Please complete a reflection essay on your experience in this Virtual Public Speaking with a Professional Focus class and submit as assigned by your instructor. The
paper should be 1.5-2.5 pages, double-spaced.
Content– Brainstorm and/or free write to generate some ideas for this essay.
o Consider the topic and its relevance to your work during the semester.
o Has your work made a difference in your speaking apprehension?
o Are you feeling more confident as you prepare and/or deliver a speech?
o Do you feel more comfortable with the technology used—Scholar, Podcats, WebEx?
o What are your thoughts about taking public speaking in an online format? Helpful? Useful? Think about the professional application of public speaking online.
o Have you seen progress in certain areas and not in other?
o Did you spend enough time on speech development?
o Were you able to integrate the readings from the text into your speech-writing and performance?
o How do you see yourself using Public Speaking in the future? How will you sharpen your skills or keep them sharp?
Organization—Organize your paper with several main points and specific supporting details (examples) in the same way you would a speech.
o Intro should include your thesis, a statement of your overall sense about your
progress or competence. The rest of the essay will prove this statement.
o Body paragraphs should each have a specific focus and should open with a topic
sentence.
o Conclusion paragraph might summarize or give a final thought for your reader to
process. The conclusion shouldn’t introduce a new idea.
Possibilities for organization — You may choose any of the informative strategies for
organization as discussed in O’Hair.
For example, you might use chronological order: the first body parag could include your discussion of your starting point this semester (with specific details about
attitudes, expectations, competencies in writing and presenting speeches); the 2nd body parag might address your progress those areas with specific details about your
accomplishments, comments on feedback forms, and/or your mistakes; the 3rd body paragraph could address your future as a speaker — in other classes or in your career.
You could explain your speaking goals so that you can continue to build competence and confidence or how you see yourself using public speaking professionally.
