Rob's Speech

Alright...so I attended the speech that Rob gave this afternoon. I was expecting refreshments, but those weren't there, so I decided to focus on the speech instead. It was a good one! He only appeared nervous before he started speaking, but once he began, you could tell that it was a subject that he was passionate about and interested in. The speech began with introducing what "arkay" was and how it came to be. Overall, it was his dissertation from school, and it was a combination of theology, philosophy, and media. Rob talked about the school that he attended in the Swiss Alps, which was really interesting to hear. The student to teacher ratio was about 14:1, and his favorite teacher was Giorgio Agamben. 
After the introduction, Rob went on to talk about the movement of media, and how it is progressing. Quite honestly, he lost me for a bit when he was talking about the pictures with all of the wonky lines...no idea what was going on there. Refreshments arrived at 4:10, but I did not get up to get any because I didn't want to be "that girl". The scientific aspect that I found the most interesting was actually the condom research. Bill Gates has an idea going to make condoms from this new carbon based "wonder material". The condoms made will be cheaper and more effective so that global usage becomes more world wide and more frequently. 
From that point on- Rob went into the concept of "printing" people and other 4-D aspects of our reality life. I have come to the conclusion that I don't care if it is printed or not, I would definitely eat that pizza. No doubts about it!

A Few Notes...
-The guy sitting in front of me was thoroughly annoying me. He wouldn't sit still and kept turning around...I was slightly distracted by him.
-Now that I think about it, I should have grabbed some cheese cubes for the way home.
-I was stuck in traffic for an hour trying to get home to Superior. I think I should get some extra credit for that or something...

Quotes I Enjoyed...
"A paranoid is someone who knows a little of what's going on." -William S. Burroughs
"These days, tales of what Facebook did with its users during the singularity are commonly used to scare naughty children in Wales." -Cory Doctorow
"Just put some A1 on it. We printed the A1 also." -Rob Larson

TED Speech

Joshua Walters

-2011

-This man is a performer...

-Also has been diagnosed as Bipolar

-It feeds his entertaining skills

-His breakthrough episode was when he thought he was actually Jesus

-Sent to a psyche ward

-He has some of the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen.

-Learned to embrace his mental skillness

-Hypomania, engine out of control

-Just be manic enough, so that investors looking at you, want you.

-Maybe no one is really crazy, maybe everyone is just a little bit mad...

-How mad you are depends on how lucky you are.

Henry Evans

-Grew up near St. Louis

-Had 6 siblings

-After high school, he went to Notre Dame 

-Married his high school sweetheart

-Had 4 kids

-Became paralyzed after a stroke

-Became fascinated with technology to help those severely disabled

-Can use a computer with slight head movements

-Your disability doesn't make you any less of a person

-"Check out my sweet ride"

-Henry fully embraced his disability, and turned his life back into something worth living.

-Technology to fly an air drone from 3000 miles away.

-This drone can communicate through motions.

-Advanced technology can provide life.

-Never give up. When life gives you lemons, turn it into something worth while!

The Love Project

Rob Speaks Friday-Let's Prepare!

Here are some things that we can all do to prepare for our speeches! POW!
-Practice
-Having water available supposedly makes you look more professional while speaking.
-Rob will also have mints so that he doesn't stink while talking to people after the speech.
-He will also have a tie on-to keep it classy
We will know it is just "Tom Foolery", but to the real world, it will appear confident.
-Have an outline
-It is acceptable to sit down during a speech if you are speaking for more than 10 minutes
-Scope out the room, and know who your audience is

SIDENOTE: Rob seriously contemplated wearing his clown nose. This isn't looking so good...

ON FRIDAY! 
If we go to Rob's speech, we get 25 XP.
If we write a critical analysis about the speech on our blog, we get 50 XP.
T4119
At 3:40, get there at 3:30!

Rob likes to drink coffee before he speaks, because "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em!"-Rob because if you're nervous, you can at least be jacked up and ready! 

Realistically, if he brought his little baby Ruth with, he would have a lot more people at the speech.

It is okay to be nervous, and chances are you will probably forget all of the preparation steps that we have learned, but hopefully, you have enough knowledge to just wing it.

