9:00 AM - SPC2608 - Group 2

Getting Ready for a Successful Presentation: Personal Blog by Gabriela Valdez If you’d asked me a couple of weeks ago how I felt about giving presentations, I probably would’ve been shaking and sweating with uneasiness. Public speaking and I have never exactly been the best of friends. Presentations have always felt like a hurdle I had to clear rather than an opportunity I could enjoy. Even over Zoom, where you’d think the screen would make it less scary, my palms still get sweaty, and I spend half the time worrying I’ll forget my lines or sound awkward. So when I saw the syllabus and read that our first big assignment was going to be a group presentation, I was already shaking in my boots. But in the process of making said presentation, not only was the experience far less stressful than I imagined, but I walked away a little surprised at how easy it all felt. Typically, I dread the moment my name is called. My mind fills with worries and obsessive thoughts. Will I stumble over my wor...

     Discovering Purpose in Chapter 4: Reflections from Valentina Daugherty      When we learned about the group project, having to explain chapters from the textbook in front of the class and needing them to understand the chapter fully, felt intimidating. Chapter 4, Developing Your Purpose and Topic, made me feel especially uneasy given that this is the chapter from which everything is based. A speech without purpose and direction is like a house without a blueprint, the blueprint might get you the house, but it won't be long before it collapses. Knowing that this chapter held the first course of action and an example of a speech made me both excited and anxious. I want to be certain that I am explaining the concepts clearly.  Initial Experience with the Chapter 4      The first read through of Chapter 4 felt like a lengthy to do list, figure out a general purpose, think of several possible topics, evaluate ideas, narrow to one specifi...

Getting Ready for a Successful Presentation: Personal Blog I can't say I'll forget this week anytime soon. Honestly, I was feeling a bit anxious when I heard of the project. Group projects consistently get me really nervous at first, as there is always uncertainty regarding how the collaboration will unfold. Initially, you see one level of engagement from your team; they may not do their part, disagree, and it feels like you're dragging the project along, and nothing gets said or done. There was a lot of content for our project as well, like stories, anecdotes, testimonies, factual stories, and statistics, and I don't mind saying that it was all very daunting at that stage. That day, I was contemplating, "Will we be able to cover all of this material without it seeming like a disorganized collection of ideas?" I was worried about how the project would turn out, so this first stage was the hardest for me. Even though I was somewhat nervous at first, but once w...