CPR Assignment

From the moment Daniel walked up, it truly felt like he was addressing his mother, and family. He began with humorous jokes while giving a toast to his mom's birthday. Instead of preaching the lessons his mother taught him, he explained how the simple everyday moments taught him deep lessons. He was a picky eater, but that taught him to be tough. He did not like the cats his mom had, but that taught him to take the time to get to know someone and find out what they are really like. He also learned that it is not about what happens, but rather how you react to what happens that is important.

Daniel's speech made me feel as if I was there.
As if I knew his mother.
As if I had grown up right beside him.
The simple stories gave way to meaningful messages,
That deepened the relationship.

Moments of effectiveness were the lessons through the stories. It makes us realize that our everyday actions are more meaningful than we believe, and we should slow down in life to learn. Daniel did a great job of engaging the audience, even by telling his "uncle" to be quiet. The light hearted nature was also effective in that it was easy to follow and understand. Explaining the cultural aspects was also very helpful, for not everyone knew what they were. Moments of distraction were when you were not making eye contact, because then the audience did not have something to connect with. The audience could also tell when you were reading off your paper, versus when it was not scripted, there should be a balance and fluidity between the two.

Alexander advocates using a poetic or artistic response to evaluate student performances because it is more life like and has more meaning than just your average evaluation. The personal and educational levels are intertwined which means both form and function are evaluated. This method is more engaging for students in a reflexive process of their own work and their peers'. They can also use this technique to prepare for a performance.