentation (TBD pending if courses are still online).
03
Ethos/Pathos/Logos
Regardless if you are in Public Speaking, Business Communication, or other communication courses you will be discussing ethics, credibility, and logic. Here's how you can modify this module to fit your newly converted online space.
A) Find content explaining the theory and definitions of logos, pathos, ethos. For this I suggest a longer essay or some online blogs/papers/tutorials. Possibly even upload a video, or use mine from YouTube.
B) Ask the students to analyze the talking heads and media around them as it relates to Coronavirus and/or sports, public relations, and service announcements. Analyze the president's speech. Once this is done, identify aspects that contributed to the logos, pathos, ethos.
C) Upload a link and/or description of the media analyzed and then offer the analysis via chatboard, essay, questions, prompts, or in another way to decipher truth and credibility.
D) Follow-up with a discussion or posting a closing video about the summation of the assignment.
E) BONUS Assignment. If it is time for a SPEECH/PRESENTATION use this (plus Motivated Sequence) to ask students to make their own Public Service Announcement video. It must not be about Cornoavirus and it must be in good taste. It should be :30 second to 1:00 minute in length and should be posted to the LMS page. Students will comment and critique (possible follow-up assignment here).
04
Informative Speaking and the Tutorial Video
It may be time to have a speech/presentation in your class. You can do this a bunch of ways. 1) You could split the class into groups and host a series of static Zoom meeting presentations, but this could be difficult depending on where everyone is and what type of environment has been created because of the whats' going on nationally. Instead, do this.
A) Post the principles and theories of informative speaking. Thesis, points, know the audience, overall purpose and learning goals. What do you want your audience to gain from this experience?
B) Ask the students to create a 1 minute "how to" "tutorial" video. It must include the elements from above and good informative speaking principles. Link to come HERE for those (using the publicspeakingtextbookproject).
C) Ask the students to upload their videos for a grade with a rubric you post. I would post the informative speaking rubric you should already have on file ready-to-go.
D) Once the videos are posted comment as an instructor, and ask the students to comment on each others. Secretly ask the class to vote on the best one, offer a prize of some sort, and then explain why it was the best how to. This has real life application to training, teaching, and all of us who use YouTube on the regular.
05
The Reply-All Email
I'm finding while setting up my classes online I feel like I'm pushing information into a tunnel. I have not heard from any of my students. So, I set up the "Reply-All Email." I have fairly small classes, so I can deal with those who do, in fact, reply-all.
How it works: I simply used our course manager to send a check-in Email to the entire class. I asked 1) How are you? 2) Where are you? 3) Is there anything our classroom family can do to help you? Then I asked them to reply all. I supplied my cell phone number.
I have already received 4-5 Emails from students. I know I feel better hearing from them.
06
4 Quick Tips to Help Anyone Make Better PowerPoints
Online and in person. 15 Minutes use in class or your LMS. (4/5/2020)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6g8LMLzUUY
07
TBA
I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. Let your users get to know you.
08
TBA
I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. Let your users get to know you.
09
TBA
I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. Let your users get to know you.
10
TBA
I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. Let your users get to know you.