Hailie Valdes Blog 1

 

Hello Everyone, 

In today's blog,  I will be reflecting on our first group presentations for Introduction to Public Speaking. Since I am a project manager, I got to see everything firsthand from start to finish. This post will focus. on my observations and anything that really stood out to me.

I want to start by sharing my own experience because it was very different overall.  I wasn't a part of the main groups, so for each presentation, I would present either the introduction or the conclusion. I enjoyed my role because it gradually built my confidence.  I remember being extremely nervous for my first conclusion, but by the fourth group, I felt much more comfortable speaking in front of the entire class. When it came time for my first full presentation, I was just as nervous as I was before I started my very first presentation in this class. But having those smaller roles gave me more confidence while I was speaking than I would have had otherwise.

Working with Cassandra was great! Together, we were able to answer any questions a group member had. At first, I struggled a bit because everything felt so fast-paced. Finishing one presentation and immediately moving on to the next was a bit overwhelming. But over time, I got used to the pacing. I also felt reassured knowing that if I was confused or did not have an answer, Cassandra usually did. Our communication was strong, and it genuinely felt like we had each other's backs throughout the entire process.

With group one, I was impressed by how quickly they were able to put a speech/presentation together, especially since they had the least amount of time. They worked well as a team and communicated extremely well throughout the process.

By far, group one's presentation layout was my favorite. I loved the funky 70s colors and design they chose. Their slides really stood out and kept me engaged the entire time. They included slides about speech anxiety and building confidence in public speaking, which I thought was a great way to start. Since everyone in the class was probably already nervous about presenting, these topics felt very relatable.

They also discussed ethics, which I was truly fascinated by. I hadn't thought about ethics as a part of public speaking before, but their explanation made me understand why it does matter. They made me realize that being truthful and accurate is important when creating a speech, not just to honestly share your message, but also to respect your audience's time and attention.

One speaker who stood out to me was Fiorella. She spoke very comfortably, with confidence, and I thought she articulated her words well.

The next presentation came from group two. Their presentation design felt the most modern in my opinion, which was a nice change from the others. They used bright red colors throughout the presentation, which I loved. Some important points were covered,  such as how to choose the best speech topic. I thought it was particularly crucial when they explained that if a topic is too boring or too difficult to research, you shouldn't use it in your speech. That resonated with me because if the speaker is not interested in their own topic, the audience probably will not be either.

They also discussed plagiarism, which is often repeatedly covered in schools, but is always important to include. I was especially impressed by Giuliana, who handled two separate chapters on her own.  That must have been stressful, yet she still handled it very well. My only small critique of this group would be that a few slides had too much text, which felt a bit overwhelming. Overall, I thought the group did an amazing job and presented their points clearly.

Group three's presentation was definitely the most professional, with a clean and polished aesthetic. This group, like group two, had too much information on their slides. But made up for by using a variety of images and graphs. I thought their visuals were the strongest of all the groups, and this factor enhanced their slides.

I also enjoyed that their presentation style was a bit different. They started with a question, which was unique, and they included a video as well. Overall, their methods for presenting their ideas stood out in a great way. They were also the first group to truly highlight the audience's impact on a speech. Later on, throughout the presentations, I would come to understand just how important the audience is.  An audience will be receiving the information, and tailoring your message to them is crucial.

In group three, Giselle grabbed my attention the longest. She spoke naturally, her pacing was good, she was knowledgeable about her topic, and she did an excellent job describing what she talked about.

Group four was the final group to present for this particular assignment, but they faced some challenges.  Two of their group members were not present that day. Before I get into their speech content, I want to highlight Raquel.  She really stepped up as a team player, presenting not only her own section but also another member's part. She shared her screen, presented both sections on the spot, and did an amazing job under pressure.

This group discussed informative and persuasive speeches, including how to organize them. I thought this was a very important topic because these are two standard but distinct types of speeches that everyone will have to encounter at some point. While their presentation could have used a bit more color or visuals, their points were concise and clear, which made their message easy to follow.

Overall, I think everyone did a great job! Everyone's slides were uniquely appealing, and I could see each person's confidence grow the longer they spoke. Even though some of the topics were fairly general, I think it was important to review them because they provided a helpful refresher. This seemed to boost the groups' confidence, as everyone already had a general understanding of what they were presenting. I enjoyed the entire process and seeing how the presentations developed from start to finish.

Created by: Hailie Valdes