Orientation: Mastering Public Speaking

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Message from your Instructor

This message confirms that you have signed up for Mastering Public Speaking, a Fundamentals course that I will be teaching entirely online. I have prepared this document to help make your online educational experience as positive and enjoyable as possible. It contains contact information, a description of our course delivery system, course mechanics, and a course schedule.

How to get Started:

This course is conducted through an online classroom. You will need to go to this classroom to obtain your lessons, work through tutorials, take quizzes, complete assignments, participate in discussions with your fellow students, and ask questions of your instructor. As soon as the registration office verifies receipt of your payment, you will be able to participate. Here's how it works:

1. Wait until after 12:00 a.m. (Pacific Time) on the start date for this course.
2. After the course begins, go to https://www.ed2go.com/pgcc/. The Online Classroom is open 24 hours a day and seven days a week, so please feel free to log in to your classroom at any time of day that is convenient for you.
3. Once on the website, click the Login link at the top right of the page.
4. Finally, log in with the username and password you provided us at the beginning of this orientation procedure. You should then be able to enter the online classroom and begin your studies.

Course Description

You can become an effective public speaker! In this course, you will discover how to talk confidently and persuasively to both large audiences and small groups. You will also learn how to plan and deliver your presentations skillfully and how to manage one of the most common public speaking barriers—fear.

You'll learn the secrets to presenting a speech, how to handle questions and manage conflict in meetings, and even how to shine in a job interview. You will get tips for training your voice and learn how to use both verbal and nonverbal communication effectively. By the time you finish this course, you'll have an entire set of skills you can use on the job, in social settings, and in any other situation where you need to communicate with ease and authority!

Course Requirements

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC, Mac, or Chromebook.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 12 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Course Mechanics

I will make two lessons available to you every week for six weeks. You do not have to be present when a lesson is released, but you'll need to complete each lesson within two weeks of its release.

Once all 12 lessons have been released, I will give you a two-week grace period to complete your studies and take the final exam. This means that you have a total of eight weeks to complete this course. If you're thinking of taking another course after this one, you can avoid overlap by starting that course exactly two months after this one begins.

Lessons are released by 12:00am (Pacific Time) on Wednesdays and Fridays. To access your lessons, simply visit the online classroom (as described in the "Getting Started" section), and then click the lesson title you wish to visit.

Once the class access ends, I won't be able to send you the lessons. If you would like to keep the lessons for future reference, I suggest using the print lesson feature in the classroom.

Each time you complete a lesson, you will also be asked to complete a brief multiple-choice quiz. I expect you to complete each quiz within two weeks from the date that the corresponding lesson was made available. I realize that you are busy, and don't want you to worry if you can't complete a few of the quizzes on time due to illness, vacation, or other commitments. Once I release a lesson and quiz, I will make sure it is available to you as long as the classroom is open.

The interactive multiple-choice quizzes are designed to test your comprehension of the course material. When you complete a quiz, you will receive an instant analysis of your work.

This analysis will include a brief explanation of any errors you may have made. If you are not satisfied with your performance, you are welcome to re-take the quiz until you feel that you have mastered the quiz objectives.

Note: If you ever want to see a progress report showing your performance on the quizzes over time, simply return to https://www.ed2go.com/pgcc/ and click Login or Account at the top right of the page. Once logged in, click the Report tab under the course title.

Some of your lessons will also be accompanied by an assignment. The assignments are designed to help you expand your understanding of the material taught in this course. Assignments are typically more detailed and may take a bit more time to work through than quizzes.

I expect you to complete each assignment within two weeks from the date that the corresponding lesson was made available. Unlike the quizzes, your assignments will not be evaluated. Assignments are designed primarily for your enrichment. You have the sole responsibility for evaluating your performance on each assignment. If you have questions about an assignment, please feel free to use the Discussion Areas to discuss your assignments with your fellow students and me.

When you work through an assignment, you will be gaining practical first-hand experience with the new skills taught in this course. Your performance on the final exam will depend in no small part on your mastery of the assignments.

The course will conclude with a final exam, which will test your comprehension of the material covered in this class. You must complete the final exam within two weeks from your receipt of lesson 12. Please review your selections before submitting. You may only submit your final exam answers once. Your performance on the final exam is the only factor we will consider when determining your eligibility for a certificate of completion. Although your quiz and assignments will not count toward your eligibility for a certificate, I do recommend that you try to complete each quiz and assignment to the best of your abilities. Doing so will leave you better prepared to pass the final exam.

