Break break no break

http://youtu.be/zloxPwxllgk

Happy holiday!!!

It's My Turn

Last time in my speech, I asked everyone to go through a small game called "Self-reflection". Now it's my turn to play the game, but only at a smaller scale: my written speech.

I like my speech because it has the "My" factor in it. Personally, I prefer the light-hearted style with a bit of humor and abnormal description. In this speech, all those factors are present. Even though the speech talks about a serious life matter, the tone throughout the speech is not unsmiling and grim at all. In my writing process, I tried to use several funny simile and quotations that came up in my mind to make the theme seem less heavy. Another factor that help to lighten the topic and the speech is the way I approach the question. In order to engage the audience in the series of questions that I have prepared, I turned them into a mini game. In my opinion, such approach could attract and maintain attention from the listeners. Last but not least, I feel confident about my catchy opening.

Of course, my speech is not perfect. My written speech does not sound like a smooth, formal essay or such. It is more of a spoken speech with a lot of interaction with the audience. Thus, when people read the script of it, it is highly likely that they would get confused. Not to mention, the content is relatively long and dense, so people may get bored or lost in the middle of the speech, which could lead to the failure of my speech.


When I had the chance to watch my classmates delivered their speech this week, I learned a lot. First, as I mentioned above, memorization could contribute greatly to the success of a speech. It establishes a control over the flow of the speech and the attention from the audience. I also realize the memorization helps to create a better tone for the speech. When people do not memorize the speech and have to read from the screen, they tend to be monotone throughout the speech. In addition, I found out the effect of media supplement for the speech. For some speech, having media could vastly enhance the delivery as well as the attractiveness of the speech. From what I have seen, I have developed what I need to work on with my speech.

My speech relies heavily on interaction with the audience. Thus, I need to prepare my slides and media components of the speech thoroughly in order to help the audience understand my ideas well. I would also need to practice on pacing. In the "dry" delivery in class, I talked considerably fast . I would have to adjust my pace slower, while maintaining the audience's interest. As my teacher suggested, I should give the listeners a period of time to answer the questions that I pose and to absorb what I say. In addition, I have to work on memorization in order to convey the ideas more clearly and naturally. Without sufficient memorization, my body languages and emotions would be somewhat restraint. Memorization and keeping the audience's attention would be the two biggest challenges in this assignment for me.

I am looking forward to delivering my speech. If you have not had the chance to read my script for the speech, feel free to do so and give some more suggestions. Here is the link: hangmydoan.blogspot.com

Speech Revision - Who Am I

*ask the audience* - Who are you? Who am I? Have you ever questioned about your identity? Have you ever tried to figure out how you should be?

If you have been struggling with finding who you are, then it's OK. Don't freak out! "You are not alone" - quote Michael Jackson. There are millions of people on the world who feel lost, just like you and me. There are people who, until the end of their life, could not find their personality and understand themselves. It's like Peter Pan trying to catch his evasive shadow. Self-discovery is a seemingly never-ending and challenging journey. However, with a little help from the tool called self-reflection, your self-discovery trip would become much easier.

Let's go back a little bit. Before we go deeper into this tool, please allow me to explain why we need to develop self-awareness. Put simply, if you are self-aware, then you would be successful and happy. Knowing yourself, you could make wiser decisions that you don't have to think back about or wondering and regret. Knowing yourself, you could develop and utilize your strength while trying to fix and fill in your weaknesses. Employers like people who understand themselves well. A group work would be smoother if everyone knows their strengths and weaknesses, especially the leaders. Self-awareness makes your life so much easier and enjoyable. If self-awareness is not very important, I wouldn't have tried to pull you away from your computer and YouTube to listen to me rambling here.

Now what do you have to be aware of with self-awareness? Two words: personal identity. This term refers to a wide range of things, from your styles - the way you walk, the way you talk, the way you dress, to your actions and characteristics ("Psychology: How to build personal identity", For Dummies) (put up pictures of style and such) All of the little things in your life help build up your identity.

If you are now ready to save FIFA for another time and go on finding your hidden identity instead, then let me introduce you to a good helpful companion, self-reflection. Self-reflection helps you gain a deep and thorough insights about yourself, both in the past, in the present and in the future. Self-reflection requires you to dig deep down into your soul and mind, before it helps you advance in the self-discovery journey. However, not all types of self-reflection could be useful. A successful self-reflection is a process after which you would feel satisfied that you have learned something about yourself.

Now, you are probably missing your FIFA a bit. What would you say if I let you play a game called 'self-reflection'. Look at this picture. This is the pyramid of reflection.