$1,000,000 Idea Speech: Sources Cited

EXERCISE FIVE: SOURCES CITED

Works Cited

"About St. Jude Children's Research Hospital." Pediatric Cancer Genome Project. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2013.

"Danny Thomas Quotes." BrainyQuote. Xplore, n.d. Web. 03 Dec. 2013.

"Patient and Artist Quotes." Stjude.org. St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, n.d. Web. 03 Dec. 2013.

"Quick Facts about St. Jude." Stjude.org. St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2013.

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital: A Place for Miracles. Fox News. Fox News Network, 29 Nov. 2013. Web. 03 Dec. 2013

$1,000,000 Idea Speech: Speech Outline

EXERCISE THREE: SPEECH OUTLINE

 

Introduction: Introduce the topic, and explain what you will be telling the audience.

A.      Briefly explain the inspiration behind choosing the topic.

B.      Give background information on St. Jude’s.

C.      Present the thesis. Tell the audience what you will be discussing during the presentation. Give 3-5 reasons as to why the million dollars should be given to St. Jude’s.

 

Body: Go into detail of the main points of the speech.

A.      Families do not pay a single cent to St. Jude’s for treatment and care of their child.

a.       81 cents of every dollar goes directly towards treatment and research

b.      St. Jude’s costs 1.8 million dollars to open daily

c.       Donations are the primary financial staple

d.      St. Jude’s treats 260 child patients each day

B.      St. Jude’s protocols have increased childhood survival rates in terminally ill patients from 20% in 1962 to at least 80% today

a.       St. Jude’s is continually improving research and methods

b.      Incredible staff (list a few doctors-Nobel prize)

C.      Personal Experience

a.       Currently going to school for Biology, in preparation for Medical School

b.      Ideally, I would love to go into pediatric oncology-which is specifically treating child cancer patients

c.       Have lost family members to cancer, and it truly a heartbreaking experience. No parent or family should go through the loss of a child to terminal illness. St. Jude’s is constantly developing new techniques with intention of ridding these diseases in full

 

Conclusion: Tell the audience again why St. Jude’s is deserving of the one million dollars. End with quote from Danny Thomas. “All of us are born for a reason, but all of us don't discover why. Success in life has nothing to do with what you gain in life or accomplish for yourself. It's what you do for others.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$1,000,000 Idea Speech: Background Information

EXERCISE TWO: BACKGROUND INFORMATION

 

            Saving a child’s life is worth far more than one million dollars, and by donating to the St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in Edina, Minnesota, I can be doing just that. St. Jude’s is a non-profit hospital that never charges a family for the care and treatment of a sick child. With that in mind, the hospital costs 1.8 million dollars to open and run every single day. Without public donations, St. Jude’s would not be possible. I have witnessed many cases of cancer in my family and with family friends. Seeing how painful the disease is, both physical and mentally, absolutely breaks my heart. No human, let alone a child, should have to endure cancer, and with progress by St. Jude’s, the survival rate in children with various forms of cancer has increased drastically through advanced research and treatment. This treatment is possible with donations. For every dollar given to St. Jude’s, 81 cents is donated to treatment and research for patients, which is why I would donate the entire sum to St. Jude’s.

            St. Jude’s has some of the top medical doctors in the United States working to progress research in childhood illnesses. Dr. Peter Doherty, an immunologist at St. Jude’s won the Nobel Prize in 1996 for development and understanding of viral infection and cancer treatments.  Aside from cancer, St. Jude’s is also treating childhood AIDS, and was the first institution to develop a cure for sickle cell disease via bone marrow transplant. The money I would be donating would be going into the hands of world-renowned doctors that have powerful capabilities in healing children. Knowing that St. Jude’s would be enabling children to survive these terrible diseases is reason enough to donate to their cause.

