decisive moment

I've been so busy I haven't written. My presentation of self is going well. I asked one of my friends who's a graphic designer up at Maine College of Art if she could help me with a logo, and she sent me a link for some inspiration. I'm not clever enough to come up with such a cool logo like they had. She also suggested to have an exclamation point in my logo, I guess because I'm so exciting. When I was really young I always thought my mom's signature was so awesome because she wrote it so fast, so I tried imitating her, but mine ended up just being a circle and squiggle. It didn't relate to my name in anyway. Around that same time I also made the letter N but it was more slanted and there was a dot over the last side of the N to make it an N+i in one. I went back to that idea for my logo, and I used an exclamation point like my friend suggested, except its upside down. Which I also figured was fitting since I'm mexican, they use upside down exclamation points.


Anyways, that's that. For my social documentary class we have to write an artist report, and do a 10 minute presentation to the class. I'm looking forward to it now, after we did out presentations in PCP. Everyone's working on making powerpoints for their presentation, but I'm going to get a display board, like the ones we used to use in grade school for science projects. I'm really excited, because that's going to make my presentation different than all my classmates who will be showing slides on the projector. And even though this time it's only 10 minutes compared to half a class period, and my topic is about Henri Cartier-Bresson and not outlines, I'm really excited and confident that I won't suck as much as my PCP presentation. I'm looking forward to decorating it, and learning about Cartier-Bresson. I really like his work, but haven't really learned too much about him.








And about that spoon ghost, I still haven't found a rubber band, but I'll photograph it tomorrow and just use my hair tie if anything.

Boo!

Last weeks presentation was wonderful! Their chapter was about informative speaking, and they talked about Halloween since it's right around the corner. All the other groups only spoke about their chapter but last weeks group incorporated a theme to go off of and use examples of that to show the main ideas from the chapter. Although most students complained that they didn't spend so much time on the actual chapter, I didn't see it as a problem. They touched on the main points and from there went to showing how it works with their Halloween idea. They rearranged the tables and chairs, which none of the other groups had previously done, and at every seat there were some papers, a spoon, a rubber band and some candy. When I walked into class I didn't know what was going to happen. Some people started eating their candy before the presentation started but I didn't know if we would need them so I waited till the end. I liked that they had all that stuff out before because it made me wonder what might happen later on. I was intrigued from the moment I walked in. That was one of the points in the chapter, information hunger, which is a reason for the audience to want to listen to the speech. I was hungry for some informative speaking information (and the Kit-Kat that was sitting right in front of me).
I really enjoyed all the audience participation they had going throughout the presentation. They had us get up from our seats to play True or False, and get in groups to play a donut eating game. One partner held a string that had a donut tied at the bottom, while the other person had to have their hands behind their back and try to eat the donut without touching it.
I was really excited about that cause I’ve played that game at my birthday party for years! Since I was really young it’s been a part of the Ibarrola’s birthday parties. My friends always loved that. Good times...

Anyways, I partnered up with Buoyant Ben, and I ate the donut. I think I was the only one to eat the entire thing. It was kind of dry and got stuck all inside my mouth like peanut butter does, but I did it. I had a lot of fun with that.

We also had a kids craft session, making ghosts, and we played jeopardy to finish off the presentation. The things that were on the table when we came in finally came to play at the end. The spoon and rubber band were used for the ghost. They gave each of us a tissue, and taught us how to make a simple, cute, little ghost. You just put the tissue over the spoon and tie a rubber band around the neck part, and you have a ghost! when I find a rubber band and a tissue I’ll take pictures and post them, so you can make your own ghost!
The papers on our desk were an outline of their presentation and some key terms and definitions, which we used to help us out in the Jeopardy game. It was pretty simple, and we didn’t get anything for winning but we did have to use the handouts they gave us which was good. The candy was just there cause the presentation was Halloween based.

The presentation itself took only about a half hour when it should take over an hour, but I thought what they did in that half hour was really good. They could have gone longer if they had gone in more depth in the chapter or summarized what they had talked about like the group before did. It's always good to say what you’re going to say, say it, and then summarize what you said. And they didn’t really do that. But they did have an informative speech about Halloween, and everything they did proved the chapters point about how to make informative speeches.

That’s it for today. I’ll look for the tissue and rubber band to show you all how to make the spoon ghost by next week, but for now I’ll leave you with these photos I did last year since they also go with this whole Halloween theme.