(Diagram based on "Scaling the pyramid of self-reflection: a model and an assignment for the preparation of inclusive leaders" by Angela Webster-Smith)

 Each step is a level and the base at the end is the final boss. Your weapon would be: a piece of paper, a pen or a pencil, and most important of all, your mind. To pass each level, you need to answer given questions after digging deep in your mind and soul. Take your time, though.

Okay. Ready. Set. Go
*Mario game sound*

1. Character

The first boss we need to tackle is Character. Write down these questions and ask yourself:

- What adjectives would you use to describe yourself? Why

- What adjectives would your friends and family use to describe you? Why?

Are you done soldiers? Before moving to the next level, you need three keys to unlock the door. To retrieve them, simply pick three adjectives that best describe you.

 *Mario game sound*

2. Habits

Congratulations! You've passed the first level. Let's move on to Habit.

- What do you often do in your free time?
Are you writing them down?

Now think carefully about each activities you list and answer the following questions:

- Why do you do those activities?

- What do they say about you?

Have some good deep thought and answers? Take your time, I am here with you - quote Michael Jackson again. Done? Let's keep going then.

3. Actions:

"Action speaks louder than words". Did you here that? Mr. Action is inviting you to conquer him. First, he wants to tell you a story. Did you know that during a research called American Voter, people were classified accordingly to their voting behavior and the reasons behind their votes? Are you surprised? Okay, now Here are his question:

- What would you do in certain situations, especially urgent or critical ones? Why? What could they possibly say about you?

4. Words

Now that you have gone pass Mr. Action, Ms. Words would not let you alone. She wants you to write these questions down and then ponder about them:

- How would you characterize your writing/ speaking style? (Sarcastic, light-hearted, sweet, etc.)
Hold your pencil high and slay these questions my brave soldiers.

5. Attitude

Are you tired? We are halfway there. Try out these question from the Attitude boss:

- What is your attitude toward life? Certain situations? (difficult at school or at work, stress, success, etc.)
- What is your attitude toward this activity? - bonus question

6. Emotion

In this stage, you have to look back at the times you face certain memorable events:

- How do you feel? Why are you feeling this way?

Once you have answered those questions, you may have a light bulb above your head, indicating you have discovered something new about yourself. Are you feeling good? Great, let's go to the next level.

7. Thought

Folks, heads up. This is one of the most important level in our game. Thus, be careful and thoughtful with these challenging questions regarding the times you experience memorable moments again:

- What did/do you think at that moment? Why so?

Take a step further and ask yourself: 

- What do your thoughts possibly reflect about you?

 Are you still with me? We are almost there, so answer these questions to the best of your ability. Then sharpen your pencil. Here comes the last challenge: The Heart boss.

8. Heart

All the steps we have tackled so far are under a huge influence from the heart. They are all puzzle pieces that you need to put together to create the heart. Time to conquer the biggest boss ladies and gentlemen. This time we only have one question:

- What do you believe in? 

Hint: Your beliefs would often be an ideal that closely related to all your previous findings at previous questions. The answer would be the perfect picture in which all other pieces are put together perfectly and smoothly.

Phew, this is the end guys. If you have been able to defeat the bosses and discover many things about yourself, especially your complicated heart, then congratulations. You have come far in this journey and you have a relatively strong understanding of yourself. For those of you who have not been able to do so, do not freak out. This is not an one-time-only game. This is a special game. With time, your experience and many other factors would further shape your traits, and allow you to beat this game easier. In addition, the more you play, the better you would be at it. Thus, remember to play it regularly. As you play, keep in mind the main purpose: Who am I?

References:

Cash, Adam. "Psychology: How to Build Your Personal Identity." For Dummies. Dummies.biz, n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2014.

Edwards, George C., Martin P. Wattenberg, and Robert L. Lineberry. "Public Opinion." Government in America: People, Politics, and Policy. New York: Longman, 2009. 204-05. Print.

Webster-Smith, Angela. "Scaling the Pyramid of Self Reflection: A Model and an Assignment for the Preparation of Inclusive Leaders." International Journal of Educational Leadership Preparation 6.1 (2011): n. pag. ERIC. Web. 15 Nov. 2014.

Who am I?

*ask the audience* - Who are you? Who am I? Have you ever questioned about your identity? Have you ever tried to figure out how you should be?

If you have been struggling with finding who you are, then it's OK. Don't freak out! "You are not alone" - quote Michael Jackson. There are millions of people on the world who feel lost, just like you and me. There are people who, until the end of their life, could not find their personality and understand themselves. It's like Peter Pan trying to catch his evasive shadow. Self-discovery is a seemingly never-ending and challenging journey. However, with a little help from the tool called self-reflection, your self-discovery trip would become much easier.