            I have never wanted to do anything more than to be a doctor. One of my main interests is oncology, which is the treatment and research of cancer. Having experienced that damage that cancer can do to people you love, it is important for me to make a career that can help people, and possibly save cancer patients. Cancer and other terminal illnesses are both aspects we may not be able to control getting; however, with development and research, they are becoming things we can slow down or terminate all together.  With continuous donations, I have full confidence that St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital can progress their research and advance their survival rates to even higher percentages in the years to come. While treating 260 patients each day, St. Jude’s is developing and progressing every day in hopes of ridding childhood cancer and catastrophic illnesses all together.

            There may be nothing more heart breaking than witnessing a child fighting a terminal disease, and as of today, there is not a full blown cure or prevention for these illnesses, and St. Jude’s wants to change that. Donating one million dollars to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital would not only be contributing to a phenomenal cause, it would be fueling a passion of mine, one that can save people’s lives. In a career, I have never wanted anything more than to help people, and I know by donating to St. Jude’s it could be a beginning to a wonderfully rewarding career.

 

 

 

 

$1,000,000 Idea Speech: Exploring Your Passions

EXERCISE ONE: EXPLORING YOUR PASSIONS

1.      Animals: I am an animal lover. I have three dogs at home than I adore more than anything, which is where a lot of my passion comes from. With one million dollars, an organizational charity such as the International Fund for Animal Welfare would be able to rescue so many beautiful animals. I love the idea of donating a large portion of money to benefit helpless animals, and I believe it would make a great difference in preventing animal cruelty, and protecting animals all over the globe.

2.      Volleyball: I am a gym rat. I have been playing volleyball since I was in fourth grade. I am addicted to the sport, and it has been a huge part of my life. Volleyball was always that positive aspect in an otherwise bad day. I loved my team, and I loved the game; with volleyball, everything was good. With one million dollars, I would love to start my own club volleyball program that charged little to no cost for the entry of the club. Volleyball is an expensive sport, and I would love to reach out and grab those girls that cannot afford to play for a high end club. Volleyball should never be denied to anybody, so forming a non-profit club would be an amazing way to give my money to something that I am crazy in love with, and hopefully other girls can fall in love too.

3.     Medicine: Ever since my middle school years, I have wanted to be in a career that involved medicine. Though I haven’t figured out my exact career plan, I know that it will involve helping people in a hospital setting. My family has a long history of cancer, so it is a disease that hits very close to home which is why with one million dollars, I would love to donate all of it to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in Edina, Minnesota. St. Jude’s is an absolutely wonderful gift to families with cancer and other catastrophic illnesses. St. Jude’s does not charge the family to treat the child, and is able to do this through donations. It costs about 1.8 million dollars to keep the hospital open for a day, and if I could be a part of that, it would truly bring me happiness.

 

I have chosen to write my Million Dollar Speech on St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.

Example of Conversation Effectiveness

Hey Al, how are you? I feel like I never see you anymore! 

I am doing well. I just started track today and I think my legs are going to fall off but other than that things are going great! I know I feel like I never see you anymore either and it makes me sad. How are you?

I am tired out. I just started my new job at Dunham's. I had to work Thanksgiving night, Black Friday, and then Saturday and Sunday. I feel like I had absolutely no break at all. How was your break?

Wow that would suck! You sound super busy My break was good but I was ready to come back up here. I got a job at Buckle and I start that tomorrow. How do you like your new job?

You got the Buckle job?! That's awesome. Proud of you My job is okay. I really like the people I work with, but the job isn't all that great. I have to do the cash register a lot which can get boring when I have to be alone. I definitely don't mind the discounts though 

Yes I did! I'm excited and yes mainly for the discounts It's good that you like the people you work with though because it makes the job that much better. 

Yes it does. How is your course audit going? I am working on mine right now, just trying to figure out everything I am missing!

I have gotten a start on all of them, but I have 4 left to finish and it's all the long writing ones! I don't wanna do them! 

Me neither. I am feeling slightly overwhelmed with the audit, group project, and speech! Blahk. Are you excited for the Drake concert?? 

Yes same here. I haven't even started my final speech because all I can think about are those stupid blog assignments But yes I am so so excited for the Drake concert! It's gonna be amazing!

I am so jealous! Take pictures if you can! Does that mean you won't be at the volleyball party on Sunday...

I will be sure to take a ton of pictures! I'll be there for a little while but not for the whole time.

