Erica De La Rosa - Reflection #1

The opportunity to present and attend the presentation on the art of public speaking was informative. It was a valuable experience that provided practical insights and a build-up of the foundation's principles. During these sessions, a comprehensive guide to effective public speaking was provided. Also an exploration of how to connect with the audience on a deeper level. Reflecting on the presentations, I realize how crucial it is to approach public speaking, not as an essay but as a performance. It has inspired me to concentrate and refine my public speaking skills. I will do this by focusing on authenticity and preparation. Being mindful in participating in this exercise is a refresher on how to interact, motivate, and apply these techniques with an audience. 

Group two’s main topic of discussion was focused on developing your purpose and topic. When speaking to persuade the audience they reminded us to attempt to reinforce and change the audience's perspective. Adding humor builds more attention and keeps the audience engaged in what you're saying. Creativity also coincides. Group Two elaborated on the importance of being unique. Therefore enhancing social interaction, open-mindedness, self-correction, and outdoor activities. Secondly, developing your purpose. There are many types of speeches but the main ones are, Speech to inform, persuade, and occasion. Well, researching your topic was also important. Group two said that if you do not know what you are talking about you can not write a proficient speech. There are 5 categories discussed. The purpose and objective of your speech, target audience, the key topics, and sub-topics, having credible sources, and time management. A special shoutout to Leonardo Linardo. Who made it easy and comprehensive to understand preparation. He did a good job at informing the class on researching your topic and translating it into speech. 

Group three’s topic of discussion introduces the class on how to begin and end your speech. There are four elements of speech introduction. Attention, purpose, credibility, and previewing your main point to the audience. Stating statistics calls attention to your topic. Originality and personalization can show relatability. What I like about Group Three’s presentation is how clear each slide was. Group three showed the main points. They certainly showed how finding the purpose of your speech can lead you to a well-designed start. Starting a speech can be difficult, although when you know what to bring to the table it can make it similar. In order to explain which topic to discuss. One thing that stood out to me the most was building the foundation of trust. When you are authentic it shows that you have the audience’s best interest in mind. Communication is very important. Therefore, choosing the right words varies on the type of audience. Using pictures especially when presenting can help articulate meanings without words. It shows creativity and sparks the audience's imagination. As far as the conclusion goes, it was taught that reviewing the main points and presenting them can lead to a strong note. Even though this was said during group three’s slides, I would have personally changed it towards the end. Overall it was very thorough.

Lastly,  group four was informative in regards to how to adapt to your audience. The topic is about being informative through your speech. Designing your speech requires analysis; it supports the structure of what you have to say. Having distinct audiences from different knowledgeable background levels is important to have a clear objective. Therefore having credibility to the information being said is crucial to trustworthiness. It was mentioned in the presentation that speaking to an audience requires another technique. Which is observing your audience through demographics and psychographics. Categorized as gender, age, educational level, and ethnicity.  It can add important insights to demographic data. Closed and open questions can pertain to valuable information about your audience. Close-ended questions limit the possible responses, asking for very specific information. Open-ended questions are designed to be more in-depth with information by asking the audience to answer. For example, “Should the academic year for high school be extended to 12 months? Yes or No? Why did you answer that way?” Physical location can contribute as well. For example, communities, auditoriums, and public events. The time of the day of an event can play a role in the order of speech deliverance. Given the presentation of group four, some of the backgrounds made it hard to read what they mentioned. The Word font was different for each slide, personally, I believe keeping everything consistent makes an audience stay focused. Unless you are a great speaker and it can balance out. Altogether the presentation was informative, and I gained more knowledge.

The presentations on the art of public speaking were both enlightening and practical. Each group provided valuable insights that emphasized the importance of preparation, audience connection, and authenticity. I learned that public speaking should be approached as a performance rather than merely delivering information. The discussions on developing a clear purpose, engaging the audience with humor, and utilizing effective openings with closings greatly enhanced my speaking skills. Group four's focus on audience adaptation highlighted the necessity of understanding demographics and tailoring content accordingly. I also appreciated the emphasis on credibility and the power of observation when engaging an audience. As I move forward, I am committed to refining my public speaking abilities by incorporating these principles. I plan to practice my skills in various settings, ensuring I remain authentic and relatable. Ultimately, these presentations have inspired me to embrace the art of public speaking with greater confidence and creativity. Paving the way for more impactful and engaging communications in the future. I believe we can always learn from each other by incorporating feedback. Also, sharing insights to enhance our collective communication skills to be better speakers. Even though my group was nervous, we still made a great presentation. In conclusion, the group presentations were a great learning lesson.