PRCA 3339 Blog Alternative
As a project for Georgia Southern University’s PRCA 3339, you have two choices. You can create a brochure using InDesign as we originally discussed in the class. OR, you can add several postings to your blog that relate to the content of our PR Publications class. Please let me know your decision about the assignment by Monday, November 10, at midnight. (Comment on this post to let me know.) If I don’t hear from you, I’ll assume that you’re doing the brochure as originally planned.
The Blog Assignment
- Write & publish at least three postings of 200 words or more between now and the due date of November 21 at midnight.
- The topics of your postings can range from using InDesign, using typography, choosing the best kind of paper, taking effective photos, storing photos online, pricing the printing of your publication using online sources, or any other topic related to public relations publications.
- The postings need to be your original work (don’t copy and paste from another website or blog). If you use info from another site, be sure to cite your source. (No APA Style needed for this citation; you can just hyperlink to the original source.)
- In each posting, offer at least two hyperlinks to relevant sites.
- Also, comment on at least two of your classmates blogs.
COMM 1110 Learning Journal
Write a five- to eight-page typed (double-spaced) paper that addresses the following topics. Cite specific examples wherever possible.
What are your three strongest points as a public communicator? (bullet point — no specific detail needed here)
What are three areas for improvement? (bullet point — no specific detail needed here)
Specifically, address the following on how, and how well, did you:
- Introduce your speeches?
- Clearly define and call out your central idea (thesis) statement for the audience?
- Preview your speeches with a quick summary of the main points?
- Organize your speeches? (methods, clarity)
- Use transitions and signposts?
- Establish and maintain eye contact with the audience?
- Appear confident immediately before, during, and after speeches?
- Use gestures effectively?
- Avoid distracting mannerisms?
- Use vocal variety?
- Utilize PowerPoint and other AV?
- Summarize your speeches at the end?
- End speeches?
- Adapt to the audience before and during the speeches?
- Stick to the established time limits?
- React as an audience member (listening to others’ speeches)?
- Utilize library resources (including Galileo) while researching your speeches?
What did you learn about public speaking from your peers in this class? Make mention of at least three peers (by name) in your response. (Your peers will not see your responses, so you can feel free to use both positive and negative aspects of their speaking styles.)
Finally, include at least one well-developed paragraph on how you will take the skills you gained in this class and apply them to other college classes.
Include your outlines and speaking notes for each of your speeches this term. (Simply copy and paste them at the end of your paper.)
Want to listen to a Learning Journal from one of my students last spring?
PRCA 3331 Final Project Presentation
Develop a list of 10 Things We Should Know About _____ (your Fortune 500 company of choice)
- The list can include anything that you found to be particularly interesting about your company.
- At least one item on your list should revolve around career opportunities in corporate PR with the company.
- Feel free to be creative with your title.
Create a PowerPoint presentation.
- For the title slide, include the company logo and your name.
- Rather than making bullet points of your things we should know, instead use photos to represent the ideas. (Please use some key words as titles on your slides, to help provide some context.)
- One of the best places to find photos is in Flickr.
- If you use photos that are not your own, include a photo credit at the bottom of the slide (like I did on this slide).
- On the final slide, provide your contact information (name, blog URL, and perhaps your LinkedIn profile URL — please don’t show your phone number or e-mail address)
Embed your PowerPoint presentation in your blog (for 10 pts extra credit)
- Save your presentation in PowerPoint 2003. (SlideShare does not yet support the newest release of PowerPoint.)
- Go to SlideShare; join SlideShare if you haven’t already done so.
- Upload your presentation to SlideShare.
- Find the embed code at SlideShare, and embed your SlideShare into a blog post.
- Publish your blog post.
- NOTE: You should add this blog post to your “table of contents” page for your final project.
Prepare and deliver your 4-6 minute presentation, using these tips.
- Never let your audience see you navigate to your file. Have the projector’s picture muted until you are ready to show your slides.
- Speak to your audience, never to the screen or monitor.
- When you’re not using your presentation, press B to blacken (or W to whiten) the screen. This helps the audience to focus on you, not the screen.
- Additionally, here are some general tips I share in my public speaking classes.
Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jameseverett/2533124025/
PRCA 3331 Student Blogroll
Students in my Corporate Public Relations class at Georgia Southern are blogging as part of their learning experience in the class. I am confident that they would welcome your feedback on their blogs.
PRCA 3339 :: Photography Course for Friday
Instead of physically coming to PRCA 3339 on Friday, October 24th, please take the NewsU online course titled “Language of the Image.” You will need to register with NewsU — free — before you can take the couse. We will discuss some of the key points Below is NewsU’s description of the course:
What will I learn? This module will explore the elements that transform a photograph into an image that tells a story. Through interactive exercises you will learn about quality of light, juxtaposition, point of entry, mood, emotion and a sense of place. At the end of the course, you will be able to communicate better, using visual language, with your newsroom colleagues, whether they are photographers, reporters or editors. And you can share with others who have taken the course how your new visual vocabulary will help you in the newsroom.
How long will it take? This self-directed module takes about one to two hours to complete. You can access the course on your own schedule, starting and stopping at your convenience. And you can come back anytime once you enroll.
About the instructor: John Davidson is a partner in Creative Eye Consulting, specializing in visual therapy for the newsroom. Before leaving in January of 2003, Davidson was Assistant Managing Editor/Photography and Senior Editor/Visuals at The Dallas Morning News. He has worked at five other newspapers as a photographer and photo editor.
Note: This course requires the Flash plug-in to view.Cost: This course is currently available at no cost to registered users of News University.
PRCA 3339 :: Blogs
For my GSU PRCA 3339 (PR Publications) Students:
Please provide your blog URL as a comment to this post. Be sure to provide the whole address, including the “http://”
Thanks!
Jumpstart on Spring Classes: Textbooks
If you’re looking to get a jumpstart on my classes at Georgia Southern University this spring, here are the books that I will be using. I’ve linked to many of them at Amazon.com, but of course you can purchase them from anywhere you like. I recommend you try the Facebook Marketplace first, so you can get a good deal AND help a fellow student.
For All of My Classes
A USB drive, at least 1G
Intro to Public Relations (PRCA 2330)
Wilcox, D.L., & Cameron, G.T. (2009). Public relations: Strategies and tactics (9th Ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Recommended but not required: Li, C., & Bernoff, J. (2008). Groundswell: Winning in a world transformed by social technologies. Boston, MA: Forrester Research, Inc.
Public Relations Publications (PRCA 3339)
Morton, L. P. (2006). Strategic publications: Designing for target publics. Greenwood, AR: Best Books Plus.
Recommended but not required: Botello, C., & Reding, E. E. (2007). Design collection revealed: Adobe InDesign CS3, Photoshop CS3 & Illustrator CS3. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Cengage Learning.
Photo Credit: bookshelf, originally uploaded to Flickr by chotda
PRCA 3331 Article Review
Review an article on public relations that appears in a peer-reviewed journal. Your review is due by midnight on Thursday, October 23. Recommended journals include (but aren’t limited to):
- Journal of Public Relations Research
- Public Relations Journal
- Public Relations Review
Your 500-word minimum review could take the following form:
- What did you learn from reading the article?
- What surprised you in the article?
- What do you want to know more about, now that you’ve read the article?
- How is the information in the article relevant to the corporation you’ve chosen for your final project?
It is acceptable to use first person for this review. However, even though you are writing a blog post, be sure to cite your source–in text as well as in your reference section–in proper APA format. (Using Citation Machine might be helpful.) This assignment is worth 100 of your 1000 points in PRCA 3331.
Questions? You know where to find me . . .
Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/1704875109/
The Groundswell Inside
Here’s an activity we’ll be doing in my Corporate PR class this week. Our focus this week is Chapter 11 (The Groundswell Inside Your Company) of Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies.
Directions: Think about an organization you’re currently a member of. It could be a campus group or even your current employer. How does or can your organization use the groundswell inside, with its employees or members?
Using The Groundswell Inside form, on your own, fill out your name, the organization, and the current state. Then in groups, brainstorm for future ways the organization could use the groundswell inside for each organization in the group.
Case Study on Avenue A Razorfish (to help students start their brainstorming)
