with the public literacy
For this assignment, you’ll borrow from the research you’re conducting for your paper to give the class a 9 to 10 minute presentation of an argument concerning an issue that has to do with the public literacy you’ve chosen. You might talk about how this issue can be addressed by your area of public literacy, how it has been created by your chosen public literacy, how it has been affected by or affects your chosen public literacy, or something else not mentioned here. The speech will be extemporaneous in nature, meaning you will prepare it ahead of time, but you won’t be reading from a script.
You’ll be allowed an index card to use as notes to help during your speech. On the day of the speech, you’ll also need to bring a working presentation outline that includes citations for all sources used during your speech. You’ll be required to use at least one presentation aid for this speech. This might be a slideshow, poster, video clip, audio clip, example object, or other material that adds to the verbal presentation of your assignment. You may use more than one, but they should add to your presentation instead of detracting or distracting from it.
If you need to use the classroom technology to project your presentation aid or play audio, make sure you have it prepared on a flash drive or your laptop is able to hook up to the classroom equipment.(A quick note about Powerpoint/Prezi/other slideshows: A personal pet peeve of mine is when people use these programs in lieu of notes and simply read from their slideshow. It makes your presentation more boring and makes me wonder why I needed to sit through it instead of just reading your notes, which would have taken less time. If you’re going to use one of these, make sure it enhances your presentation and you don’t just read from them.)In the introduction to your speech, you should get the audience’s attention in an interesting way, orient the audience with a discussion of the issue at hand, and preview how you will be defending your stance. You should have
2 -3 main points (support for your position on the issue) and a clear organization pattern that helps the audience to understand and stay interested. The discussion of your main points should be colorful, compelling, vivid, useful and adapted to your (educated, professional) audience. The conclusion should summarize your main points and provide an interesting and clear concluding statement. The time limit of 10 minutes will be enforced in order to make sure everyone is able to present. You will need to adapt to time constraints without stalling, needless repetition, and speed talking. Practicing this speech, and all subsequent speeches, is highly recommended. Incorporating and citing ideas from what we read in class usually doesn’t hurt, either.
