Harlington Centeno Post 1

    I want to start off by saying that I am thoroughly impressed and totally in awe by my fellow classmates during their presentations, as it takes a certain amount of dedication and teamwork to complete and give such long presentations, especially since they were given virtually. Throughout the presentation I felt that i had been learning the most essential parts of the chapters that were being presented in just a small amount of time, and in a fun and engaging way, might I add. What would have been weeks of reading and knowledge was compressed into a one class period, in the most fun way possible. The group assignment really opened my eyes to the goals and intentions of the class, and since this class is only a few weeks long it makes total sense; since, the point of the assignment was to inform everyone on the key point and basics of this course. This course intends to teach us why and how to give presentations and speeches, and it was quite clearly shown by the group presentation project. And since this is a blog post assignment, I would love to give my thoughts on each presentation. 

    First, I'd like to begin with group 1's presentation, which was explaining and teaching the class about the basics and how-to's of giving and creating speeches and presentations. This group primarily focused on chapters one through chapter four. If I recall correctly, this presentation was beautifully designed and nicely done, and happens to be my favorite design-wise because the layout and design, which was undoubtedly the best (well, in my opinion at least). From the moment I saw the presentation, I was hooked; the design drew me in as it was masterfully made with the intentions of being informative, but keeping the aesthetics intact, which can be a struggle with a group as large as the one we all had to work with. When dealing with a large number of people in a single presentation, it can be difficult when it comes down to choosing a theme and sticking to it, considering that everyone has different preferences. This is something my group definitely had a slight problem with. But moving away from the design aspect of things, the overall presentation was phenomenal, as everyone was clear, concise, and to the point for their parts of the presentation. Many topics were discussed but some that were the most memorable to me where the confidence-building, learning how to manage and combat nervousness and anxiety during a speech or presentation, and plagiarism and how to avoid it. I did resonate with advice given about how to manage and combat anxiety, as I did get a bit nervous when I was my turn to speak. I didn't want to mess up or stutter, especially since I was talking pretty fast; but, remembering the points about managing anxiety did help me quite a lot. The first groups presentation was very informative and straight to the point, which made it easy to follow along, considering that long presentations can get very monotonous and boring quickly. But with the help of the group's simple yet effective layout and tone of speaking my attention did not waver. Overall, this group did an amazing job with their presentation, and it definitely made me want to learn and understand the topics being discussed.

    Moving on to group 2, which was the group I am in. group 2 covered chapter five to chapter nine, which focused on how to build a presentation and ways to improve giving speeches and presentations. These chapters go in detail about researching the topics you have to present and keeping your audience engaged with different tactics such as choosing the right words or phrases or shifting tones when speaking to not sound to dull and monotonous. In addition to these topics being explained, I had the pleasure of explaining chapter nine, which involves the use of visual and sensory aids, which are basically necessarily in keeping an audience engaged. Even though, I worked in a group to help inform my fellow classmates about these chapters, I did not know half of the topics being discussed in our presentation; so, just like everyone else, I was happily listening and learning about the aforementioned topics. I do have to give my group some credit, because their presentations were just as engaging as the last group, and they did keep my attention throughout the presentation. I loved the way some of my team members spoke, as some of them dedicated themselves to their topics so well that they ended sounding like legitimate experts by the time they had to speak! I definitely learned a lot of interesting things like how using words in the right combination like figurative language can keep the audience thinking not just mindlessly listening to a speech, or how relating a topic to the audience can create a sort of connection that will remain in the listeners mind even after the presentation or speech is done. Learning the basics of how to give and make a presentation is important, but it is also important to know how to use different elements of language and visual or sensory representation to elevate one's speech to capture the audience's attention and keep them engaged so they end up informed and wanting more. 

    Finally, group 3 was tasked with informing and teaching the class about the topics based on chapters ten, eleven, twelve, and the appendix. These last chapters focus on the different types of speeches and their purposes, such as presenting to inform, presenting to persuade, and presenting at special occasions. These chapters to me are quite important, because just like everything in life: Theres a time and place for everything. You wouldn't want to give out a speech trying to persuade an audience to "save the turtles" to a group of people who are there to learn about the harmful effects of artificial additives to foods. While this is quite obvious, and my analogy is a bit exaggerated, it still proves my point. Sometimes a speech can go in a different direction than originally intended, so the main goal of these chapters is to know what your objective is and how to maintain a clear message. Group 3's presentation certainly followed these steps as the information and message being said during their speeches were clear and set on presenting to inform. I will say that even though nearing the end of the class I was a bit tired of hearing everyone speak, I was still able to make it through the long speeches, on account that everyone was wonderful at implementing their own researched topic and showcasing it in the manner they spoke. It seems like everyone was an expert in their field of research! Overall, group 3's presentation was very informative and helpful, seeing how speaking and presenting are skills everyone should master because communication is a huge part of life and we will all probably have many speeches and presentations to give throughout our lifetime.