Constructive Critique on Public Speaking Essay Example for Free

Constructive Critique on Public Speaking Essay Dr. Pausch lost his battle with cancer, but his legacy lives on through his achievements and in the countless number of students who were fortunate to learn from such an extraordinary individual. Dr. Randy Pausch was a widely respected professor from the University of Carnegie Mellon. He co-founded the entertainment technology center in 1999 and he spearheaded the creation of the Alice Project, a program that aids in the learning of computer science academics. Dr. Pausch has received numerous accolades from his work and dedication to his students. He has appeared on many television shows like Good Morning America and the Oprah show. To this day people are still recounting the lessons learned from Dr. Pausch. In a recent video interview highlighted on the Oprah’s website, one lady stated what she thought was so meaningful to her about Dr. Pausch and his lectures as his amazing outlook on life and his appreciation for every aspect of his life. These qualities are witness in his 2008 lecture nicknamed the Last Lecture. Throughout the lecture Dr. Pausch showcased his ability to reach out to his audience. He and captured their imagination with his humor and enthusiasm despite begin diagnosed with cancer six months earlier. Because of the importance and popularity of this inspiring lecture I will provide a critique of Dr. Pausch ability to deliver his massage to his audience and analyze his public speaking mechanics. More specifically I will look at the way he keeps the audience engaged and what are the areas he could improve. Strengths noted: From the moment the lecture began I was hooked. Dr. Pausch did not waste any time keeping the audience engaged and keeping them marveling at the foundations of his strength despite his diagnosis. After the standing applause, Dr. Pausch told his listeners to â€Å"make me earn†. This mindset shows that he cares about the message that he was about to give and the message that the audience was about to receive. He also started his lecture with this question which I though was the glue to the seats. His question was fundamental in keeping them engaged and thinking. â€Å"If you had one last lecture to give to the world before you died what would it be?† From this point on, If this was Dr. Pausch last lecture I wanted the hear it. Thereafter, He gave a back story in the lecture which to thought was helpful to the audience member that did not know his circumstances. One of the tactic in his lecture that I though was the most important is he told the audience what he was not going to talked about. This eliminated all guessing and left no room for disappointment. I thought that I was public speaking brilliances. Pausch visual media kept the focus of the lecture and was very easy to follow and understand. It was clear, concise and to the point. He also has props. He voice was evenly tone and he spoke as if he was just engaging in a normal conversation. Additionally Dr. Pausch humor seemed to be naturel; he kept his audience laughing throughout the lecture which I think helped them to stay uninterested. Last but not less, I love that the lecture was not just a lecture to the audience but a lecture to his children. Knowing that he passed away made that lecture much more intimate and could be used as a blueprint for all parents to help their children achieve their dreams. Areas to improve: Connecting to the audience is definitely Dr. Pausch strong suit but sometimes he did get off topic a little bit. Because he is such a dynamic person I understand that it can be easy to get caught telling your person story rather than sticking to the topic. I noticed Dr. Pausch did get off topic a few times and told a few side bar stories but not too much that would have downgraded the lectures quality. Conclusion: I my introduction I highlight the accomplishment of DR. Pausch; the inspirational professor from Carnegie Mellon University. I was instructed to write a critique about his â€Å"last lecture;† that focused on the strength and the areas of improvement. In the strengths the most important aspect about the lecture is that Dr. Pausch keeps the audience entirely engaged throughout. Dr Pausch spoke for 72 min with the complete attention of his audience. In the strengths of my critique I was able to show this by highlighting the various tactics that were used. For example the question he asked in the beginning of the lecture was one tactic and his great sense of humor was another. Areas of improve were hard to find but the only time I found any in the lecture was when Dr. Pausch gets off topic a few times; other than that the lecture was flawless. Unfortunately we lost Dr. Pausch too soon but his lesson will live forever. Everyone can learn something from his willingness live life to the fullest no matter what god has in store for you. The one quote that stands out to me in the lecture is â€Å"you can’t change the cards we are dealt just how we play the hand† Bibliography http://www.cmu.edu/randyslecture/story/index.html http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Lessons-Learned-from-Randy-Pausch-Video http://www.etc.cmu.edu/site/

