- Write
- Run
- Cry when you need to
- See one new thing every day
- Start a book
- Pick out new shoes
- Try new foods
- Talk to strangers
- Feel every feeling; they exist for a reason
- Practice Gratitude
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Draft 1: Instructions
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Project 1 — Reflection
What were the main intellectual goals of the assignment? Please situate these goals in terms of the course theme and in terms of the communication strategies you were to learn or practice.
The goals of this assignment were to prompt self-awareness, personal growth, and vulnerability. My stated goal was to improve my nonverbal communication skills, and organizing this video forced me to begin honing this underdeveloped muscle. This project asked each person to be quite vulnerable with one another. While this made me uneasy, this skill is vital and particularly pertinent to the personal essay.
2. What is your argument or purpose? How did you make the argument or purpose visible and persuasive in your artifact?
My purpose was to institute accountability with my peers as I work to strengthen my presenting skills. In my video, I very clearly outlined my struggles and an action plan to improve this shortcoming. These more direct and serious sections were deliberately interspersed with more lighthearted portions and visuals to provide a window into my personality. My goal was to be direct in my video while remaining personal and authentic.
3. Who is the intended audience for your artifact; why is this an appropriate audience? How is your choice of audience reflected in your artifact?
My intended audience is our section of English 1101. This choice of audience is reflected in my piece because I took deliberate lengths to ensure my work was entertaining as well as informative. Additionally, I used this assignment as an opportunity to share a bit about my identity with a relatively new group of peers to kickstart our relationships.
4. What are the defining features of the genre or media that you are using in this project? How do you make use of these features?
The form of a video allows you to mix a variety of media and methods of communication. I took advantage of this by mixing clips talking directly to the audience, a photo montage, video examples, voice-overs, and closed captions.
5. If you had more time for revision, what would you change and why?
If I had more time, I would have reshot the video to be landscape style. I began my video creation process by shooting the photos for my outfit changing montage. It was not till after I had uploaded approximately twenty of my photos to the editing software that I realized that because of those pictures, I would have to continue shooting in the vertical format for the sake of continuity. Furthermore, I would like to better balance the audio.
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Final Draft — Project 1 — First Week Video
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Draft 1 — First Week Video
Script:
Hi, my name is Abigail Mullin. My hometown is Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and this semester I am taking English 1101, Travel and the Personal Essay, with Dr. Lux. My major is Materials Science and Engineering, and I plan to pursue a concentration in biomaterials. An element of WOVEN communication that I could certainly improve upon is the nonverbal component. Presenting in front of others evokes my anxiety long before I am in front of an audience. This worry about how I am being perceived manifests in trivial ways such as indecision about how to style my hair, what outfit to wear, and what shade of nail polish might make the best impression, but it also has more profound effects on my nonverbal presenting confidence. At times, I can feel my hands quiver uncontrollably, or I might feel a bit queasy. These sensations bring me out of the moment and prevent me from allocating focus to important presentation skills like eye contact, relevant gestures, proper posture, and using an engaging tone of voice. During high school, I particularly struggled when presenting at all school assemblies. These presentations all pertained to topics I was passionate about, but my anxiety severely diminished my enjoyment of the experiences and ability to meaningfully connect to my audience. One way I have strategized to overcome this challenge is to practice in front of small groups of people I know well. Their friendly faces should provoke less anxiety, which will enable me to intentionally practice my nonverbal communication skills. I have faith in this plan because during class presentations, where I felt extremely comfortable with the instructor and group of my peers, I felt more grounded and able to confidently and effectively present my ideas.
abigailblog 