A Classes First Presentation

Drew Raph-Lundeen

Our first speech presentation was covering important information from chapters in our textbook Public Speaking: The Evolving Art. This presentation was spread across four different groups of students. Regardless of minor technical errors here and there, I think the class did really well overall for a first project. 

The first group consisted of Alyssa Bentancourt, Alexander Redondo, Bryana Pumarol, Dashka Louidor, Anna Granda, and myself. Our presentation was on chapters one, two, three, and five of the textbook. Alyssa talked about chapter one in a professional and easy to understand manner. Afterwards, Alexander talked about helpful information from chapter two. They gave helpful advice about having control over any speech anxiety someone may have. Then, Bryana presented key takeaways from chapter three about listening. Bryana went above and beyond by giving relatable examples and keeping the slides neat. Combined, these made it easy to understand while being entertaining to listen to. Finally, both Anna and I discussed chapter five. In my opinion, Anna presented in a calm and concise way, making it easy to digest. Despite a few hiccups, I believe the first presentation went well.

The second group consisted of Julia Orchilles, Isabella Camacho, Eduardo Hernandez, Jorge Mairena, Elizabeth Joseph, and Jaden Jones. Their presentation covered chapters four, six, seven, and eight of the textbook. First, Julia talked about chapter four which covers how to develop your topic and purpose. Truthfully, the slides were well designed while not including all the information, making it easier to understand. Next, Eduardo discussed important points about researching your topic from chapter six. The information provided was great, especially covering the different types of plagiarism. Many don’t realize how many different forms plagiarism comes in, some may be doing it without realizing. Then, Elizabeth covered chapter seven sections one through three, which includes ways you can support your ideas. Her slide was neat and concise, going over three different types of information: narratives, examples, and definitions. After, Jorge talked about chapter seven section four through six. Jorge would further explore different types of information, going over testimony, facts, and statistics. Furthermore, the information was well explained and easy to understand. Towards the end, Isabella presented additional information on chapter six. Overall, group two’s presentation was well thought out and easy to understand. 

Up next, group three discussed “Presenting Yourself and Your Ideas” from chapters nine, ten, eleven, and twelve. Group three consisted of Krysten Castaner-Molina, Melany Perez, Lauren Aguiar, Kayla Keddon, Kevin Dorta, Leily Rivero, and Laura Echavarria. Truthfully, the whole presentation was incredibly well designed and the information on each slide wasn’t overwhelming. Starting off, Krysten shared chapter nine, Beginning and Ending Your Speech. Overall, the information was wonderful for gaining an understanding of developing an effective speech. Next, Melany covered chapter ten sections one through four which includes important information about language and culture. The information was well broken up into bullet points making it more memorable. Moving on to Lauren, who continued chapter 10 by presenting sections five, six, and seven. The information Lauren provides about using clear, concise language is especially important. Afterwards, Kayla talks about chapter eleven, which brings up how to design a presentation’s media. In the current technological environment we live in, this is definitely important information for presenting. Plus, Kayla breaks up the information wonderfully on each slide. Then, Kevin shared chapter twelve sections one through four, discussing how to deliver your speech. Kevin was incredibly thorough with his information on one's delivery and voice. Then, Leily rounded off chapter twelve with sections five through eight. They kept her information nice and neat, keeping it easy to understand. Finally, Laura presented additional information on chapter eleven. Relevant to the topic, Laura provided a lot of media that helped make the information memorable.

Finally, group four presented chapters thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, and seventeen which goes over different types of presentations. Group four consisted of Rachel Bardelas Falcon, Tatyana Matallana, Natalie Alarcon, Najohlis Colmenares, Geovanny Tabares, Yanny Ledesma. Starting off the presentation, Rachel talked about chapter thirteen which covers informative speaking. The slides were incredibly designed and interesting to look at. Furthermore, the information was thorough yet broken up into easy to understand bullet points. Next, Tatyana discussed chapter fourteen that delves into persuasive presentations. Her slides were well designed and the information was well written. Following, Natalie talks about chapter fifteen. This chapter covers what an argument in speech is and how to effectively apply this presentation method. In her presentation, Natalie was incredibly thorough in the information they provided. Furthermore, her slides were broken up by section in an appealing way. Afterwards, Najohlis covered distance speaking from chapter sixteen. Obviously, this is an exceedingly relevant topic in this day and age, and especially in this class. Their slides had eye-catching graphics paired with information that was visually pleasing. After, Geovanny continued chapter sixteen, covering how you should appear and speak in the media. They included a video about being on point and prioritizing key points that helped me understand the importance of this practice. Finishing the presentation was Yanny with chapter 17 which highlights all different types of speeches. Yanny’s slides were wonderfully designed and easy to understand. Overall, this presentation was really well done. 

Of course, I can’t forget the class leaders Stephanie Sanchez and Paulino Rodriguez. They both gave wonderful introductions and conclusions to each group's presentation. I think the intro’s all set up the presentations well. Furthermore, the conclusions were great summaries that closed out the presentation perfectly. 

Honestly, I think everyone did well on the first presentation but I also believe everyone has a lot to learn. I do have a few key points that would be good to work on as a majority. Firstly, coordination among groups seemed to be lacking a little bit. This is somewhat to be expected as online learning is a new environment for many. Nevertheless, teamwork is something that still should be improved on. Secondly, everyone should be more confident and dynamic when speaking. This should hopefully come with mindful practice. All in all, I believe the class did really well and will only get better from here.