Oh good! I was worried I wasn't going to see your beautiful face. Well lady, I am going to finish up my homework, so I will see you tomorrow! xoxo

Effective Conversation

Media Disclaimer Analysis  



Analyze a disclaimer found in the media. Explain what it is you found, what kind of disclaimer is used, and how it is used.
I found a social media disclaimer for the company Markit. The disclaimer basically said that Markit is not responsible for the information that the authors on the social media site write. Markit is not responsibile for anything inaccurate or invalid that is written. 
The disclaimer is used to protect Markit from outside comments against the social media, and it is stated that whatever is written, is not an endorsement for Markit. 

Does the disclaimer work in this case, and how would the message change if there wasn’t a disclaimer?
Because of the disclaimer, I think the site is clearly protected from negative outside views via social media. Without the disclaimer, many individuals would be writing in, or possibly boycotting Markit because of things written. 

        

                          


Lesson 4: Extra Credit



In what ways do you feel an individual could gain an improved understanding of others by obtaining better mindfulness in communication? 

-Mindfulness is the state of awareness in which we are conscious of the logics and rationality of our behaviors and assumptions. In order to increase mindfulness, one must become aware of why you do or think what you do, one must act with awareness, and one must develop beliefs and attitudes mindfully. Mindfulness is what allows us to push past stereotypes and assumptions to understand a person better. The textbook gives an example of a cancer patient. It is common knowledge that cancer is not contagious, and will not be spread to somebody through contact; however, a person not practicing mindfulness might be skeptical to touch that ill person, just in case it might pass. A person’s true judgment may be clouded by society’s view of things, but being mindful can clear that up so a person can make decisions on their own. Once a person obtains mindfulness, a conversation can take place to understand and listen to what the other converser has to say, and what kind of person they might be. Another example from the textbook states that one may assume that if a person is blind; their other senses may be impaired too, so one should raise their voice in talking to them. This isn’t true, and most people know this. When one is in a mindful state, they will look past the disability to get to know the other person through effective conversation. I recently experienced a scenario of this while working on Black Friday. A man came into Dunham’s , where I work, wanted to buy a new pair of Crocs shoes. This man was in a wheelchair, and seemed to have a physical disability with the lower half of his body. He asked for my assistance, and if I have been in a clouded state of mindlessness, I would have been skeptical in helping him, thinking maybe it could spread to me, but I did not think that way. This man asked for my help, and I was going to give him my advice and service. I helped him try on different shoes, and helped him pick out the right size and color. He was so appreciative of my help that he gave me a little keychain gift. I learned that when you open your mind to being mindful, you can meet a lot of very nice people that you may not have wanted to associate with before!


Conversation Effectiveness  

View figure 7.3. (Unit 7, page 158.)

-There are five stages in the general conversation process: opening, feedforward, business, feedback, and closing. The first stage is opening which is typically starts a conversation with a friendly greeting. In face to face interactions, the opening stage may involve a verbal greeting, or it may involve a non-verbal sign to initiate the conversation. The second stage of conversation is the feedforward stage. In this phase, there is a question that initiates further conversation. This could be as simple as "Nice weather out, isn't it?" Feedforward is a preview of what the conversation path may take. Thirdly, the business step occurs when the conversation is based around a career or business setting. These talks have a goal in mind, to accomplish a professional aspect. Feedback is the fourth stage in conversation; which is the opposite of feedforward. Feedback is reflecting back on the conversation. This stage typically happens in response to what the other person is saying or an experience that has just happened. The fifth and final stage of conversation is the closing. Closing is essentially the good-bye/the ending of the conversation. Like opening, this could be verbal or non-verbal, but it ultimately says "I am done talking." 

Speaker Cues 11: I generally don't like to have the spotlight as a speaker, and I don't like to interrupt or jump in suddenly in a conversation. My speaker skills are not exactly top notch.

