Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Time-Traveler Speech || Self-Evaluation

Knowledge of audience

  • As far as comparison goes, there isn't much to compare space objects to. I may have insulted intelligence when explaining what the sun and moon were, but it seemed fine otherwise.

Voice

  • When it comes to diction and clarity, I'm surprisingly audible (I'm usually too quiet) and use language that the audience would be expected to understand. I didn't use very many, if any, fillers in the presentation, though I did have a small giggle-fit that I shouldn't have had.
Body Language
  • I commanded attention by being a little bit more animated, using my hands to illustrate certain aspects such as the tail of a comet or how Pluto and its moon are the same size. I tend to stand more in the invisible box, though I do move a little bit. It's a tight squeeze in there. I made an adequate amount of eye contact, though I may have been a little too fidgety.
Preparedness
  • I took a paper up with me that listed a bunch of key points, and I refered to them when I wasn't sure where to go next. Luckily I put enough of the things about space that I knew for it to work out. I did search the list one or two times, but overall I picked out points pretty quickly.
Overall Effectiveness
  • I was rather interesting simply because of my diction and casual tone of voice. It was easier to connect to such a casual tone than someone sputtering out scientific facts about bathtubs or crayons. If I could go back and do it again, I would better prepare myself. I did have a good list, but having a better idea of what to say may save me from another giggle-fit. I'd also try to break out of the box in order to seem more interesting.

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

The Magic in Writing

Many people enjoy reading, but some people have to ask themselves why. Why do we enjoy reading and writing so much? They're just words printed on paper!

Well, the writing is an art, and art can be magical.

It's like when we appreciate a work of art, cry at an emotional movie, or lay down in bed and listen to our favorite song over and over again. It appeals to us in a way we can't explain, which can only be defined as magic.

Writing words on a paper can create a story, which people can picture in their minds. The writer is an artist of a different trade, and artists are magicians in influencing how we see things. An artist can make a moving picture, a musician can make a moving tune, and a writer can make a moving story.

Art is a lot more than simple words or pictures on paper. What if someone said to poke holes in that photograph of your family? Why wouldn't you? It's just ink on paper. You wouldn't because it means something to you. It's art. It's magic.