Let's go back a little bit. Before we go deeper into this tool, please allow me to explain why we need to develop self-awareness. Because if it's not important, why would I ask you to spend a portion of your day to do self-discovery while you could go play video games or have a coffee date? Self-awareness is so important that you would not regret sacrificing a FIFA game or a cup of coffee with your friend? (joke: you know what, actually you could still drink coffee and have your friend there to help you with the process) Put simply, if you are self-aware, then you would be successful and happy. Knowing yourself, you could make wiser decisions that you don't have to think back about or wondering and regret. Knowing yourself, you could develop and utilize your strength while trying to fix and fill in your weaknesses. Employers like people who understand themselves well. A group work would be smoother if everyone knows their strengths and weaknesses, especially the leaders. Self-awareness makes your life so much easier and enjoyable.

The thing you have to be aware of is your personal identity. This term refers to a wide range of things, from your styles - the way you walk, the way you talk, the way you dress, to your actions and characteristics ("Psychology: How to build personal identity", For Dummies). All of the little things in your life help build up your identity.

If you are now ready to save FIFA for another time and go on finding your hidden identity instead, then let me introduce you to a good helpful companion, self-reflection. Self-reflection helps you gain a deep and thorough insights about yourself, both in the past, in the present and in the future. Self-reflection requires you to dig deep down into your soul and mind, before it helps you advance in the self-discovery journey. However, not all types of self-reflection could be useful. A successful self-reflection is a process after which you would feel satisfied that you have learned something about yourself.

There is currently a model of self-reflection that seems to be quite efficient. That is the pyramid of self reflection.

(Diagram based on "Scaling the pyramid of self-reflection: a model and an assignment for the preparation of inclusive leaders" by Angela Webster-Smith)

 

In the original paper where this model appears, the author suggests that people could go from either top to bottom or bottom to top. In my opinion, since the bottom, the base, is the large, composed picture, we should go from the top to the bottom, taking small steps along the way to successfully build up the whole scene.

 

For each step, you have to answer several related questions. However, you are not just getting through the motions. As I mentioned before, you have to dig deeply, think carefully and answer truthfully.

 

Without further delay, let's get started with the questions.

1. Character

The first step we need to tackle is character. Ask yourself:

- What adjectives would you use to describe yourself? Why

- What adjectives would your friends and family use to describe you? Why?

After answering the above two questions, pick a few adjectives that you feel are best supported with evident as well as best at depicting you.

 

2. Habits

Let's move on to the term "habits".

- What do you often do in your free time?

Now think carefully about each activities you list and answer the following questions:

- Why do you do those activities?

- What do they say about you?

Have some good deep thought and answers? Take your time, and when you finish, move to the next question.

 

3. Actions:

You certainly have taken many actions in your life to respond to certain situations or maybe to ignite something. They often say "Action speaks louder than words", which means actions could make a big revelation about yourself. Consider these:

- What would you do in certain situations, especially urgent or critical ones? Why? What could they possibly say about you?

Now if you feel like actions could not possibly show anything, then please take a look at the research The American Voter, a study that used the reason behind voting behaviors of voters to classify them (Edwards, Wattenberg and Lineberry, 204-205).

 

4. Words

Actions may speak more than words, but no one could deny that words certainly could reveal a portion of a person. Your speaking style or writing style as well as word choice and tone could tell people who you are. Some people even have a distinct voice that separate them from other writers. After all, both writing and speaking are medium of expression. Therefore, ask yourself:

- How would you characterize your writing/ speaking style? (Sarcastic, light-hearted, sweet, etc.)

 

5. Attitude

Needless to say, your attitude is influenced greatly by your characteristics and identity. Therefore, examining your attitude would greatly shows your personality. The best question would be:

- What is your attitude toward life? Certain situations? (difficult at school or at work, stress, success, etc.)

 

6.Emotion

Both emotions and the way you express emotion are shaped by your personality. By looking at these things, you could figure out a part of your identity. When you look back or face certain situations, regardless of what kind of situations they are, try to wonder:

- How do you feel? Why are you feeling this way?

Once you have answered those questions, you may have a light bulb above your head, indicating you have discovered something new about yourself.

 

7. Thought

Thoughts, like emotions, are highly important in self-discovery. Thoughts would mainly be shaped by characteristics, and is a considerably accurate indicator of personal traits. Thus, it would be beneficial to consider several different situations and think:

- What did/do you think at that moment? Why so?