When you finish your studies, please note that our classroom log-out process is fully automated. We will log you out of the classroom automatically whenever you close your browser or shut down your computer.

Questions

This course can be highly interactive, but the level of that interactivity is controlled by you. Since I can't see that puzzled look on your face, it's going to be up to you to ask questions when you get stuck.

I expect to get many interesting questions from you and your fellow students. I want to make sure that you and your classmates benefit from these often illuminating queries.

Therefore, I would like to request that you avoid e-mailing your questions to me. Instead, I have created 12 Discussion Areas in the online classroom (one Discussion Area for each lesson). To reach these Discussion Areas, all you will need to do is wait for the course to begin, go to the online classroom, select the lesson you're working on, and click the Discussion Area tile.

Your Discussion Area questions will serve as a challenge for your fellow students. Someone is bound to have an answer for you. Likewise, you should be able to find questions in the Discussion Area that you can answer. The Discussion Area will be open to you and your classmates 24 hours a day and seven days a week. Please try to visit the Discussion Area at least every other day while the course is in session, and don't be afraid to participate!

I firmly believe that the best way to learn a new skill is to teach it to others. We will all benefit by helping one another understand this complex material.

Because I don't want to see any unanswered questions, I (or one of my very capable teaching assistants) will be monitoring the Discussion Area at least every other day (excluding weekends and holidays). If you ask a relevant question, but fail to get a correct answer (or any answer whatsoever) from your classmates, then we will try our hardest to answer the question for you.

Please understand that the Discussion Area is reserved for conversations about the material in your lessons. While it is perfectly acceptable for you to employ a bit of friendly banter as you converse with your fellow students and instructors, I must ask you to always remember to stay on topic.

It is not appropriate to use the Discussion Area to sell goods or services, complain about something, or talk about subjects that are not specific to the lesson at hand, for example. Such off-topic conversations waste people's time and detract from the learning experience for all involved. I reserve the right to immediately delete any message without comment if I feel that it does not pertain directly to the material I am trying to teach.

I will also delete any messages containing language that I feel is derogatory, controversial, insulting, or otherwise inappropriate for my classroom.

Syllabus

Note: This course will run for six weeks. Two lessons will be released each week for the six-week duration of the course. You do not have to be present when each lesson is released. Instead, you can take up to two weeks to complete each lesson after it is released.

Important: In order to keep this material as up-to-date and informative as possible, I reserve the right to make changes to the course content, description, and syllabus at any time and without warning.

A new session of each course we offer starts on the second or third Wednesday of every month. You may enroll in more than one course at a time. If you are enrolling in a series of two or more courses, please be sure to space the start date for each course at least two months apart.

Week 1

You Can Do It!

Wednesday

You'll jump right in with this first lesson, which begins by discussing the most basic and common barrier to successful public speaking: fear. You'll explore why fear is a natural response in some situations and then review several tactics for managing the symptoms of fear. The lesson will also share some practical tips for discovering your unique speaking voice and building your self-confidence. You'll soon discover that by trusting in yourself, your natural abilities, and the ideas you have to contribute, you'll be well on your way to becoming a confident speaker!

Understanding How Communication Works

Friday

People communicate with one another every day, all day long. How do people communicate, and why do some people communicate more effectively than others? That's exactly what this lesson will discuss. As a public speaker, it's important to understand the communication process and how it works. This is a process that happens again and again—and the better you understand it, the better prepared you are to speak effectively in public. In this lesson, you'll explore the basic components of communication, such as senders and receivers, verbal and nonverbal communication, and noise and feedback.

Week 2

Taking the Fear out of Fear

Wednesday

Everyone has experienced fear at one time or another in a speaking situation. Whether you're speaking in front of a crowd or just a small group of friends or colleagues, fear is a common reaction. The good news is that there are skills you can develop to control your fear, and with a little understanding and practice, you can even harness your fear and use it to your advantage. In this lesson, you'll explore why public speaking fear happens, the common symptoms of fear, and how to control these symptoms.

