Annabelle Gomez
Group Presentations Reflection
Group presentations are definitely an experience!
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In college, group assignments are the inevitable and as part of an assignment for my speech class, I was paired with my group to present our project on important tricks for a presentation, covering topics like the foundations of speaking, speech techniques, and the importance of knowing what information to incorporate into your speech--all in the good of forming a connection with your audience.
The common case of pre-speech anxiety, although irritating, surprisingly came in handy for this experience. At first, I had a little run-in with nerves and uncertainty for my part of the presentation and putting it together.
"Should I say like this?", "Is what I'm saying even making sense?", “How do I even make my slides look good?”, “Do my slides even look decent?" were such that I found myself saying in my head. Being a bit nervous or having any sliver of self-doubt before any speech is completely normal and while it is usual seen in a negative light, I found that it in a way enforced me to better prepare and organize my work, consequently making my experience of presenting feel smooth, collected, and ordered. Additionally, I felt that presenting on Zoom rather than the traditional in-person made it circumstances easier regarding speaking and presenting. Overall, I felt satisfied with our project’s completion.
When we, Group 1, presented our topics together, it felt connected and engaged. I genuinely learned quite a lot of material on public speech from my teammates. Hearing their concise explanations and examples not only made their topics feel well-rounded, but my understanding on these subjects more complete. I never really considered how much could go into a presentation! It’s a complex process and when you’re precise with it, you’re definitely in bounds for success.
In general, public speaking is unquestionably an important skill to have academically and for life. Learning to hone this skill overtime helps to build yourself in a plethora in ways. Public speaking itself teaches you to efficiently articulate yourself, communicate your message with an audience, and boost self-confidence and leadership skills. As someone who's never been too proficient in public speech, this project has definitely given me some strength in this area.
Group One
Focusing on Chapters 1, 2, 3 , and 5, Group 1 showed great execution in covering these chapters and highlighting the important information, steps, and techniques of public speech that said chapters teach. Learning diverse techniques from utilizing breathing/meditative exercises to ease anxiety to building audience connection as a speaker and even the benefits of using psychographic data towards your work can pay off so well when constructing your own work. It is especially valuable advice for any beginner in speech. I thought the presentation was well-executed both verbally and visually. The group members showcased a clear understanding of the material they were presenting by providing their own elaborations and examples of the subjects. Each member spoke with clarity and precision, effectively communicating their ideas. Alongside this, I appreciated the effort and attention to detail the members showed through how neatly they decorated their slides with color, graphics, and animations. Overall, a job well done.
Group Two
Covering Chapters 4-8, Group 2 had a well ordered presentation on the preparation stage of your speech. Their way of discussing chapter themes like identifying your speech's general purpose, brainstorming, composing research correlating to your topic, paragraph structuring etc. was impressive and informative. Expanding on this, what stuck out to me was their way of engaging with the audience by making a questionnaire for audience members to answer. To my opinion, this was a super clever move as this interactive element encourages engagement while helping the audience retain information better by calling their attention. I think it was such a fun and unique addition; kudos! In general, the sequence of their presentation was smooth and digestible, making their lesson one well taught.
Group Three
Centered on Chapters 9-12, Group 3's presentation teaches on how effectively relay your speech through delivery from beginning to end. The group discussed ideas such as establishing credibility, effective language use, style and delivery, and understanding the basics of visual design. The members provide clear and precise explanations on these subjects, making the slideshow feel complete and devoid of any vagueness or ambiguity. I thoroughly understood their message(s).
Another thing I have to compliment is the group's teamwork and cooperation in the circumstance of unseen error; I really liked how the members showcased their generosity when offering help for another teammate during presentation! To me, their efforts was a exemplary case of teamwork.
Group Four
This final group covered Chapters 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17, talking over the various types of presentations through analyzing different presentation categories and their distinctive characteristics, an examples being informative and persuasive speeches. Alongside this, they covered types of appeals and reasonings and fallacies; important factors to always consider when making any claim you will find yourself presenting in a speech. Each member gave full attention when given their turn to speak and present their portion of the project. I thought the example one member provided of a humorous, celebratory speech was spot-on! All in all, Group 4's presentation did well in terms of organization and communication.
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To wrap this up, group projects were an overall job well done to my opinion! It was a nice class experience to have us, the students, teach each other. To me, it makes the two hours we have together feel more connected and casual. Collaborating with other students gave me the opportunity to learn new things and strengthen my cooperative abilities. Working with one another to achieve the same goal gives a sense of togetherness. On a more personal note, I was content with my experience doing group presentations--perhaps even a bit proud of myself! This group project encouraged me to tap more into my public speaking skills and techniques. I acquired new knowledge on the topic, such that I hope to utilize more into the future. Public speaking has never been my forte; however, I gained a new sense of comfort when speaking in front of an audience, or in this case, a classroom.
Excellent reflection!
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