Take a step further and ask yourself: 

- What do your thoughts possibly reflect about you?

 

8. Heart

Last but not least is our big, warm base - the Heart. All the steps we have tackled so far are under a huge influence from the heart. They are all puzzle pieces that you need to put together to create the heart. Now that you have the necessary pieces, look at these questions:

- What do you believe in? 

Your beliefs would often be an ideal that closely related to all your previous findings at previous questions. The answer would be the perfect picture in which all other pieces are put together perfectly and smoothly.

 

If you have been able to answer all of them and discover many things about yourself, especially your complicated heart, then you have come far in this journey and you have a relatively strong understanding of yourself. For those of you who have not been able to do so, do not freak out. This is not an one-time-only test. Self-reflection is a process you need to do regularly, because as time changes, your condition, situations and experience also varies, leading to some of your original personalities as well as part of your identity alter. Hence, it is recommended that every single one of you, including people who were successful at the test today, should have a frequent meeting with yourself. Remember, the more self-aware you are, the stronger, happier and more successful you would be. Don't delay the process, start now.

References:

 

Cash, Adam. "Psychology: How to Build Your Personal Identity." For Dummies. Dummies.biz, n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2014.

Edwards, George C., Martin P. Wattenberg, and Robert L. Lineberry. "Public Opinion." Government in America: People, Politics, and Policy. New York: Longman, 2009. 204-05. Print.

Webster-Smith, Angela. "Scaling the Pyramid of Self Reflection: A Model and an Assignment for the Preparation of Inclusive Leaders." International Journal of Educational Leadership Preparation 6.1 (2011): n. pag. ERIC. Web. 15 Nov. 2014.

 

 

The mysterious path to yourself

Problem: Everyone struggles with the questions "Who am I?" or "How am I supposed to be?" The journey of self-discovery is enduring and challenging.

Basic concept: personal identity

- Styles

- Preference

- Beliefs

- Activities

- Characteristics

("Psychology: How to build personal identity", For Dummies)

Tools to untangle identity: self-reflection, or a more fancy way to put it, introspection

Questions for audience: Have you ever wondered why people make you fill out survey about a program, what have you learned, how has the program affected you and such? If you are a high school senior like me, have you ever asked why colleges want you to show your strengths and thoughts about certain events? If you are looking for a job, do you get questions about your abilities and thoughts frequently and then ruminating over why they ask such questions?

It is to test your ability to reflect on your own actions, your talents, your past and present, your relationship, your strengths and weaknesses. In short, all of those above trigger self reflection in you in order to see how much you know yourself and then how well you can express that awareness.

A mechanism of self-reflection: the pyramid of self-reflection

(Diagram based on "Scaling the pyramid of self reflection: a model and an assignment for the preparation of inclusive leaders" by Angela Webster-Smith)

The base is always the heart because it's represents most closely and inclusively your identity. It also catalyze so or holds an account for other factors. Thus, I recommend going from top to bottom of the pyramid.

1. Character

- What adjectives would you use to describe yourself?

- What adjectives would your family or friends use to describe you?

2. Habits

- What do you often do and what do they say about you?

3. Actions

- What would you do in certain situation and why? What do they show about you?

Example of how actions are used to classify people: The American Voter study used the reason behind voters' vote to evaluate their characters (Edwards, Wattenberg and Lineberry, 204-205).

4. Words

- How would you characterize your style of writing/ speaking? (Sarcastic, light-hearted, serious, etc.)

5. Attitude

- What is your attitude towards life?

6. Emotion

- How do you feel in certain situations? Why do you feel that way? What does it say about you?

7. Thought

- What do you think? Why? What does your thought/ decision reflect?

8. Heart

The heart is the big picture. All other points we have touched so far build a ladder to the locked door of heart. To see your heart, yourself inside, you have to answer this question.

- What do you believe in? (In life, in various issues) What does those beliefs say about you?

Conclusion: If you have gone through this assessment and still feel lost, it is OK. Your identity would also be built through time and experience, so as you go on, do work and grow, you will be able to find yourself more easily. Just remember to have a frequent meeting with yourself.

References:

 Cash, Adam. "Psychology: How to Build Your Personal Identity." For Dummies. Dummies.biz, n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2014.

 Edwards, George C., Martin P. Wattenberg, and Robert L. Lineberry. "Public Opinion." Government in America: People, Politics, and Policy. New York: Longman, 2009. 204-05. Print.