Developing a Confident Voice

Friday

Your voice has a major impact on how well you communicate. Have you ever noticed your voice shaking or cracking when you speak? You're not alone! In this lesson, you'll learn how to develop a confident speaking voice for both formal and informal speaking situations. The first step is to understand a few basic concepts about voice and vocal delivery, and the second step is to practice. This lesson will discuss concepts such as pitch, volume, rate, and vocal quality, and you'll have plenty of opportunities to work on developing vocal confidence and effective vocal delivery.

Week 3

Harnessing the Power of Nonverbal Communication

Wednesday

People tend to think of public speaking as a skill that only uses voices. Yet, studies show time and time again that most communication occurs nonverbally. Nonverbal communication has everything to do with a speaker's success. In this lesson, you'll learn how to harness the power of nonverbal communication so that you communicate effectively. You'll find out how to use eye contact, facial expressions, gestures, posture, and even spatial communication to get across the meaning of your message.

Speaking Well in Social Settings

Friday

As you surely know by now, public speaking involves much more than just standing behind a podium and giving a speech. Everyone speaks daily in social settings, and even though this is an everyday occurrence, most people can still use some guidance when it comes to communicating effectively and delivering the messages they intend to deliver. Whether you could use practice speaking well in social settings such as dinner parties, children's birthday parties, or casual after-work happy hours, this lesson will give you the tools and practice you need to hone your social speaking skills!

Week 4

Acing Interviews

Wednesday

Most people dread job interviews. These public speaking situations are known to be stressful. But as a public speaker in the making, you can put your skills to work to increase your confidence and ace that next interview. At its most basic level, an interview is really about answering questions effectively. There are specific tactics you can use to ensure that you communicate well, enabling you to demonstrate who you are and why you're perfect for the position. In this lesson, you'll explore both the verbal and nonverbal communication that occurs during an interview and discover how to master both.

Impromptu Speaking

Friday

Do you ever find yourself blushing and stammering when you're called on to talk in a meeting? If so, you're not alone. Most people find this type of impromptu speaking nerve-wracking. With impromptu speaking, you won't have a chance to prepare your talk in advance, which means that you'll have to organize your thoughts on the spot as you speak! But fear not. There are some simple tricks to impromptu speaking, and that's what you'll learn in this lesson. You'll also learn about a few things to avoid during an impromptu speech, as well as ways that you can support your fellow speakers.

Week 5

Preparing and Delivering Short Talks

Wednesday

As a public speaker, one type of speech you'll give time and time again is the "short talk". A short talk is a short speech, often under ten minutes that you give at a meeting of some kind or even at special occasions. The short talk is often enough to terrorize the speaker, but in this lesson, you'll find out how to easily and quickly write, develop, and present a short talk. You'll see plenty of examples along the way that will make learning easy.

Managing Questions, Conversations, and Conflict

Friday

The odds are good that at some point in your life, you'll end up leading a committee or team meeting of some sort. If you've led a meeting before, you know how difficult it can sometimes be—especially when half the job is in managing the various personalities of the committee members. In this lesson, you'll focus on managing questions, conversations, and conflict in a typical meeting environment. You'll learn how to master these skills and how to make your next meeting a success!

Week 6

Mastering the Long Speech

Wednesday

When people think of public speaking, they often imagine someone standing in front of an audience, delivering a "speech." This notion of preparing and delivering a long speech is generally the most intimidating of all forms of public speaking, but fear not! The long speech appears more daunting and difficult than it really is. In this lesson, you'll see how simple it is to effectively prepare a long speech. This lesson will break down the process of outlining and developing the introduction, body, and conclusion of your next long speech.

Managing Equipment and Media

Friday

In a technologically advanced world, virtually every aspect of life is impacted with media and various forms of technology. Public speaking is no exception. As a public speaker, you may need to manage a number of different kinds of equipment and media during your speech. In the final lesson, you'll learn how to use technology to support your speech, and how to weave your media presentation seamlessly into your speech.

Instructor

Curt Simmons

Curt Simmons, B.A., M.Ed, is a best-selling author, trainer, and multi-media expert. He holds degrees in English and communication studies and has more than 10 years of experience teaching English and writing in the classroom. Additionally, Simmons has authored numerous books on a wide variety of technology topics and has been a technical editor for numerous other titles.