Have a happy Halloween!(724)

informative presentations

Everyone who’s presented so far in class has used power points, my group included. And each time Eric has told us we don’t have to use PowerPoint’s to present our chapter of the Adler & Rodman book, Understanding Human Communication. The next group to present, tomorrow, is presenting chapter 13 and I hope they don’t use PowerPoint. The chapter’s about informative speaking, and I don’t think a PowerPoint would go with the chapter. My chapter was about outlines, and I can’t really think of any informative way to present that another way besides PowerPoint. But I think that type of presentation for this next chapter would be contradicting to what they’re trying to teach us. Last class Eric said he didn’t really want to see any more PowerPoints or hear straight lecturing, so we’ll see what they do tomorrow and how they go about presenting. I’m looking forward to it.(150)

like, I um, failed.

My group did it's presentation the other day in class. I practiced my speech at home several times, and even wrote out my outline a couple times. I was confident, before I got to class. I was thinking - I've got this! Then the lights went off, and I had to present my part of the chapter. WOAH. I completely forgot everything I had planned out. My knees were shaking, and so was my voice. Anyone could tell I was nervous. I was confused and didn't remember anything, and Sexy Sarita just told me to shake it off.. and I did. I kept going even though I must have sounded so scared. I guess I kind of was. I was just waiting for the critique after wards, about how little I knew or how I was so scared. But when the critiques came there was nothing about my part. I kept thinking "how is no one saying anything, I was so terrible!" but when they finally mentioned it, it was positive! They could tell I was nervous, but I kept going. I laughed about how bad I sucked during it and that lightened the mood, and I didn't give up. I also did my best with the likes and um's. No one mentioned anything about that, but I don't remember saying it too much.
Speaking of like's and ums. I always thought it was girls who said that the most, but yesterday in my class ( and even before that) I noticed this one guy says Like so fucking much. I can't believe how many times he says it. I wanted to tally it, but once I got my paper out he had stopped talking. However, later on in the class he said something again, and it started off with about two or three "like, like, like..."
Are you serious? I tallied that time he talked and I got nine or ten in that one minute or less that he spoke. He's also older, in his mid-twenties. It doesn't fit with the people you'd usually associate with who talk like that all the time.

There was a Scrubs episode one time where this girl would say, "That's so funny" instead of laughing and she was dating one of the main characters, JD. And he got so annoyed and frustrated with her saying that all the time and never laughing, so they broke up. And I know when you love someone you don't notice all those annoying things they do or it doesn't bother you till after you break up. But if I was this Like Guy's girlfriend, I don't think it would last because like its like just like so like annoying! UGH.
But that's just my opinion.(458)

outlines and lists.

I realized that by making lists of what I have to do for the day that I'm essentially making an outline. Even if its not in the standard format using Roman Numerals and letters, I still set it up like an outline.
My group is presenting in class tomorrow, and the part of the chapter that I'm presenting is about outlines and structuring speech.

When I start my list, its a working outline. A rough draft. I write down all the things I have to do that come to mind first and then think if theres anything else that needs to be done, whether its something simple that I do everyday like brush my teeth or eat, or an assignment thats due later I could get started on. After I write all that, I organize it, and put it in order. Usually I put it in order of importance, which classes come first, so I could get those assignments done first, or if there's something that happens at a certain time, I try to work around that. I also group things together that could be put together. Like my photo assignments for example, even if they are different assignments or classes, its still photo related. After that's all set, its pretty much a formal outline. Its written out with indentations and sub categories and sometimes subsub categories, which usually consists of certain materials I might need for that particular thing. That way I have all my stuff that Im going to need in the morning, and I don't have to stress out later on, or go somewhere and have forgotten something.


My list for today was:
shower/brush teeth
eat
work
Social Doc
put photos in webshare
Homework
Cloth
get one done
PCP
write Time-on-task
Write blog
Go over presentation
Holocaust
Ch.6
Dinner. brush teeth. sleep

sometimes I might not do everything, but it depends on time and whats more important.

My list for tomorrow will be:
shower/breakfast/teeth
Work
Cloth
winter & work more
PCP
Presentation
speaking notes
handouts
Holocaust
Ch7. & ch2
Dinner
Homework
cloth
Sleep

I try to have enough time to sleep at night so I'm not tired the next day, so I try to make sure that happens on my list, but also get most of it done.

Organizing my speech

I missed class last week because I had a terrible headache, so I can’t relate anything to that class since I wasn’t there. We were put into groups though, and each week a group is going to teach the class. I was supposed to meet up with my group on Monday but I had another class and couldn’t. Luckily one of the members of my group was able to come visit me at work and catch me up on what we’ll be doing. She gave me a section to read that dealt with speech outlining and “Structuring The Speech”. As soon as I read the first line on the page I knew it was the perfect section for me to read and it would help me out.