Webster-Smith, Angela. "Scaling the Pyramid of Self Reflection: A Model and an Assignment for the Preparation of Inclusive Leaders." International Journal of Educational Leadership Preparation 6.1 (2011): n. pag. ERIC. Web. 15 Nov. 2014. 

TED Talk Critique

http://youtu.be/4w1vbAt0k6A

Bibliography

1. Book

Harrison, Sabrina Ward. Spilling Open: The Art of Becoming Yourself. New York: Villard, 2000. Print.

 

2. Credible article

Cully, Kendig Brubaker, C. G. Jung, and Küsnacht-Zürich. "A Letter from C.G Jung." Journal of Religion and Health 7.3 (1968): 275-76. JSTOR. Springer. Web. 08 Nov. 2014.

 

3. Article written for popular audience

Tartakovsky, Margarita. "Questions to Spark Self-Discovery." Psych Central.com. Psych Central, 28 Apr. 2014. Web. 08 Nov. 2014.

 

4. Credible website

"I Have A Plan Iowa ™." - Learn About Yourself. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Nov. 2014. <https://secure.ihaveaplaniowa.gov/Career_Planning/Learn_About_Yourself/_default.aspx>.

Some ideas for TED Talk?

1. Is sports good or bad?

2. The value of hard work

3. Should we have high-expectation of ourselves?

4. What makes you you?

An Unique TED Talk

Below is the link to the TED Talk "Are you human" by Ze Frank
http://www.ted.com/talks/ze_frank_are_you_human

This TED Talk is special to me because its title raises an extremely philosophical question, and then answers it with a seemingly joking test. The speech has a very attractive beginning, when Ze Frank declares his speech is going to be a test to see if his audience truly belongs to human beings. He first starts with a series of light-hearted questions containing various human's daily activities, mistakes and thoughts to draw a strong connection to the audience. He then proceeds to more serious, less joyful questions about the time when a person feels unhappy or uncomfortable, which could cause his listeners to be deep in thought.

The talk also applies several apt techniques that make it more compelling. First, the tone of Ze Frank, the speaker, is a bit low and sounds almost like a machine. This voice actually works for this piece of work, because it makes up the scene of a person taking a test on a machine, with the questions being asked by a robot. However, at the same time, Frank distinguishes his delivery from that of a robot by placing emphasis and change of tone on some certain words, as well as repetition, to create proper emphasis and humor throughout the speech. He also makes several hand gestures and eye contacts to further connect to the audience. In addition, he sometimes uses rhetorical devices such as personification to make the speech more interesting.

"Are you human" by Ze Frank is a jovial yet thought-provoking TED Talk that everyone should take a look at.

Half Way Down, Half Way to Go

This marking period, I have learnt a lot from my Public Speaking class.

Firstly, I have become more familiar with speaking-related vocabulary and how each factor in a speech could alter the effects that the speech could bring up. This has allowed me to scrutinize my speech and my performance for what was effective and what needed more work on to enhance the piece. Along with comments and suggestions from my peers and my teacher, I was able to put up in my mind a performance that I would be satisfy with, which boosted my confidence when I actually presented in front of the class. I also applied the lessons I learned in class about the basic of public speaking and how the components would vary depending on the audience and the purpose in real life situations. Such knowledge helped me to prepare suitable speeches, which made me more confident and comfortable when I talked to the large crowd as I knew I had a good speech to present. In short, through theories and practice, I have become more confident and comfortable with speaking in the public.

Secondly, I have gained more knowledge about various forms of public speaking, ranging from monologue to debate. It was interesting to see the differences between each of them regarding style, components and expression, and then to apply those differences into the performance. And even though it was not initially one of my main goals for the class, it was certainly a great piece of knowledge that I have accumulated through the class.

Throughout this marking period, I have been focusing a lot on my style and expression for each of my performance because I thought that these two factors could significantly help connect the audience and draw them into the pieces. I worked a lot on my projection, my tone and my body language in order to best convey the messages and the emotions of the pieces. As I received comments and suggestions from my class and practiced with my friends or on my own, I was able to adjust my projection and my tone as well as picking proper hand gestures and facial expression. As the end of this marking period approaches, I feel more confident about my style of presenting as it has made some progress. I would continue to work on my style to make it even better during the next marking period.

I have also been working on my articulation. I often found myself having troubles pronouncing clearly some words, especially if I was speaking at a relatively fast speed. Fortunately, I had keen teachers and classmates who would point out the words that I need to articulate better and also how fast or slow I should perform a piece in order to make those words clearer. Thanks to those insightful comments, I was able to improve my articulation and my pacing so as to make my performance more compelling. Still, I would put a lot of effort into fixing my articulation during the next marking period, because I know if I could enhance my articulation, I would be even more confident when I speak publicly.

