Discussion Topic: MindTap

Hi. I hope everyone is now up and running and has full access (purchased) to MindTap. Please email me if you are having any issues logging in. We are going to be doing almost all of our work in this MindTap environment, so if you haven't been able to purchase the access code yet, please find a way to do so. 

I will need to review and enable those functions which are up to the instructor to activate. In the meantime, I've set up an account for myself with Pathbrite. Please click on the Pathbrite logo and follow the instructions to set up an account. Once you set up an account, click on the "About Me" tab and you will see a group of questions. These questions can be a great way for us to launch into our first, narrative speech. I will try to enable a similar, maybe a more detailed, function in MindTap, in the place we were looking at in class, where the Informative and Persuasive speeches are set up to help you create those speeches. Between the Pathbrite, a Narrative speech-builder in MindTap (provided we can enable that), and maybe some class time for you to share ideas in small groups to help prepare your first speech, I think we can get going on this.

I would like to find a good forum online where we can all share our experiences with using MindTap, not only problems but especially what we are learning. We can share these in class verbally, but there isn't that much class time, and it's good to have an ongoing shared space online. If you have any ideas for this, please let me know. The old Portal (Jenzabar) had a great Collaboration section for that. I think there is an equivalent area in Canvas, so that's probably what we'll need to use. I don't think MindTap really has a place for that, although we can create groups within MindTap, and we should be able to share written expression there.

OK, I hope you are working on all 3 levels: (1) watching TV, listening to radio, socializing with friends, using social media, browsing the Web, etc., (2) putting effort into studying with our class materials (the MindTap textbook, analyzing speeches within MindTap, etc.), and (3) exploring, discovering, speculating, and creating your own ideas, thoughts, words, organization, techniques, etc., to give your own speeches (and share in small group and large group discussions in class. 

Just keep doing these 3 things, and use each one and apply it to the others. So, if you learn something from watching, analyzing, and responding to MindTap videos, bring that awareness and knowledge to whatever you are doing in (1). Then, when you are doing (1), you might get some ideas you can apply to (3)... and so on... We will basically keep working in this way throughout the course, while we also work our way through the content/topics of of speech communication as represented in the textbook, and work our way through our own 4 speech types. Along the way, we will have lots of fun, learn a lot about one another, about speech communication, about a lot of things in the real world, and maybe most of all--about ourselves! And it will be very nice to keep some video documentation of these events, especially the student speeches. You wouldn't believe how good you can be, and once you give a speech and don't videotape it, it gets lost, so I would urge you to get it on video. You don't always have to release it to the group, or even watch it, but knowing you have it for possible later use, or even memory, is very significant, I feel. I hope you get comfortable with this quickly, so we don't lose some good speeches without preserving them.

Leor