Ashley Valenzuela- Blog 1 (Presentations)

     When I was first told that our class would be giving group presentations of different chapters from our public speaking book, I truthfully felt a combination of interest and nervousness. Public speaking is something that usually creates quite a bit of nervousness in many individuals, including myself, so part of me was concerned that people would be totally at ease discussing it in front of the entire class even if it's through Zoom. It made it more nerve-wracking that I didn't know who was on the other side of the screen. Meanwhile, I was eager to find out how each of the groups would choose to take their own chapter and share it in their own unique way. What I was least expecting as the presentation days went by was how interesting they were. Rather than becoming a series of stuffy lectures, they became energetic, innovative, and even enjoyable to watch. Each of the groups took to it in their own unique style and way, and it kept me interested from start to finish and helped me to see the many aspects of what is involved in public speaking. By the end, I could see that it all wove together to give us the complete picture of how to be better, more confident communicators. It was as if every presentation fit into the larger picture. I was hooked from beginning to end and was able to gain perspective for the different aspects of speaking in front of people because every group had such a different style and approach.

    The variations between the groups, even though they were all discussing the same topic, each had something that really grabbed my attention. One group was incredibly polished and prepared; they spoke with assurance, followed their slides carefully, and exuded a very professional tone. Another group conversed in a more informal style of presentation, as if they were merely discussing with us as opposed to making a formal presentation, and actually made their content easier to follow. One group utilized images, such as images and concise bullet points, to support their points effectively without overwhelming the audience with words. I was kept engaged by the diversity of techniques as I was never quite sure what to expect next. It was also a reminder that it is not necessarily the "right" way to deliver a speech that matters it is that it is necessary to find a style they can use that suits their message and personality. Seeing all of those many different styles next to each other forced me to consider more the type of style that I hope to establish for myself in the future and showed with how much creativity it is possible to maintain that space and yet be educational.

I especially appreciated how thoroughly every group broke down the material from their chapters and how much I actually learned from every single one. One of the groups involved in preparing and giving a speech did amazingly well at making it seem simple so that it didn't look so overwhelming. It was easy to read through their clearly laid-out explanation of how to choose a topic, research it, and emphasize important points. Another group went through how to organize the structure of a speech, from writing a good introduction to the body to the conclusion. I found this to be totally helpful because they used real-world scenarios to describe how a structured speech differs from an unstructured one. Another group stood out to me because they pointed out bad habits, like slouching or talking in a monotone tone, and then showed how to fix them. Another group went over how to handle fear of speaking in front of crowds, and because they were so frank about their own nervousness, their recommendations actually seemed practical. I felt much better about my own fears after they explained that it is normal to be anxious and, if you learn to manage it, it could even enhance your performance.

Ultimately, working on the chapter with my own group made me appreciate how much effort everybody put into it on a completely different level. Practicing when everybody had mixed schedules, deciding who would do what role, and how to switch our pieces together were all hard initially. But I truly grew to love the process once we were making it. Every single one of them was good at something else; some were excellent at presentations, some were excellent at research, and some were excellent at confidently and correctly presenting. I made greater observations of what the actual collaboration is once I knew how to merge their strengths. It also enabled me to know how much expertise there must be on the subject when presenting. You must know the chapter well enough to respond to questions and provide good explanations; you can't simply read it and expect to get by. As difficult as it was at the time, that type of preparation made me a great deal more confident when the time to present rolled around.The nonjudgmental environment in the room made the whole experience so much better. 

In the end, I can honestly say that I thoroughly enjoyed the chapter presentations of public speaking, much more than I ever thought possible. They allowed me to experience the textbook content rather than simply understand it. My peers' explanations of topics like planning, organizing, delivering, and managing fear made me feel like I could realistically conquer them. It was also inspiring and encouraging to notice other individuals gaining confidence right in front of me even if it was through a screen. Doing research, planning, and presenting with my group also gave me greater confidence in myself. The entire process taught me that speaking in public requires work, practice, and encouragement of each other rather than a natural flair or courage.I'm confident I'll carry over that lesson to my future studies and even outside of this class. I'm really glad we did it since what began as another assignment evolved into something that made me a better speaker, group member, and student.