Presentation Evaluation

This week's exercise used the types of communication skills we discussed in class: speaking informally, listening, making formal presentations, and using the writing process.


Speaking Informally
The art of informal speaking is somewhat lost, especially "like" since our "like" generation seems to "like" use the word like "like" after every "like" three words, thereby "like" distorting the message. I would say that for us we have to be careful the inappropriate use of like, but also with tone of voice, pace, and eye contact. Most of the presenters did not have a problem and spoke clearly. Yet, tone of voice and projection is one of the hardest habits to change but when mastered, makes all the difference in the world. I noticed that speaking confidently like you want to be heard is what distinguished orators from everyone else. I think that as a group everyone can improve on this.


Listening
The art of listening has also seen a decline, especially since electronic devices often trump whatever other activity we're involved in. Despite this, this week everyone seemed to be paying attention to the speaker (I'd say partly because the presentations were short). So A+ for our class on our listening skills.


Making a Formal Presentation
This week's assignment was a "mini"formal presentation in which our methods were formal but the topic was "light." Overall the power point slides were decent but better yet they served as guiding points for the speaker. The fact that everyone presented the same article made the presentations a bit repetitive but it was interesting to note how everyone interpreted and presented the article in a unique way.


Using the Writing Process
Although we barely used the writing process because of the assignments simplicity, we did write on the slides. I'd say that this category was the least used but I do have a comment. For me the less you write and more you talk, the better. Some presenters had this down and I believe this is definitely they way to go and make the presentation more interesting.


In general, I think the presentations were good. Some people were better at captivating the audience than others but that's to be expected (depending on humor and charisma). We need to improve a bit on speaking, and this in turn will improve listening.