Rebeca Castro - Reflection on Presentation #1

 Public Speaking is Needed!

As the world keeps developing, advancing, and growing, there has been an increase in need for skills and knowledge. Without these important factors many would be out of jobs and experience. One of the most important skills in my opinion is public speaking. SCARY! I believe that each person has the ability to excel in this skill, but it is hard to become confident in it. Many people go years without putting this skill into action because they are scared, do not know what to say, how to do it, etc. All these points are valid and understandable. But in my opinion, it does not excuse the fact that each person should take a class to learn and develop this skill. 

As I entered my sophomore year and the time is running out before I graduate, these would be some of last classes I would be taking. I took this class with an open mindset, but I still had my worries. I’m not afraid to speak in public, but I still get the jitters before I speak in front of people. Thankfully, I’m taking this class with Professor Sinkoff, who I took Intro to Comm with last semester. From that last experience, it prepared me to understand how she runs her class and how I can use that to my advantage. This allowed me to take on the challenge of choosing to become one of the two project managers for this class.  

After working with all the four groups, it is safe to say I enjoy being part of a group but also learning how to manage different groups. Seeing the two different perspectives of what it is working on your own group to now having the ability to help all the groups has helped me. At first, it was not easy since it was connecting with the groups and finding a form of trust. But after helping them and participating in their questions allowed there to be a form of trust and communication amongst each other. Through that all the groups were able to overcome and reach the group of presenting.  

One of the biggest advantages for project managers is having someone else to help alleviate and manage the workload. Managing four groups and trying to reach deadlines is easier said than done. But with the help of Sofia, we both supported, managed and overcame any issues. Sofia was able to help with deciding on how we do the presentation order, answering questions from the group members, and support on any ideas or issues. All these factors allowed us to have a successful presentation anytime we had the group presentations. At first, there was an issue of connecting to the PowerPoint presentation, but we figured out a solution. We were able to add our information without complications and the group members were very helpful. Working with her has been great and I hope to finish the semester successfully with her help. As well, through the group members' patience and understanding we were able to complete the assignment without any issues. 

As we started the presentation, Group 1 was the first to go. Working with them was peaceful and easy. They were able to structure the outline easily; they divided the 40–45-minute mark strategically and created an easygoing environment. One of the things I liked about this group was strategically diving the time they had to so they could be present at peace. Coming from experience, it was never directly mentioned how much time a member can spend on the slide and how many slides they can do. But this group worked effectively and strategically. Carlos was a big help to this group, he chose the presentation, divided the time, made sure all members knew what they were doing, and supported each member. If there was an issue with the presentation, the members helped with fixing it or finding a solution. This teamwork allowed them to grow a stronger connection and understanding. Each member was prepared by creating their notes and spoke confidently when presenting. They sounded clear and were knowledgeable on their topics.  

As we continued with the presentations, Group 2 came after. This group was also able to work effectively, many of the members finished their slides early. This was a good advantage since it helped me create the agenda without any issues. Communication wise, each member spoke through the group chat and was able to resolve any problem. Each member understood the goal and subjects of the chapters. The members effectively used the resources provided to them. One member to mention was Gaby, she was not present for the presentation, but she still finished her section early and reached out to the professor about any issues.  

As the topic for the groups were open to new ideas, Group 3 worked together to complete the assignment. From the start of the Zoom meeting they divided the work, even after new members were added to the group. All the members were able to fit right in. This group worked on the topics divided into half. Two members worked on one chapter, making the workload easier and faster. The group members Matthew and Kevin were one of the memorable presenters from this group. But each member put in the work to make this presentation amazing.

To conclude, Group 4 was the last to present. This group was the best to work with in my opinion. I am not a biased person, but this group was the most hype and exciting to work with. Each member was extroverted and supportive towards the group and the goals. One of the advantages of being the last group to present was seeing how the other group presented and taking those strengths for their group. They all effectively worked together and did not have any issues along the way. One of the memorable members from this group was Adriel, he was natural at presenting and speaking in public. This student was the definition of what a perfect definition of what public speaking is. He presented with confidence and knowledge.