This next marking period, I would want to continue with my three old goals of becoming more confident and becoming better at expressing, in both oral form and written form. I would also want to explore more types of public speaking so that I could compare and contrast them in order to see the connection and the complexity of the performing world. I would also shift my focus from style to articulation because I know that is one of the big problems that I need to work more on. Last but not least, I would try to make each of my performance more “me” than the previous ones. 

Spoken Word Poetry performance

It's so simple,

 So basic, 

Yet we lack it. 

Interaction is nothing without it. 

Unable to make a bond because the fact is, 

We've missed the point. 

The point that connects you and me, 

And not just on a family tree; 

That connects us all from A to Z, 

And not just on eHarmony. 

 Trust.

 Where did it go? 

Or did we even have it years ago?

 Afraid to go on the right track, 

Because we might get stabbed in the back. 

Locking our doors and checking it twice, 

Like we're Santa Clause on a Christmas blight. 

Putting a lock on our phone for protection, 

Because your friends may use it as a weapon. 

Hiding what belongs to us, 

Because we lost our trust in all our lust. 

But trusting each other is a must, 

Because you cant spell trust without us. 

 Trust.

 A firm belief in the reliability, 

Truth, 

Ability, 

Or strength in someone. 

Can you think of anyone?

 I am sure you can, 

Maybe the one that holds your hand. 

But for how long?

 I'm sorry but it's true, 

People can back-stab you.

 But this can change starting with you, 

Because if you trust people, 

They'll trust you. 

You may get hurt but at least you'll live, 

With your heart on your sleeve and something to give. 

 So let's break this cycle of deceit and start this world anew. 

It doesn't start with them,
It starts with you. 

(Source: poetry soup.com)

It's A Matter of Debate

Debate Topic 1: Video games are too violent
Pros:
- Promote shooting, killing and violent actions which are unusual in the real world.
Examples: Grand Theft Auto, Halo, Crossing Fire
- To increase the effects, producers often emphasis the violent scenes
- Statistics:
+ For every 10 minutes of playing video games or computer games, boys between the ages of eight and 18 will see between two and 124 acts of violence. (Source: Mediaviolence.org)
+ 78 percent of acts of violence in the first ten minutes of video games depict lethal acts of violence. 78 percent of the action is shown up close, and half of the violent segments have humor in them. (Source: Mediaviolence.org)
- It has become a trend: producers are aiming to come up with video games that are as violent as possible in order to get more profits.
+ In 2012, only 9% of video games are rated M - Mature. However, in 2013, the number has gone up to 12%. (Source: ESRB.org)
Cons:
- Most parents strictly control their children's video games pattern and habit, so video games are violent but at an acceptable level.
+ 73% of parents regularly check a game's rating before making purchase (Source: theESA.com)
+ 95% of parents monitor the content of the games their children play (Source: theESA.com)
- Violent games present only a small portion of video games in general. Therefore, it is unreasonable to conclude that video games could be assumed to be too violent.
+ In 2013, 46% of video games were rated For Everyone, while only 12% are considered Mature (18+) (Source: ESRB.org)
+ 64% parents believe games are a positive part of their children's lives (ESRB.org)

Debate Topic 2: Homework should be banned.
Pros:
- No homework gives students more free time to spend on their hobbies, their friends and families
- No homework also results in less a less stressful life for students
- Homework has little value in enhancing education since it is a requirement. Students generally do not like being forced to do something and thus, they would gain nothing from doing required homework. Homework would often stress students out, exhaust them and make them hate school more. In other words, homework could devalue
+ Statistics:
+ 56 percent of the students considered homework a primary source of stress, according to the survey data. Forty-three percent viewed tests as a primary stressor, while 33 percent put the pressure to get good grades in that category. Less than 1 percent of the students said homework was not a stressor. (Source: news.stanford.edu)
Cons:
- Homework helps students to apply the knowledge they learn in class to a variety of problems
+Sometimes homework has real life problems that teach students useful problem solving skills
Examples: my math homework asked me to develop a model predict the growth of Ebola, or to calculate the amount of money I could earn from a bank's saving interest.
- Practice makes perfect and homework help foster what students learn in class, hence they would understand more and remember the information longer. This could also means that the curriculum could be more rigorous and cover more area of information, making a course more interesting and informative.
- Homework could give many children a meaningful way of spending their free time instead of playing video games and watching TV.