Listener Cues 5

Immediacy 2: I smile A LOT. I like to ask a lot of questions about the other person, and discuss things we have in common.
Flexibility 4
Small Talk 3: This kind of goes along with Immediacy. I am fairly good at bringing up small talk in conversations. I don't have a problem in asking how people are, and what they are up to.
Introducing People 8
Compliment
-giving 1: I am very verbal with giving out compliments. If I like somebody's shoes, I will tell them! I like handing out compliments because they make people feel good about themselves.
-receiving 9
Advice
-giving 6
-receiving 7
Excuse 12: If I say something unexpected or inappropriate, I become easily embarrassed and turn red. I don't like having the attention all on me, especially in a negative way, and I tend to shut down in those situations. 
Apology 10: I don't like to admit that I am wrong, especially if I regret saying or doing what has been said or done. I am not great at apologizing for anything. 

The Self In Culture



1) Initial Response: How do you define your Self-Concept and Self-Awareness within your culture? Are you 'Ethnocentric'? What is your emotional response to outside cultures? 

In the United States, I think it is becoming more important for young women to become confident in self-awareness and concept. It is also important to be courteous of other people. I am aware of my actions, thoughts, and words in regards to other individuals. I would not define myself as ethnocentric. I don't view my culture as superior, and I definitely don't believe that my way of living is the only right way to live. Outside cultures fascinate me! I want to visit them all just to understand them better. 

        

2) Follow-up Feedback: Encouragement is am important part of discussion enhancement. Why did you choose to encourage the response of your chosen classmate? What is it about their response that made you choose them for your follow-up?

I found that Michaela also did this assignment, so I found her response to the above question. It was interesting to learn that she is very set in her religious ways, because I am not. I enjoyed reading that she is also very interested in other cultures, and she described it perfectly-it is all about curiosity! 

Websites

www.easybib.com
www.bibme.com
-The two sites above are both easy tools to build a work cited page. It is a great tool in building a full bibliography.
www.blogger.com
-Blogger is what I am on right now! I use it just about daily to do my daily blog work for the class.
www.linkedin.com
-I am recently LinkedIn. It is basically Facebook for the professional world! It is actually pretty cool how you can connect with people in your field of work, and how easy it is to create a resume.
www.mycommunicationlab.com
-This is the website that basically goes along with the textbook. It has videos and examples of what the text is talking about.
www.allthetests.com
-This is a really fun site! It has a bunch of different tests and quizzes for basically anything from "Does your crush like you?" to IQ tests. 
www.queendom.com/tests
-This is another test website that has a variety of personality and other tests that you can take. Queendom also includes career tests which can be very helpful.
www.psychologytoday.com
-This one is a bit boring to me. It is basically all about psychology.You can find a therapist, so there's that I guess...
www.main.nc.us/cml
-Citizens for Media Literacy. This is a site for a non-profit organization that is linking citizenship to media literacy in the growing media world.
www.mediaed.org
-Media Education Foundation. This site is all about documentaries and different medias that you can watch and purchase.
www.fun-with-words.com/acronyms.html
-This would have been a useful site when I first starting using sites such as MySpace and Facebook. It gives every acronym known on social media!
www.asha.org/public/speech/development/communicatingold.htm
-This was a source site that was used in the textbook. It gives good tips on how to communicate effectively with people hard of hearing.
www.netlingo.com
-This is another site that gives acronyms for social media, but it also gives different definitions and lingo used online.
http://hbswk.hbs.edu/archive/3481.html
-This is the Harvard Business School Working Knowledge site. It is used in Chapter 7 for stating why apologies are useful.

Never Enough Time For Sentimentality

LISTENING: Never Important Enough

       
(Dis)Confirmation - "Reflection of Ethics"



Complete the Lesson 3 assignment “Reflection of Ethics” on page 142 in the textbook Human Communication.
Ethical Choice Point
-Since Pat is a friend, I would first confront her about the lying. It isn't fair to anybody. Pat is cheating me, the company, and even herself by claiming she is capable of certain tasks. If she insists on handing in her resume as is, she is not fulfilling her own ethical obligations as a friend and employee. For myself, and the company's best interest, I should inform them of the deceitful resume that Pat is portraying; but because she is a friend, the decision becomes more difficult. I think that if Pat is willing to cheat me out of a job after the confrontation, she doesn't deserve the job anyways. At this point I would probably give her an ultimatum, or just let it go and move on. 