Exploration of Bondage in Middle Passage Essay -- essays research pape

Bondage can be defined as a state of subjection to a force, power, or influence or the state of being under the control of another person. Throughout the novel Middle Passage, written by Charles Johnson, bondage is a reoccurring theme. The characters in the novel are bonded physically, emotionally, or psychologically. Some characters are bonded and can not escape their bondage. Others choose to place themselves in the situations. Throughout the course of the novel, some of the characters gain their freedom and move forward with their lives. Other characters are never able to gain their freedom because their lives end in death.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Within the first page of the book we are introduced to Rutherford Calhoun, an ex-slave. He has been recently freed and has chosen to settle down in New Orleans. According to Rutherford, â€Å"New Orleans wasn’t just home. It was heaven†(2). Rutherford is in search of living the life of what he envisions as a free man: happy and self-directed. However, Rutherford finds himself bonded to new things. As scholar Barbara Z. Thaden asserts, â€Å"Rutherford discovers that his freedom is only a different type of slavery† (254). Thaden also notes, Rutherford leads â€Å"a life of petty crime, drinking, womanizing, and running from commitment of any kind† (254). He becomes bonded to gambling, stealing, and debt. As scholar Ashraf H.A. Rushdy argues, â€Å"gaining his freedom has only trapped him further into the futile struggle to preserve and promote his individuality† (375).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In New Orleans, Rutherford becomes a petty thief. He says that he â€Å"looked for honest work† but â€Å"found nothing† so he stole (3). Rutherford also says that stealing was â€Å"a way to shake off stress and occupy his hands† (103). As scholar Ashraf H.A. Rushdy notes, â€Å"stealing, for Rutherford, is more than an occupation: it is a philosophy†(376). As a child, Reverend Peleg Chandler â€Å"[noticed] the stickiness of his fingers†(3). In order to gain access aboard the Republic, Rutherford steals Josiah Squibb’s paper and continues his habit of stealing throughout the voyage.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Rutherford also becomes bonded to gambling and as a result, ends up in debt. Rutherford would play card games â€Å"that lasted three days and nights†(7). Because he lost most of the card games he played and used what money he had to play card games, ... ...i were bonded to slavery. They had to give up their freedom to become bonded to the Republic as slaves. They were treated harshly and their only choice to escape their enslavement was mutiny. The Allmuseri were also bonded to their beliefs. Thaden illustrates that Johnson had â€Å"inscribed into the Allmuseri mindset many classical Buddhist beliefs†(255). The Allmuseri believed that the ship was condemned to death because they had allowed themselves to kill so many of the whites.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As scholar Barbara Z. Thaden expresses, â€Å"Rutherford learns on his voyage that the more people escape the bonds of others, the more trapped they become in bondage to their own egos†(257). Johnson shows throughout the novel that no man is truly free of bonds and that freedom doesn’t exist without bondage. Rutherford gains a new idea of freedom as a result of his experience aboard the Republic while Falcon, bonded to his ego, never gains freedom because he takes his own life. As scholar Ashraf H.A. Rushdy suggests, â€Å"Rutherford learns that bonds and connections are a matter of surrender to another order of being, and are not simply determined by racial or biological destiny† (377).

