Final Reflection

Final Reflection

Overall the past 9 weeks has been a new learning curve for me. I have learnt and participated within activities that I never would have attempted if I wasn’t enrolled within this course. Speaking has always terrified me, whether it is speaking into a camera or in front of a big or small audience. However after working my way through the assigned activities, I believe that I have slowly overcome this fear. This can be seen through the activities that were completed within weeks 1, 3, 4, 7 and 9. During these weeks I was asked to either read or write a speech and then record myself speaking it. At the beginning of these weeks I wasn’t confident with my voice. In my reflections of these tasks I wrote that I spoke way too fast and due to this my voice wasn’t clear and I stumbled and skipped certain words. However when competing each new activity, I focused on these weakness and slowly became more confident with speaking. If it wasn’t for the repetition with these tasks I don’t think I would be as confident with my speaking.

At this stage of the course I feel that I have a better understand towards speaking and script writing. Before undertaking the activities within this course I would have never completed a fully written script. This could have been due to the fact that I wouldn’t have had the first clue on how to write a proper script. However after learning about the different types of speeches and what they entail, whether they are prepared speeches that inform an audience or if they are on the spot speeches that reflect or state a topic, each of these speeches require a different type of scripting. While I definitely believe my script writing has improved greatly due to the activities within this course, I still believe and know that I have a long way to go before mastering and perfecting my script writing abilities.

Another aspect of this course that I have found most useful was the idea that we display our work within the form of a blog. By breaking down the activities over a 9 week course, I found the activities not so daunting and more manageable. If I were to have seen this same task to be submitted within a different format (for example showing these activities within a word document, etc) I believe it would have felt more overwhelming. Another useful idea about blogging my work was that I got to see my progression over the 9 weeks. I was able to see my skills with speaking and scripting grow and develop throughout my blog, as it was all together in the order I competed it. My final reason as to why I found blogging my journey useful was that it helped me to develop and improve my blogging skills. This can be seen as I have learnt a range of different ways to upload videos, links and pictures within my blog that I didn’t know how to do before. For example I have slowly started to develop my skills within Sound cloud and Slide share, two useful and available programs I have never used or thought I could use before this course.

Overall after completing each of the different activities over the last 9 weeks, I feel more confident and have a much greater understanding of the requirements for Assessment Task 2. When I first read what I needed to do for Assessment Task 2, I had so much doubt within myself and was convinced that I wasn’t going to be able to complete the task as I had little to know idea what I had to do. However has I progressed throughout the final stages of my blog, I have gained a better and much clearer understanding of what is expected for the final assessment task. It was throughout the weeks 8 and 9 that I was able to understand the tasks that would later need to be completed. By starting to plan and discuss the task, most of my unanswered questions were addressed. While I do have a couple of questions and inquires remaining, I do have a starting point to work from and unlimited help from not only the course coordinator about also the help from my peers within the course forum.

Therefore overall with regards to the activities completed within my blog, I feel that I have gained and developed a range of new skills and greatly improved my understanding towards speaking and script writing (which I never would have been able to do if it wasn’t for the activities within this course).