        

         1) Initial Response: Give a two-minute editorial addressing the difference between confirmation and disconfirmation as they relate to communication. 

        -Confirmation is a communication pattern in which another person's presence is acknowledged and accepted in a group scenario. Disconfirmation is essentially the opposite of confirmation; it is the process of ignoring another person or denying acceptance of that person due to their sex, race, or other discriminatory aspects. An example of disconfirmation is present in the Amish community. If a member of the society violates a rule or moral, the entire community will "shun" the violator. Disconfirmation is an act of ignoring somebody that has supposedly done wrong in hopes that they become more like you. Disconfirmation is seen in racism, hetero-sexism, ageism, and sexism. There are many ways in which one can avoid disconfirmation-yet it is still apparent in today's society. In racism, disconfirmation will exist in both individual and institutional levels-both may involve knowledge of discrimination, but racism can occur unconsciously. In heterosexism, like racism, individual and institutional patterns may occur. Heterosexism is often seen in religious settings and takes place when a certain individual or group believes that gay men or lesbian women are deserving of condemnation because their sexual preferences are wrong. Ageism is seen commonly in younger people. Ageism refers to the prejudice behaviors that one holds against an age group. In some Asian and African cultures, elders are viewed as respected, but that is not the case in many other worlds. Slang is used often times to represent the views against older people such as "old hag" or "old coot". This same view can be reversed with older people looking down on "irresponsible hooligans". Sexism is another aspect of disconfirmation. Sexism can be an issue in the work place, or even during everyday tasks.With all forms of disconfirmation, it often times goes unnoticed by the offender.
            Confirming messages will often times build up a relationship with positive reinforcement whereas disconfirmation will give an individual a bad first impression, and will likely damage a relationship.

        

         2) Follow-up Feedback: Use encouragement as in Lesson 2. Pick a student editorial that you believe is particularly strong. (VISIT SOMEONE ELSE’S BLOG!) Use their comments section to make our comment. In addition to encouragement, pick a phrase or sentence from the student's editorial and elaborate on it. Strengthen the student's editorial with your comment.  

-   

           First off, disconfirmation is a form of communication where you would ignore the feelings and messages that they convey. Confirmation is the exact opposite, this is where you sympathize with the other person and acknowledge their opinions and feelings. The main differences between confirmation and disconfirmation in communication is that disconfirmation takes many terrible forms such as racism where someone discriminates against someone else of a different race through racist language and non-verbal hate gestures. Other examples of disconfirmation are ageism, where certain age groups are discriminated against for age group qualities. Other forms include heterosexism and sexism. All of which make communication difficult and are vulgar ways to exclude fellow human beings. Confirmation takes multiple forms as well. These forms can be especially effective when you take into account cultural identifiers, such as race, nationality, age, and sex. Becoming sensitive to these characteristics, allows communication to take a confirmation path.

This is Michaela Campbell's blog for this section. I highlighted the section that I commented on. I liked her use of strong language and connotations to deliver the message of how negative disconfirmation is.

        

                          

       
Nonverbal Communication  

Write 100-300 words using complete sentences, proper grammar, and correct spelling. 

        

         Describe some of your 'staple' non-verbal expressions. Do you believe you are easily understood when employing these expressions? What are the advantages/disadvantages of these expressions relative to speech?


Personally, I use a lot of sassy non-verbal expressions. From how I stand, to the way I raise my eyebrows, my personality shines through a lot. I think I am understood in certain situations, but when I am first meeting people, things get a bit muddled. I will often times stand with my hands on my hips with my hip popped out to the side. This pose can come off as dramatic and diva-like. In reality, it is just the comfiest way for me to stand! The advantage of using my sassy expressions is that people can get a sense of who I am, but the disadvantage of that is that it may seem overbearing at times. My facial expressions are another non-verbal that can tell a lot. I use sarcasm quite often, and that can come across in my face when I don't necessarily mean it to. If I am thinking a retort, it may show on my face. This can go along with the diva-like attitude, but truthfully, I am just thinking through my facial expressions.

