Post 1 - Samuel Villagomez

 Reflection - Presentations

Ever since the beginning of this semester I wasn’t sure how this class was going to go since I do find it hard to make speeches and presentations. However, after these past presentations that we have made I learned several tips to improve and how to get over that fear of presenting.

 

For starters, being one of the class leaders requires me to talk to others, especially if they have any questions since they would sometimes come to Maria and me for some clarification and guidance. This has significantly helped me, even before making the presentations, I started feeling more confident with the idea of presenting in front of others and how everyone was going to struggle, just like me, throughout the process.

Many times, I had to remind myself that everyone goes through the same types of feelings when preparing for a presentation and while giving one.

 

I was able to see everyone organizing for the presentation and how nervous they were to give it in front of the class, which helped me truly realize how everyone felt about the presentation.

For the first group, I really liked the topic they targeted the most which was basically how to get over your fears of public speaking and even some tips for your presentations. I found it crucial to go over some points on how to improve our presentations, especially the part of not constantly read the screen while presenting.

Even though everyone in the class did a great job presenting, I didn’t really like the fact that some people would go up to simply read, not just from group 1 but from every group. I found that like a major flaw that most of us were making, since it sort of “took away” the connection with the public, or at least that’s how I felt it.

Other than that, I also enjoyed the part talking about how to analyze your audience and how important it is, since I feel is something that can be easily dismissed but it’s also essential to do before presenting.

 

 

Group 2 did a really good job when it comes to their since they tried to stick to the same type of slides, making it seem more “put together” than the other groups. Overall, I found the topics discussed in the presentation vital to a presentation, since it discussed the importance of research, how to organize your work, how to make a great delivery, the use of proper language, and sensory aids. Their entire presentation felt informative, having a lot of details, and going in depth about all the chapters. I did notice that for their presentation they didn’t use many sensory aids, having a lot of text on each slide for some parts making it a bit overwhelming for the audience, but they also had a great delivery for most slides that they presented making the presentation less linear.

Something that really stuck out to me was chapter 8, since sometimes I can start using more informal language simply because that’s how I regularly talk, so that part really made me realize that once I get in front of people to present, I should be careful with my selection of words.

Finally, for group number 3, I felt like their presentation had a lot going for it, but it had some issues that didn’t make it stick out from all the presentations given. I found the issue with having another PowerPoint as something that could’ve easily been avoided.

There was a talk in the group chat for group 3 about adding those slides to the whole presentation, but the members of the group in charge of that part of the presentation simply decided not to do it, which I found very disrespectful not just for their own group, but also for the rest of the class. That issue ruined the whole theme of their presentation, which was such a shame because they tried to do the same thing as group 2 to try and make the presentation seem more put together. Sadly, a lot of the slides had a lot of text in them too, making it a bit distracting for the audience. However, there were several members of that group that really stood out and made a great delivery of their presentation.

Their presentation was really informative, explaining types of presentations and definitions used in them. Something I did like from their presentation was some of the ways the information was place in the slides, having some of them not just with some text but, instead, some charts and lists, which really made it seem neater.

 

Overall, all the presentations were great and really informative, having lots of crucial points that are important to remember for future presentations. I found group 2 to have the best PowerPoint and more organized presentation, while group 1 and 2 had some really great members presenting.

So far, this semester has been a journey of growth when it comes to public speaking, having to get out of my comfort zone to do something I don’t really like (giving speeches in front of an audience) but learning a lot quickly. Having all the material since the beginning was a great idea, since there are many things discussed in the presentations that really changed my way of thinking and how I do my presentations. These presentations have given me tools and tips to enhance my own presentations, change the way I do them and how I deliver them.

I sincerely think both Maria and I did a great job with the introductions and conclusions, but all of the credit goes to everyone else that did the presentations and how organized they were.

As we move forward, I am confident that these lessons will serve as a foundation for our continued improvement in the class as everyone keeps learning and practicing how to make a better presentation, how to engage more with the audience, how to get over your fears, and how to deliver your presentation!