Dianna Meza- Assignment Reflection #1

Assignment Reflection 

        Objective- My reflection on our first presentation, and other students work. In this blog I will be sharing my thoughts and experience on our first assigned presentation by our professor Sherri Sinkoff.

Virtually presenting 

The Assignment- is based on our text book called “public speaking: the evolving art, 5e”. The professor divided all of the students in groups of 6 or 7 and in total there were 4 groups. The first group presented chapters 1,2,3 and 5, its main theme was about discussing the important tricks for a great presentation. Then next, was my group which came second, we discussed about chapters 4,6,7 and 8. Our theme was about how to get ready for a successful presentation. The third group presented chapters 9,10,11, and 12, they spoke about extra details into creating a great presentation. Finally the fourth group presented 13,14,15,16, and 17 and their theme was about depicting different types of excellent examples of presentations to help us understand to make one ourselves.
 

My group presentation- our group was a number of seven individuals and we all worked together through communication on an app called WhatsApp. We all settled on that it was a good idea for two people to choose a chapter to work on together. That way we can easily be sufficient on our specific chapters. For example in my group we were doing chapters 4,6,7, and 8. I decided to choose chapter 7 and my partner Gabriela's also joined me to work on that specific chapter. Our group worked separately but we all had a partner to work with, having another individual to share the work was a faster process to finish the presentation. In my opinion our strategy was good but not very reliable. Getting together was a tricky task, everyone had different schedules and work, this caused to create excuses in not meeting up on zoom. I felt a bit uneasy about our presentation being unfinished but at the end result everything went smoothly. I did see that everyone in group had a different style in presenting their part in each chapter. Some spoke about examples that was relevant to their specific chapters, others drew diagrams to easily explain their ideas, one the members even interviewed the whole class to discuss about researching topics, and lastly there was videos that also shown as examples. I really like the composition of our presentation, it was pretty unique to see it all be organized separately. 

Experience- Giving a virtual presentation is a totally different experience from being in a room full of people. It’s like you’re performing, but instead of an audience in front of you, you’re staring at a screen—maybe a bunch of faces in little boxes, or sometimes just your own reflection, in my case not to be nervous I choose to read my notes and view the share screen. Presenting virtually you don’t usually get the head nods or smiles that tells you people are following along, which can be unsettling and awkward. you're kind of just guessing how it's going. One of the upsides, though, is that you have more control over your space and gladly had some comments of the professor that could help you ease the tension. Another thing good thing is that you can choose your lighting, set up your background, and even wear sweatpants below the camera if you want. There’s a certain comfort in being in your own environment, and sometimes it can help you feel more at ease compared to standing in front of a crowd. But then there’s the tech. Even when you’re prepared, things can go wrong—your slides won’t share, the audio drops, or your connection cuts out. It's a little stressful knowing that technology can be as unpredictable as your nerves. You’re not just focusing on what you’re saying, but also making sure everything works smoothly, which is its own challenge. At the end of the day, virtual presentations wasn’t as stressful as I thought it was. You lose some of that personal, in-the-moment connection, but you gain the ability to reach more people from the comfort of your own space. It’s different, but once you get used to it, you’re able to conquer it .

The other groups- Groups 1,3, and 4 all did an amazing job in presenting their work. I recognized that everyone’s design of their project was completely unique and informative. Everyone’s told their part in different ways through videos, diagrams, illustrations, and examples. A lot of speech topics can be heavy or complex, and the challenge is making sure your audience get a full understanding of your chapter. It’s not just about putting out facts or tips but more about expressing and organizing these important details in these chapters. Guiding the audience through your perspective on the topic, which is what makes presentations so powerful. A good speech on any topic is really about connection. Overall I really enjoyed listening to every presentation. Hearing all these different voices was very interesting and it as well helped me get rid of the nerves when it was my turn.

Conclusion- The group presentations were a great way to dive into the essentials of public speaking. Each group had its own approach, from offering tips to showing examples of successful presentations. My group focused on how to prepare, and though working virtually had its challenges like coordinating schedules and tech issues but at the end we pulled it off. What I really enjoyed was seeing how different everyone’s style was. Some used videos, others diagrams, and each person found their own way to make the content engaging. It reminded me that a good presentation is not just about facts, but about making a real connection with your audience. Overall, this experience not only helped me understand public speaking better, but it also boosted my confidence in presenting, especially in a virtual setting. Every group did a fantastic job, and it was a fun way to bring the material to life.