Public Speaking Presentations- Gabriela Padron

 Public Speaking Presentations

By: Gabriela Padron

    Public speaking can be enjoyable or nerve-racking as people get scared of crowds, but we should all practice and learn about it. In our daily lives, we communicate with others we have never met before and even though at first you might be anxious to speak to someone or speak aloud, in the end, it feels good when you get your opinions out. Some people do not have a problem with this as they are outgoing and love to talk to people but, others, like myself, get anxious and have trouble speaking out loud without stuttering or speaking very low. Staying organized and practicing every day helps you gain the confidence for public speaking along with many other tips I have learned throughout the presentations given on the chapters of the book "iSpeak: Public Speaking for Contemporary Life" by Paul Nelson. 

    Split into 3 groups, we all focused on 3 main topics; Preparing presentations, selecting and arranging content, and types of presentations. Group 1 was chapters 1-4, group 2, which I was in, was chapters 5-9, and group 3 was chapters 10-12 plus the appendix. Every group presented well and all the information was useful and taught me much about the main aspects of public speaking.

    Group 1: Preparing presentations

    Starting off with group 1, I think they did an amazing job at making an organized presentation appealing to the eye. It was well put together that I took inspiration from them and made my group's presentation more organized with slides saying what chapters we were going through and color coding them. From this presentation, I learned that, other than how organized it was, when looking for what to talk about in a presentation, you should choose a topic that has to do with important issues or events, current things affecting your audience now, or topics that can improve your audience and make them learn something new. I also took away the 6 ways you can overcome anxiety when presenting as I struggle with that myself. Those include acting confidently, knowing your subject, caring about your subject, seeing your audience as if they were your friends, seeing yourself as successful, and of course, practicing. Staying organized and focusing on your delivery of a speech is very important so it gets engraved in your head but even if you prepare index cards to study you should not read off of them throughout your presentation or read off of your presentation either as it can show that you were not prepared. 

    Group 2: Selecting and Arranging Content

    In my group, we all did our parts and presented well as it was filled with very useful information and videos that conveyed our message effectively and clearly so that our classmates could understand. We started off with how research is important in making our argument not only credible but defendable. Research has to be done carefully and can either be done through personal experience, library sources, or web sources that carefully have to be found and well-read so the information you're getting is correct. Before starting on your presentations, it is helpful if you make an outline for yourself first in order to organize your thoughts on what things to talk about and in what order. When thinking about an introduction you can read a quote, tell a story, use humor, or use a video in order to engage your audience and make them relate to you. You should be able to deliver your speech at a good flowing pace that is both confident and gives a message clearly. It is important that you both dress well in appropriate clothes depending on your environment and that you use language that coincides with your topic and with your level of knowledge. Most importantly, your words matter, do not use language that excludes or offends people. Last but not least, when creating slides don't make it boring by just using text, this will bore your audience. Instead, appeal to the 5 senses. Use visuals such as pictures, graphs, or in-person materials that allows the audience to better understand what you are trying to put forward. However, do not overload your presentation with many of these as it can distract your audience or take away from your message. Overall I think my group did very well presenting and had very important information.

    Group 3: Types of Presentations

    What I remember most about group 3 is their calming music or tune throughout the presentation I think it was very clever and liked it well. Sometimes it would distract me but it was very creative, it captivates the audience. There are many different types of presentations you can do or that people use in their everyday lives. This includes presentations to welcome, to pay tribute, to introduce, to nominate, to dedicate, to commemorate, to say farewell, to give recognition, and to entertain. These presentations are used and seen in our everyday lives as we follow celebrities and watch award shows that do all of these in one night. Most of all, however, persuasive presentations are used most. We are always trying to persuade others on topics and want to share our opinions that might get them on board. I remember I made a persuasive presentation listing all the positives to my parents on why I should get a new computer and I'm proud to say that it worked. 

All in all, every group did an amazing job at creating presentations that taught us about what the chapters in this book were about, teaching us about public speaking and the little steps in order to make it perfect. As someone who struggles with public speaking, using all the tips and tricks learned through these presentations, I have seen a change in myself as I strive to be better at talking with crowds or at least a small group of people I don't know without making it awkward, for example, the community groups at my church. I have opened up to more people and made friends at my church because I conquered my fear of speaking publicly and started putting some of my anxiety to rest.