Post Modern Society Essay

Social change is the central focus in most of the founding thinkers of sociology’s work. This social change is based on the conceptualization of history as an evolution. According to these sociologists, a modern society arises as a result of the inevitable consequence of the growth of knowledge and understanding especially in the field of science and rationality. However, there are no clear indications on when a society can be viewed as having moved from one stage of modernity to the next. A characteristic of the present society which is astonishing does not lie in its level of industrialization but on its level of integration across various cultures. (Holmes, Hughes & Julian 34) Social integration is a phenomenon that has received much popularity in the last decade. The entire human race has achieved a level of cultural cohesion that has not been realized before. The traditional cultural boundaries are slowly dissolving and a new universal culture is emerging. The differences in religion, color, ideology, tradition and perception are slowly merging. The society is adopting a general culture which is characterized by a uniformity in norms, values and beliefs. In all the six continents, there is a growing trend in information technology which perpetuates cultural diffusion. Today, individuals of diverse cultural background can easily interact through such mediums like the internet. Efficiency in the transport system has resulted in more people coming into contact with each other. However, it has been difficult to classify this current trend owing to its multifaceted nature. Such terms like modern, postmodern, global and cosmopolitan have been used frequently to describe this current trend. Even though all these terms may be used to describe some of its characteristics, in most cases, their use is normally interchanged. We may not be very far from the truth should we adopt to refer to the current human population as belonging to the same society and cultural orientation. In its actual definition, society can be termed as an interacting group of people with a common sense of identity and culture, living within a particular geographical region. Giddens 2)With this regard, I will consider the planet earth a geographical region. Sociologist have drawn together a number of elements that characterize a modern society. These elements are dominant in the contemporary world and they include the rise of science, the decline of religion, industrialization, mass communication, bureaucracy, division of labor, urbanization and an increasing comprehension of the various aspects of the human life. However, these characteristics fail to capture the complete picture this time. Bureaucracy was a 17th Century invention. Industrialization even though a characteristic of this society does not really distinguish it from the 18th Century ages and therefore cannot be a distinct factor in classifying this society. We also cannot say that we are experiencing the rise of science. We are actually in the midst of science. In other words, this society cannot be described by these elements that sociologists stated. Thus, we are living at a time of transition mainly characterized by a change of perception towards life. This change of perception is a universal element which has passed through every society consciously or unconsciously. The human society is living at the age of post modernism. (Hall and McGrew 13) In the present society, there is a general belief that no single universally agreed upon principle of belief and organization exists. Even though there is remarkable progress in science, there is a general position that it has failed to give explanation and control to various aspects of the society. Another characteristic of this time which is an element of post modernism is the fragmentation of academic disciplines. There is no single paradigm which explains the human condition in the society. Post modernism itself means different things to different thinkers. Being a relatively current theory of society, various sociologists remark that it is an attempt to falsify sociology’s founding father’s work. As a theory of society, its basic premise is that social history has progressed in a way that the founders of sociology did not conceptualize. The founders of sociology held the view that history may end with industrialization while actually it has progressed by it. However, this progress has led to confusion about the nature and the subsequent direction of the society. The founding fathers could not conceptualize the current system which is characterized by the rise of relativity and the decline of absolute truth. With an increase in interactions coupled with the breaking of cultural and social barriers, the present society has lost purpose and direction. Post modernity best describe this time because the society has developed an attitude in which there are no certain truths about the world. This has led to modification and subsequent incorporation of various ideologies across all cultures. With regard to art, there exists a universality in appreciation and expression across all cultures. Different artistic styles are coordinated and incorporated in a single element thereby building a unique cultural system which integrates different elements in various cultural practices into one. For instance, music is a blend of various tunes from different regions, the construction of buildings follow popular designs and more different races work towards the same goals. The society has moved from state characterized by industrialization and urbanization to a state of human integration and purpose. The representation of society through multifaceted and diverse cultures has made the world to be a powerful yet confused in its understanding of life. This is the society that we live in today. The concept of post modernity is a recent one which was introduced in the arts and architecture. Today, it has spread across the various aspects of life and is yet to be accepted as the general name for this period in the history of the human society. The development of the post modern society traces its roots on the historical processes of the great transformation and modernity. Its existence in our world today cannot be denied. The period which was marked by the processes of industrialization and the expansion of capitalism saw the beginning of an era of modernity. (Krieken, Habibis, Smith, Hutchins, Haralambos, & Holborn 65). This era continued through the last century and today, we are experiencing a change in the human society. The accumulation of the process of change has resulted into this period which can justifiably be termed post modernism. The society has evolved to the extent that new conceptions and structures are developing that are bound to replace the existing ones. As much as we may refer to it as global, cosmopolitan or multicultural society, one apparent thing is that it has evolved from the society that existed prior to the invention of advanced information technology. This can only be referred to as a post modern society.

Influence Of Peer Pressure On Adolescent Alcoholism

Influence of Peer Pressure on adolescent Alcoholism Wedad Aljari Indiana State University 12/8/2014 Influence of Peer Pressure on adolescent Alcoholism The social influence that I have identified is peer pressure in alcoholism. Allen, Fretz, et. al (2008) explain that the increased use of alcohol among adolescents can be related directly to peer pressure. This stand is supported by Bourke (2010) of ABC News who reports that teenagers usually end up drinking alcohol even when they do not plan or want to just so that they can be counted as part of the crowd. She identifies this as peer pressure coupled with the desire to belong (Bourke, 2010). The two stands that have been described lead us directly to the definition of peer pressure and why it is a social influence. Peer pressure can be described as the influence that a person gets from his or her peers that makes him or her to engage in activities that he or she probably would not have engaged in. one such activity is drinking of alcohol. Whereas many adolescents understand that they are not supposed to drink alcohol, they usually end up doing so anyway because their friends and peers have influence on such decisions more than they do. Therefore, peer pressure is a social influence since it involves influencing somebody’s thoughts and actions through their peer (social) circle. This is a common phenomenon that happens within many education systems as students try to influence each other. Peer pressure inShow MoreRelatedYouth Addiction Alcohol : Causes And Concerns1544 Words   |  7 Pagesand drink alcoholic beverages at social events. In fact, it may even be considered â€Å"uncool† or â€Å"lame† to attend or host a dry social event in today’s society. 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