Post #1 Katherine Avila

What I Learned From Our Public Speaking Presentations 🎤💻

After watching all of our group presentations, I can definitely say that I look at public speaking a little differently now. 😅 This assignment was not just about presenting information from a textbook. It also gave us the chance to watch each other speak, see different presentation styles, and learn from the chapters that other groups were responsible for.

Our class was divided into different groups, and each group was assigned a different set of chapters. Every group created one large PowerPoint using Google’s presentation tools, and the chapters were divided among the group members. Usually, about two people worked together on one chapter and created around four slides for their section. Then, each group presented everything virtually through Zoom by sharing their screen.

                                           

                          A little look at the PowerPoint my group created for our presentation!

So… How Did the Presentations Go? 🎤

One of the first things I noticed was how differently each group organized and explained their information. Even though everyone had similar instructions, each presentation still had its own style. Some sections were more detailed, while others focused mainly on the most important ideas from the chapters.

Watching the different presentations made me realize how important organization is. A chapter can contain a lot of information, but during a presentation, the speaker has to decide what the audience really needs to know. Trying to include every single detail can make the presentation feel overwhelming.

The presentations that were easiest to follow were the ones where the information felt organized and the speaker explained the main ideas clearly. This showed me that a good presentation is not necessarily about saying the most information. Sometimes, saying less and explaining it better can actually be more effective.

When the PowerPoint slide has an entire textbook chapter written on it…

Me: "I’m not reading all that 😭"

PowerPoint Can Make a BIG Difference 💻

Since all of the presentations were done through Zoom, the PowerPoints were a really important part of the experience. While someone was speaking, most of us were looking directly at the shared screen.

Because of that, the slides had to be clear and easy to follow. I noticed that slides with shorter points were usually easier to understand because the audience could listen to the speaker instead of trying to read an entire paragraph at the same time.

This also reminded me that a PowerPoint should support the speaker, not replace the speaker.

If every single thing you plan to say is already written on the slide, it becomes very easy to just read directly from it. When that happens, the presentation can start sounding less natural.

I think one of the biggest things I learned from watching everyone is that the slides should contain the main ideas, while the speaker explains the details in their own words.

Public Speaking Nerves Are VERY Real 😅

Another thing I noticed was how differently people handled being nervous.

Some people seemed very comfortable speaking, while others seemed a little more nervous. I think that is completely normal. Even though we were presenting from home instead of standing in front of a classroom, speaking in front of a group can still be stressful.

We learned about speech anxiety in the course, and this assignment made that topic feel much more realistic. Nervousness can show up in different ways. Someone might start speaking very quickly, rely heavily on their slides, pause more than usual, or sound quieter.

At the same time, I noticed that once people got into their presentations, they often seemed to become more comfortable. 

Me before my presentation: 😌

Professor: "You’re next.”

Me: "😳”

It’s Not Just About What You Say 👀🗣️

Watching everyone present also made me notice how many different things affect speech delivery.

Before this class, I probably would not have thought as much about all of these things individually, but now I pay attention to them a lot more.

Some of the things that stood out to me were:

👀 Eye contact
🗣️ Speaking clearly
🔊 Good volume
⏱️ Not speaking too quickly
🙌 Natural body language
🎤 Vocal variety
😌 Confidence

The way someone uses their voice can completely change how a presentation feels. Speaking clearly, changing your tone, using pauses, and speaking at a comfortable speed can make it much easier for the audience to stay interested.

When someone sounds conversational instead of sounding like they are reading, I find it much easier to pay attention.

Presenting on Zoom Is Its Own Experience 📱

Presenting through Zoom was also different from presenting in person.

In a classroom, you can look around the room and make eye contact with different people. On Zoom, eye contact is different because you have to remember to look toward the camera instead of constantly looking at the screen.

Body language is also harder to use because the audience can usually only see part of you.

It made me realize that virtual public speaking has its own challenges. You still have to sound confident, speak clearly, and keep the audience interested, but you are doing all of that through a computer screen.

Since everyone is also looking at the shared PowerPoint, the slides become even more important.

Shoutout to Group 3 🤝✨

I was in Group 3, and I was really happy with how my group worked together.

Our group was responsible for Chapters 9 through 12, and everyone did a good job communicating and completing their part of the assignment.

Group projects can sometimes become stressful when people do not communicate or when one person ends up doing most of the work. Thankfully, I did not feel like that happened with our group.

Everyone knew what they were responsible for, everyone contributed, and we were able to put all of our sections together into one complete presentation.

Even though different people were responsible for different chapters, everything still had to come together in the end. That meant we had to think about the slides, the organization, the transitions between speakers, and how the presentation looked overall.

I think we did a really good job working as a team, and that made the experience much less stressful.

Group projects when everyone actually communicates and does their part:

🤝✨ A rare and beautiful experience. ✨🤝

Learning From Everyone Else 📚

Another thing I liked about the assignment was that every group covered different chapters.

That meant I was not only reviewing the chapters my group was responsible for. I was also learning from everyone else's presentations.

Throughout the different groups, we were able to review concepts related to organization, delivery, visual aids, audience engagement, body language, speech anxiety, and different methods of speaking.

We also learned about manuscript, memorized, impromptu, and extemporaneous speaking.

Watching the presentations helped me understand why extemporaneous speaking can be so effective. When someone clearly knows their information but still speaks naturally, the presentation feels more conversational.

Having notes or slides available is helpful, but depending on them too much can sometimes make it feel like the speaker is simply reading.

Final Thoughts 🎬

Overall, I think this assignment helped me understand public speaking in a much more practical way.

I was not only learning from the information each group presented. I was also watching public speaking techniques happen in real time.

It made me think more about organization, PowerPoint design, teamwork, vocal delivery, eye contact, body language, nervousness, and audience engagement.

I was especially happy with the way my own group communicated and worked together. Having a group that actually stayed organized definitely made the experience more enjoyable.

Going forward, I think I will be much more aware of all of these things whenever I have to give another presentation.

The biggest thing I learned is that public speaking is not just about knowing your information. It is also about how you organize it, how you present it, how you use visual aids, and how well you connect with the audience.

And most importantly…

Group 3 survived the Zoom presentation. 😂🎤