A few Awesome Topics for Debate

1. Year round education is not a good idea for student learning (number 6 on the list)

2. Single-sex schools are better for students (number 13)

3. Androids are better than iPhones (number 26)

4. The death penalty should be abolished (number 31)

5. The government should provide wireless service for everyone (number 47)

6. Social media comments should be protected by free speech (number 57)

The Outgoing Daughter of Poetry

Looking for a breakaway from movies and comic books? Try spoken word poems, a type of poem designated for public performance for various meanings instead of just being printed in collections and newspapers.

This week, my Public Speaking class was challenged to perform a spoken poem of our choices, and we had quite a fun time experimenting this new type of performing art.

Nadya put up a smooth performance accompanied by a suitable background music. She made a good use of her low tone and created a good, slow enough rhythm, though she could use more body language.

Drew, as usual, performed a meaningful poem with a variety of tone and body languages, especially hand gestures. His chosen music also adds up a gentle, sad tone to the overall piece.

Jade, while seemed nervous, managed to pull off his poem with change in tone and expression when needed and the sad music made the poem more intense. Sometimes his voice was not loud enough to overcome the music and his emphasis on the shouting could be more emphatic, but generally it was a nice performance.

Sophia gave one of the best performance with the right music and the rap style. Her variation in postures, body languages, emotion and tone that went with the music made the piece compelling. It sounded almost like a real rap song instead of just a simple poem.

Christina was really brave when she chose to redo a poem that the class had already seen. By cutting down certain part, choosing a slower rhythm and different tone, she succeeded in bringing her own version of the poem.

Caroline was another person who did a really wonderful job in spoken word poem. Her motions and movement as well as the music added up to the attractiveness of the performance. The tone and the pacing were also appropriate with the piece.

Donaven made a remarkable performance by turning a part of a song into a spoken poem. The music choice, the rhythm and body languages all helped create a appealing piece, though sometimes the extra hand gestures were a bit distracting.

From the beginning of the project, I struggled mainly with two things: my music choice and my pacing. I don't have keen ears for music, and I found it hard to find a music piece that fit the tone and the rhythm of my poem. In the middle of the project, I changed my poem because I found another one that I liked better. Again, I had trouble with pacing the piece because I tended to make it too fast, which was both hard for my audience to hear and for myself to pronounce each word correctly. However, with feedback from my classmates and teacher, I was able to pace myself more slowly. Though I had good emphasis, I still need to work on coming up with more creative body language to accompany my performance.

What about you? Do you want to try create your own spoken word poetry or maybe even perform one? Trust me, it is more interesting that you may think!

A Sample Spoken Word Poetry

 This is a great spoken word poetry for anyone who is interested.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Il70mlj38o

The Lone Wolf on the Stage

Everything is dark. The light and the attention of everyone in the room are now on you. The atmosphere is so tense that you can feel the slightest movement, such as each drop of sweat running along your spine when the light is heating up your body...

That is probably how most people feel when they have their first act on the stage, especially if it is a monologue scene. Remembering a script and the emotions that go with it is challenging enough, yet when you step onto that stage, things just go on a whole new level of difficulty. This week, my public speaking class has nailed the intimidating mission of delivering a monologue in front of the class.

The first brave "tribute" was Drew, with his funny monologue about how to fake out parents. Drew clearly remembered his speech well and had very engaging emotions and illustrative gestures that draw the audience in. However, sometimes his hand gestures were a bit irrelevant and unnecessary. He could add a little more emphasis on some part of the monologue to achieve better effect for his monologue.

The second person stepped up was Caroline. She played Bella in Twilight when Edward left her. Caroline did a good job in portraying a wondering, deep-in-thought, emotional and lonely girl. She may want to add a bit of emotion there and then, but generally, she was amazing with that monologue.

Next is me. My speech was not very long, so memorization was not a big challenge and I did well on it. What was really difficult for me at first was to get into the character and then to convey the unusual personalities of the woman I was pretending to be. I found the speech to be quite funny, considering the context. However, the character was furious and crazy; therefore, I had to be mad and acted mad. Through the weeks and with the help from my peers and teacher, I was able to express the madness better. Another challenge for me was not make unnecessary movements unconsciously due to anxiety. This, along with the issues of clear pronunciation, is something that I need to work more on.

One of the most sentimental monologues was that of Sophia. She portrayed a very emotional speech that was quite hard for her since it was originally spoken by a man. However, Sophia managed to defeat the obstacle and deliver a great monologue. She could work more on pronunciation and memorization.

Brandon's monologue was a funny one. His tone was engaging and he did a good job in playing the role of a cool guy. However, he could slow down a little bit and perhaps add more actions to make the monologue more compelling.

