Writing & Communication Skills for Community & Social Services Lecture 8

Writing & Communication Skills for community & social services CSS 1210 Lecture 8  What we will talk about… 1. Effective Presentations 2. Logical Fallacies Presentations  Presentation Style Conversational Keep it simple Five key points = ½ hour maximum; What is the Purpos...

Writing & Communication Skills for community & social services CSS 1210 Lecture 8  What we will talk about… 1. Effective Presentations 2. Logical Fallacies Presentations  Presentation Style Conversational Keep it simple Five key points = ½ hour maximum; What is the Purpose of My Talk? - Entertain - Inform - Persuade Know your audience: Uninformed? Informed? Mixed?  Organization Oral presentations have THREE basic parts: 1. INTRODUCTION A story, with a 2. BODY clear beginning, middle, and end. 3. CONCLUSION  Organization INTRO: Introductions Grabber Central Argument Roadmap  Organization BODY (the MIDDLE): FOLLOW THE ROAD MAP; DEFINE TERMS MEMORABLE EXAMPLES. REGULAR SIGNPOSTING DISCUSSION Organization CONCLUSION: Say: “TO CONCLUDE” or “FINALLY” (unlike essays) NO NEW IDEAS SUPER SO WHAT  Using Powerpoint or Other Presentation Tools Not too much text (12 word max) Pictures/diagrams/illustrations Don’t read slides—explain them video Vocalization Visual Aids http://www.youtube.com/watch ?v=EA2DY0tjpFI  Practice! Practice your script in a mirror for timing, gestures, smooth delivery; TIME YOUR PERFORMANCE! Ask a friend to watch, and give you critique.  Stage Fright Bring a bottle of water; Practice! This helps. Speak to mom at back of the room. Imagine everyone in their underwear  Working in a Group split up the responsibilities; Use conference software (MSN messenger) to save text; Not everyone needs to speak; Be respectful and inclusive  Summing up The Golden Rule: BE SPECIFIC 2. Logical Fallacies Micro Writing/Editing Strategies Logical Argumentation (Making Sense) 2. Logical Fallacies Logical Fallacies The “math” or logic of your arguments. Do your conclusions add up? 2. Logical Fallacies 1. Hasty Generalization Drawing conclusions from inadequate evidence. STEREOTYPING; SEXISM; RACISM are examples A common generalization found on student essays: “In today’s society…” (Never, EVER, use this hackneyed phrase) 2. Logical Fallacies 2. False Analogy Analogy that is irrelevant or more different than similar. Example: Joan and Mary both drive pickup trucks. Since Joan is a teacher, Mary must also be a teacher. 2. Logical Fallacies 3. Begging the Question Offering proof that is a simple restatement of the question. Example: Everyone wants the new iPhone because it is the hottest new gadget on the market! 2. Logical Fallacies 4. Non Sequitur/Irrelevant Argument Reaching a conclusion that does not follow the premises. Example: You've probably heard that COVID-19 is a pandemic, therefore bunny rabbits are way cuter than chipmunks. 2. Logical Fallacies 5. False Cause Assumes that because two events are related in time, the first event caused the other. Example: Every time I go to sleep, the sun goes down. 2. Logical Fallacies 6. Self-Contradiction Using two premises that both can’t be true at the same time. EXAMPLE: When caffeine has finally eaten his entire brain away, only then will he understand the dangers of coffee drinking. 2. Logical Fallacies 7. Red Herring/Ignoring the Question Ignoring the question. Distracting attention from the issue by introducing a second that’s unrelated (or only slightly related) to the first. Example: A teacher catches a student cheating during a test. The student in response says, “I know I've made a mistake. But think of my parents. They're going to be heartbroken.” 7b. STRAW MAN is slightly different, in that it sets up a false premise (i.e. misrepresents another person’s argument), then argues based on that premise. Example: Opposing argument: Teens should be taught about contraception methods so they can practice safe sex should they choose to have intercourse. Straw man argument: Proponents of sex education want to give kids license to have sex with no consequences. 2. Logical Fallacies 8. Ad Hominem Attack on the person (or the person’s characteristics), not the logical premises Example: A: “All murderers are criminals, but a thief isn't a murderer, and so can't be a criminal.” B: “Well, you're a thief and a criminal, so there goes your argument.” - An ad hominem argument often involve insults, but it doesn’t need to be insulting—an insult is just an insult. 2. Logical Fallacies 9. Guilt by Association A person’s arguments, ideas, or opinions lack merit because of that person’s activities, interests, or companions. Example: Having close family members who are in a terrorist organization and thus being thought of by everyone to also be a part of the terrorist organization. 2. Logical Fallacies 10. Jumping on the Bandwagon Right because “everyone does it” Example: So many people are trying to quit smoking that I might as well jump on the bandwagon and quit as well. 2. Logical Fallacies 11. False or irrelevant authority Citing the opinion of someone who has no expertise in the subject at hand. Transfer of prestige from one area to another. Example: Donald Trump should know how to deal with government deficits because he is a successful businessman. 2. Logical Fallacies 12. Special Pleading/card stacking Ignoring evidence on one side of an argument, or using misleading or unproven statistics to convince others of your point (propaganda). Example: “Our pizza gives you 50% more with free 50% more meat and free 50% more cheese!” Common student essay error: only offering evidence that supports your point, while ignoring other valid evidence that refutes it. 2. Logical Fallacies 13. Either-or fallacy (false dichotomy) False dilemma: offering only two alternatives to a much more complex problem. Example: President George W. Bush, after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, warned the world that “you are either with us, or with the terrorists.” 2. Logical Fallacies 14. Taking something out of context Deliberately distorting an idea or question by removing it from its previously surrounding material or context. Example: Political attack ads. The Arizona Republic newspaper writes: “It's time the rest of the nation learns about the [Senator John] McCain we know. There is much there to admire. After all, we have supported McCain in his past runs for office.” …but during the Republican primary campaign, McCain’s rival, George W. Bush, used political advertising which included a "warning" from John McCain's "conservative hometown paper" that "It's time the rest of the nation learns about the McCain we know." 2. Logical Fallacies 15. Appeal to ignorance Never shown to be false yet, so it must be true! Example: Someone says that there's life in the universe because it hasn't been proven to not exist outside of our solar system or that UFOs have visited Earth. 2. Logical Fallacies 16. Ambiguity/equivocation Statements open to more than one interpretation, thus hiding the truth Example: A politician says that he "opposes taxes which hinder economic growth.” Some will think he opposes taxes in general, because they hinder economic growth. Others may think he opposes only those taxes that he believes will hinder economic growth. In writing, the sentence can be rewritten to reduce possible misinterpretation, either by adding a comma after "taxes" (to convey the first sense) or by changing "which" to "that" (to convey the second sense), or by rewriting it in other ways. The devious politician hopes that each constituent will interpret the statement in the most desirable way, and think the politician supports everyone's opinion. 2. Logical Fallacies Summary of Common Logical Fallacies 1. Hasty Generalization 2. False Analogy 3. Begging the Question 4. Non Sequitur/Irrelevant Argument 5. False Cause 6. Self-Contradiction 7. Red Herring/Ignoring the Question/Straw Man 8. Ad Hominem—Attack on the person 9. Guilt by Association 10. Jumping on the Bandwagon—right because “everyone does it” 11. False or irrelevant authority 12. Special Pleading—ignoring evidence on one side of an argument 13. Either-or fallacy (false dichotomy) 14. Taking something out of context 15. Appeal to ignorance—never shown to be false yet 16. Ambiguity/equivocation—open to more than one interpretation, thus hiding the truth