“Knowing what you are talking about and communicating that knowledge aren’t the same thing.” Mostly every time I try telling my boyfriend a story I he always tells me I don’t make sense, even though I think I’m making perfect sense. I make sense to my self because I already know what’s going on in my head, but I could see how I could confuse him when I say things like, “oh but before that happened…” and “ I forgot to mention”. And then I end up sounding like Quentin Terentino’s films, going back and forth.
It is frustrating like it says in the second sentence of the page, when you try, but aren’t expressing your thoughts clearly. I’m usually quiet in conversations whether they’re with fellow classmates, adults, or anyone. At times I feel like I don’t know enough about the subject that’s being talked about so I refrain from saying anything because I don’t know enough information to back up whatever I say or put in my input. Other times I just don’t know how to put what’s in my head it into words so I don’t say anything. If I know about something or am interested at least then I’d say what I want to say and do my best to express my thoughts in a way that the others would understand.
I read about outlines, so the smart thing for me would probably be to out line everything so I can speak up more. I even think I should outline my day so when I talk to my boyfriend at night I’ll have everything organized. But that seems kind of silly to me. Not really, but I have a lot of work to do, and I’d think writing outlines of everything I’d want to talk about would waste time I could be doing work.

I’ll try it out today I reckon. I’ll write up a working outline throughout my day, and when I finish my last class and get home tonight I’ll edit it and write out a formal outline. The working outline is used to map out a speech. There are several rough drafts, and you write however you’d understand it later. It doesn’t matter how you write or what symbols you use, as long as you can make sense of it later. The working outline is for your eyes only; it doesn’t have to make sense to anyone else. The formal outline uses a consistent format and set of symbols, and can be used as a visual aid. I could use that when I call Steven, and we’ll see if I have any interesting stories to tell him. Maybe with an outline he won’t tell me I’m not making any sense. Or maybe he’ll know I had notes!

Yes man!

I got an email the other day. The subject was "communication".
So I thought it was quite fitting for this blog.

The email said the following:

Communication is a term that is used to express the dialogue and understanding between people. There is definitely an art to this. It's not just what we say but how, and when, we say it. We need to be sensitive as to how our words are being interpreted. And communication is reciprocal, it is both giving and receiving. When we speak we are giving information, and receiving someone's attention. When we listen we are receiving information and giving our attention.
-Lissa Coffey

I’m pretty sure I talked about that in my first entry. Communicating involves more than just the words being said. It also involves one’s body language, and the way things are said. There’s a movie scene that comes to my mind right now, it’s from Yes Man. Jim Carrey has to say yes to every opportunity that arises no matter what it is. This one particular scene he’s with his girlfriend, Zooey Deschannel, and she asked him to move in with her when they got back from their trip they went on. He knew he had to say yes, but wasn’t really sure if he was ready for all of that because of his past relationship. After he paused a little he said yes, but she knew he didn’t want to cause he hesitated. He told her to ask him again and before she could finish asking him to move in, he said yes.

So my point of that was that she could tell he wasn’t ready for it yet because he took to long to answer, even though it was a second or two only, things would have been different if he really wanted to live with her. And didn’t pause, or interrupt her when she asked. There’s just the right amount of time between questions and answers, I think.

It also reminds me of the atomic/serpentine model, because Jim has so many other things going on, and that was why he did that. Besides previously vows to saying yes to everything, he also had been depressed because of a divorce and he was worried something like that might happen again if he did move in with her – (Zooey and Jim) only knew each other for a short time.



Also, I was looking at some of the other student’s blogs and it reminded me of something I wanted to complain about before. I hate when people walk by me and say “Hey what’s up?” and continue walking. How am I supposed to answer your question when we’re walking in different directions? I always get really uncomfortable when I’m in that situation. If I have time, since I actually care how people are doing, I’ll stop and tell them “what’s up” in my life, and ask them the same. Most of the time people are already away from me by the time their done saying it. For the most part I just say hey or smile when I’m asked that. I know you don’t care. And I understand that’s how people great each other nowadays, but I can’t stand it sometimes.
Just like I get oddly uncomfortable when people write using letters and numbers like “talk 2 u l8r” and all that fun stuff. I did that when I was in middle school, and a few times later on, but that was jokingly. Like…. HW^IAWRN… and then your like WTF? cause it makes no sense! But it means Hey What’s Up(^) I’m At Work Right Now.

WTF. LOL. FML. - Those kind I’m fine with. But when people write like their texting at all times I just think, are you serious? People turned in reports to teachers with there online/texting language that's not right for real work.
I think its funny that my mom texts like that though. “Did U call UR Bro” for example would be the way she would text that, but if it were me I’d say “Did you call your brother?” I don’t know why I do that, but I don’t shorten my texts unless I really have to. I guess that’s why I've gone over my texting limit before though. But now I have unlimited texting, so I do my best to use correct grammar and proper punctuation even in my texting.