Christina, despite her concussion, has done well in memorizing the speech. She also tried hard to pronounce the words clearly and get into the character. The one thing she may want to add to her speech is some hand gestures and body language.

The next person was Nadya with her critical speech from a famous cartoon: "Ratatouille". She did indulge herself into the picky, hard-to-pleased critic that was suddenly enlightened by a spectacular meal. She looked confident and delivered the speech at a low yet appropriate tone. However, Nadya could work more on emphasis.

Donavan chose a very strong and moving monologue to present on the stage. His tone, emotions, emphasis and some hand gestures draws the audience in . However, the hand gestures could be stronger and be used more effectively. In addition, his style could be a bit less casual by, for example, not putting the hand in his pocket.

Just saying, you guys all rocked the mission!!!!

The Devil on stage

Debbie Jellinsky: " I don’t want to hurt anybody. I don’t enjoy hurting anybody. I don’t like guns or bombs or electric chairs, but sometimes people just won’t listen and so I have to use persuasion, and slides. My parents, Sharon and Dave. Generous, doting, or were they? All I ever wanted was a Ballerina Barbie in her pretty pink tutu. My birthday, I was 10 and do you know what they got me? Malibu Barbie. That’s not what I wanted, that’s not who I was. I was a ballerina. Graceful. Delicate. They had to go. My first husband, the heart surgeon. All day long, coronaries, transplants. “Sorry about dinner, Deb, the Pope has a cold.” Husband number 2: the senator. He loved his state. He loved his country. Sorry Debbie. No Mercedes this year. We have to set an example.” Oh yeah. Set this! My latest husband. My late, late husband Fester, and his adorable family. You took me in. You accepted me. But did any of you love me? I mean, really love me? So I killed. So I maimed. So I destroyed one innocent life after another. Aren’t I a human being? Don’t I yearn and ache…and shop? Don’t I deserve love…and jewelry? Good-bye everybody. Wish me luck."

To speak or not to speak

Everyone wants to speak and be heard, especially by a lot of people. The problem is how to speak correctly.

Before delivering a public speech, let's take a look at some of the key term for speaking:

1. Articulation:

       In order to make it easier for the audience to understand the speech, as well as making it more memorable, the speaker needs to articulate, that is, to pronounce each word clearly. A good speech begins with good articulation. Bad articulation would only lead to confused, perplexed audience after the speech.
       I tend to quickly and unclearly pronounce hard words so that it wouldn’t create a gap in my speech but it seems to backfire. My goal is to get away from this habit and articulate every word I say so my audience would understand better what I want to convey.


2. Projection:
      What is projection? In speaking, projection is how loud you speak and it varies depend on the situation.

      Now, you don't want to shout into everyone's ears your speech nor do you want to speak so quietly that people find it impossible to figure out what you are saying. Projection is important because proper voice projection would help audience to keep up and stay with the speech as well as having a good impression of the speaker, thus creating a more favorable feeling.

     My public speaking class is a good place to practice my projection because I have received my peers and my teacher opinion about it. Hence, I could control my projection better and I hope to enhance that skill in the future. Speaking with the right projection helps me feel more confident in front of the crowd.

1    3. Diction:

      Diction is the choice of words and is vital in public speaking. In the worst case scenario, a wrong word can ruin the whole good speech. On the other hand, a normal speech can be more memorable if its author throws in some suitable and highlighted words. Therefore, when giving a speech, people need to pick their words aptly and carefully.

      At the class, I have received some feedbacks about my use of words during my speech or my writing and I found those feedbacks very helpful. It would help me to develop my ability to express myself further.

2.      4. Pacing:

     A public speech is neither a rap song nor a slow motion movie. If you go too fast, the audience would not have a slightest sense of what you are talking about. If you go too slowly, the audience would get bored. Public speaking is about conveying what you want to say and keep the audience interest. Therefore, a good pace is indispensable.

      In my Public Speaking class, having seen people giving speech and also have spoken myself, I have learned how to pace each part of my speech suitably. A reasonable pace allows me to express more efficiently and be more confident.

3      5. Purpose and Audience:

      Who are you speaking to? Why are you speaking? To deliver a good speech, speakers must answer these questions. The answers would shape the style, the tone and the language of the speech. After all, you can’t speak to an old man the way you talk to your friend.

      Always remember your purpose and your audience. Otherwise, the speech would fail to reach to them.

     Through in-class activities, I have learned to adjust my speech accordingly to the audience and the goal. This is one of the steps on my road to improve my oral and written expression.

So, are you ready to speak your mind?