Francisco Toledo -Reflection #1

 Reflection on Presentation

Preparation

The days of preparation were honestly really calm and well-organized. Our group was lucky to have a dependable leader who made sure everyone stayed on track by reminding us of our tasks and deadlines. At the beginning, we did struggle a little with how to divide and organize our topics. There was some confusion at first, but we had discussions in our group chat and decided to vote on who would handle each section. After some back and forth, we agreed that each person would take on half a chapter and create one slide for each subtopic they were responsible for. Once roles were set, everyone knew exactly what they needed to do. We aimed to keep the presentation consistent in both style and structure so it would look polished and cohesive. We made sure our slides followed the same format and didn’t disrupt the overall flow or aesthetic. To stay collaborative, we used a shared document where everyone could suggest changes or fix any mistakes they spotted. I think we revised the document more than five times, not because anything was completely wrong, but because we kept refining it to make the final product as clean and professional as possible. Each group member also made an effort to truly understand their material. We didn’t just prepare slides—we studied our parts thoroughly, so we’d be ready to answer any questions from the audience or teacher. Overall, the preparation process went smoothly, and by working together and staying organized, we were able to create a strong and well-prepared presentation. 

Presentation

The day of our presentation I honestly felt really calm about my topic and how I would speak in front of the class, I am luckily really good at improvising and not having to read from a paper to talk about the topic as long as I have a rough understanding of it. My other group members were amazing as well, speaking and elaborating further from what was written on the paper. We made sure to engage with the audience and understand their opinion about their topic, even though we all felt really nervous since we barely know anyone in the class apart from our group members, we all agreed on the idea that we needed to look at the audience and not just look down at the paper in order to have them paying attention to us and not the PowerPoint slide. I feel like we had them engaged and did our best efforts in our first presentation to be concise, informative, and entertaining. The feedback that we got from our instructor was honestly really helpful and we are sure to make the next presentation even better. 

Presentation #1

Before doing our presentation, we listened to group #1, they were not the best honestly, at least when it came to improvising in their speaking, but they had good information, and you could see they made an honest effort in their presentation. Group #1 talked about the basics of building confidence in public speaking and shared some useful tips on how to connect with different audiences. They emphasized that public speaking isn’t just about standing in front of people—it’s really about delivering a clear message and finding ways to engage listeners. They acknowledged that most people feel nervous but stressed that confidence is something you build through practice, like rehearsing alone or with someone you trust. They also highlighted the importance of knowing your audience and being ready for different reactions, reminding us that even if people don’t agree or seem interested, it’s the speaker’s job to keep their attention by staying clear and strong in their points.

Presentation #3

In the presentation after us they talked about the Primacy and Recency effect which were terms that meant that people will usually remember what they hear last the best. They talked about the use of language in order to share ideas carefully and express feelings and emotions better using the right words. To make sure to avoid the use of slang speech in order to make your presentation as educated as possible. The term Euphemism is one I have never heard before as well, is a way to replace words that may have a second meaning or an offensive tone in order to sound less harsh especially when we are trying to persuade an audience. They had many other terms but mainly they talked about the best ways to deliver to the audience using language, expressions, and practice in order to successfully deliver the presentation to the audience. 

Presentation #4

Group 4 covered chapters 13 to 17, focusing on different types of speeches and how to adjust your approach depending on the situation. I learned that informative speeches are all about teaching the audience something new, while persuasive speeches are meant to convince people to see things your way. To do that well, you need strong arguments with clear claims, solid evidence, and logical thinking, all built around the classic pillars of persuasion: logos, ethos, pathos, and mythos. Basically, you use logic to make your case, credibility to earn trust, and emotion to connect and inspire—when these come together, your speech becomes more than just words; it turns into something memorable that really sticks with the audience.