This is an asynchronous course aimed at teaching you the skills and techniques of public speaking. It may seem strange to be learning to speak for the public without being physically present with that public. For the sake of this course, public will have different meanings. Your work will (almost) always be shared publicly with your fellow classmates. You will be each other’s public through video recordings and engagement. And, of course, as the instructor, I am your public as well.

Throughout your work in the course I encourage you to think about the multiple publics you interact with on any given day. Where are your opportunities to practice the techniques of public speaking?

By the end of every week (Sunday at Noon) you will complete a weekly module that will ask you to look at specific skills and techniques through analyses of a historical and contemporary speech and engagement with your classmates through writing and video recordings. You will be asked to record a series of public speeches to share with your classmates. As each other’s public, you will be providing feedback and engaging with one another throughout the course.