        

       
Creative Critical Thinking - Listening  



Complete the Lesson 3 assignment: “Building Communication Skills” exercise on page 109 in the textbook Human Communication.

Hot--Warm--Tepid--Lukewarm--Chilly--Cold--Frozen
High--Medium--Low--Lower--Lowest? (I can't even think of anything other in between these two!)
Good---Fair--Average--Poor--Bad
Popular--Cool--Invisible--Uncool--Unpopular
Sad--Unhappy--Okay--Good--Happy 

It is safe to say that it is easier to look for the extremes in life. In people and situations, it is a lot harder to pick out the middle ground in descriptions. People have a tendency to use extreme words such as good or bad, but never anything in between. 

        

         Answer the following: “Do you listen to people differently depending on the person speaking? Does your location or setting impact your listening potential?”

-Yes. I hate to say that I do, but I do. It is not necessarily the people talking, but the situation and topic being spoken about. Quite honestly, as long as the speaker presents a unique conversation, I have no problem listening to the content. If the conversation is about something that intrigues me, or is just interesting in general, I will listen intently about what is being said. At times, it doesn't matter what the topic is if I am in a positive or upbeat mood, I am capable of listening more effectively; however, the same goes for me when I am in a negative, tired, or low mood in which I am hardly capable of listening to anyone or anything. If the topic is related to something which is boring to me, or is repetitive, I have a harder time listening to that speaker. With people that I am familiar with, I will often times tune in on certain parts of the speech and tune out others. The more familiar I am with an individual, the more I can predict which route the conversation will most likely take. With an unfamiliar speaker, I feel that I spend the beginning portion of the speech is figuring out what is being said and what direction the speaker is taking. From there, I can relax and more-so enjoy what is being said. In a setting where there is little distraction from the speaker, I can generally focus more on what is being said. If there is a lot of distraction around me, I cannot always listen.  

        

       
Extra Credit  



What are some of the benefits of effective listening? 
-Effective listening is a wonderful way to get to know people. By listening and absorbing the information that somebody is telling you, you are able to build a relationship by remembering and using what you have learned. Effective listening is also respectful! In a formal or business setting, it is important to take in and understand the information you are being given. Another benefit of effective listening is personal. Listening intently gives you better understandings of directions which can help you succeed in assignments and other tasks.

        

         The answer to this question should be in the form of a short essay of fewer than 200 words

Abstract, Citation, Repeat

IFAW

"Home | IFAW - International Fund for Animal Welfare." Home | IFAW - International Fund for Animal Welfare. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2013. <http://www.ifaw.org/united-states>.

In order to achieve IFAW’s vision of a world where animals are respected and protected, we follow key principles in our hands-on projects with animals and in our advocacy work to secure better animal welfare protection in policy, legislation and society:

•    It should be recognised that animals have intrinsic value and are sentient beings.
•    Policy should be based on sound science and the ethical treatment of animals.
•    Conservation decisions should be guided by ecological sustainability and biological sustainability, the ethical treatment of animals and the precautionary principle

By stating the guidelines and policies used by IFAW, the listener can see how effective the charity program really is, and what the goals of the program are.

IRC

"Emergency Response Relief." Emergency Response Team & Emergency Relief. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2013. <http://www.rescue.org/our-work/emergency-response>.

When natural disasters strike or conflicts erupt, the IRC delivers lifesaving assistance to families in urgent need.

This quote found on the blog written by the IRC gives a strong statement about what the program does. 

St. Jude's

"Quick Facts about St. Jude." Quick Facts about St. Jude. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2013. <http://www.stjude.org/stjude/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=434d1976d1e70110VgnVCM1000001e0215acRCRD&vgnextchannel=ee58ebc7a7319210VgnVCM1000001e0215acRCRD>.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital investigators prove that an immune marker predicts transplant success and improves selection of bone marrow donors (Dr. Wing Leung)

This direct quote from the site gives examples of the work that St. Jude's does. It gives a positive outcome that can give power to my speech and grab listeners' attention. 

**All sources were important in these topics because they were the actual site for the organization. There are real numbers and facts that are reliable.