This morning in class, you and your classmates will deliver your oral presentations on “Blogs vs. Term Papers” by Matt Richtel, “Why Writing by Hand is Better for Memory and Learning” by Charlotte Hu, “A Break from Your Smartphone . . .” by Allison Aubrey, “Want to Play Scrabble Like a Pro? . . .” by Ulrich Boser, and the first chapter of Ted Chiang‘s “The Life Cycle of Software Objects” in Exhalation (62-74).
Today’s class notes serve as the posting site for the response you will write, addressing both your group’s presentation and one of the other four. (See the directions below.)
Directions
Compose a short piece of writing (two paragraphs, minimum) that reflects on your individual preparation and delivery of your portion of the presentation and your group’s presentation overall. Although you are not required to draft your response longhand in your journal, I encourage you to write it by hand before you type it as a blog comment.
Elements to address include the following:
- The roles of your reading and writing: How did the processes of rereading the text and writing and rewriting your remarks contribute to the effectiveness of your delivery?
- The introduction of your group members and opening remarks
- The examination of points in the article
- The conclusion
- The cohesiveness of the presentation
- Poise, eye contact, and avoidance of filler words
Note that even though you are composing a blog comment, the assignment requires multiple, albeit short, block paragraphs. Use the enter or return key to create a space in the text box.
After you complete your two-paragraph reflection on your group’s presentation, compose an additional paragraph that addresses a presentation by one of the other groups. Choose the one that stands out the most to you. What element or elements of that presentation made it particularly effective and why?
Post your response as a comment on today’s blog post. To receive credit for the assignment, you must post your comment as a reply to today’s post, “ENG 1103: Delivering Your Group Presentations.” To submit your comment, click the title of the post, then scroll down to the bottom. There you will see the image of an airmail envelope with a box for your comment. Type your comment in the box and click Comment. Post your comment by 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, October 28. I will make your comments visible after the deadline.
Next Up
Wordplay Day! To prepare for class, revisit the Merriam-Webster Scrabble Word Finder page, and review your journal notes and the blog posts devoted to Scrabble tips.
In my group’s presentation, the preparation, communication, and connections to each other’s parts was key. I thought overall we did good with the time given. When presenting as a group working together and organizing our information we were able to recognize the main points. The way we presented Ted Chiang’s first chapter affected how the audience understood the first chapter. We all read it on our own but listening to a presentation can make the audience interpret things differently.
One element that makes a presentation effective in my eyes is confidence. Stuttering, looking down, moving a bunch isn’t effective. Like we have said in class it is distracting. Furthermore, then what did the audience learn? That the presenter moved a lot. Practicing in front of people and standing while practicing has helped me a lot. But not only that, having confidence in what I am saying matters as well. The audience is more likely to pay attention and understand what we are saying when we are confident!
The group that stood out to me the most was the one that presented on “Why Writing By Hand is Better for Memory and Learning”. Their presentation had a great introduction and conclusion, which helped make their main message clear and memorable. They also included scientific evidence to support their points, making their presentation very convincing and informative. What stood out the most was how they connected the benefits of handwriting to the way the brain processes information. Including the research of 36 students supported their argument strongly. All the speakers made eye contact with the audience and their confidence helped keep the audience engaged. Overall, this group combined strong evidence and effective presentation skills to create a memorable presentation.
My group and I presented on “Want to Play Scrabble Like a Pro? Here’s Your Memory Trick” by Ulrich Boser. We began by assigning each section of our presentation: Gavin taking the introduction, Ryder and Alexis each presenting one of our points, and I myself took on the conclusion. We all drafted our sections individually and came together in-person to ensure cohesiveness and determine the order that the points are presented. In regards to how we prepared to present our presentation, my group members and I practiced running through our sections in the order that we present, ensuring that each maintains eye-contact and shows a concrete understanding of the information that we are presenting.
My own preparation focused on a second and third review of the text, in which I was able to look at the ideas presented in the article and what we do in class side-by-side. This allowed me to pin point the relevance of the article to our class and to understand why Professor Lucas has us complete the exercises we complete.
One other presentation that stands out to me was the presentation that addressed the chapter in Ted Chiang’s Exhalation. As the only fictional piece of writing that was presented on, it was interesting to see how the group chose to analyze the desires of the two characters and connect the use of technology back to our class work. Additionally, all of the presenters spoke at a good volume, and the presentation was very cohesive and seemed to build on points presented by previous speakers.
My oral presentation was on The Lifecycle of Software Objects by Ted Chiang. The two points my group chose to focus on were the responsibilities humans have with making the robots, and how robots are evolving. Personally I focused on how robots continue to evolve. During my preparation, I looked back at Brain Aldiss’ Supertoys Last All Summer Long. I noticed how in both stories it’s a couple who own a robot who is there to help, serve, and communicate with the family. I chose to focus my point on how both of the families created these artificial companions that become more than just objects, the only difference being Aldiss focuses on how robots can fill emotional gaps, while Chiang explores how artificial beings can develop overtime and require care, commitment, and responsibility.
When reading the story for the first time, I took notes and jotted down any important details in my journal. Once I knew what story I would be presenting, I then went back and read it a second time to look for any more details that could be useful. When developing my speech, I took my notes and highlighted the key details that went along with my part of the project. After rereading my notes several times, I went back to Supertoy’s Last All Summer Long, and connected my point to a similar idea that goes on in that story.
What stuck out to me most about the Blogs vs. Term Papers group’s presentation was how the teacher had students write a 15-page term paper at the beginning of the class. After that, the students created blog posts and gave oral presentations about their topics before having the opportunity to revise their original papers. I thought this was interesting because it allowed students to explore their ideas in different ways and receive feedback before making changes to their final paper. It showed me how blogs and oral presentations can help students improve their writing and make the process less stressful.
Our group presentation was on the article “Blogs vs. Term Papers” by Matt Richtel. My role was to introduce and conclude our presentation. To prepare, I practiced with my friends and wrote my part of the speech many times to lock it in my brain. Rereading the article also helped me better understand the main points and made it easier to explain them in my own words. A big challenge I faced was that Sebastian was not there. I had to adjust what I was going to say minutes before we presented. I think my confidence was good even though I was nervous. I felt like I knew my part pretty well and was able to explain what I wanted to say. One thing I definitely need to work on is my eye contact. I was nervous, and instead of looking at my classmates, I kept looking toward the back of the room. I didn’t really notice how much I was doing it until I thought about my presentation afterward.
I think our group did a good job, especially since Sebastian wasn’t there. We had to make some changes at the last minute, but I think we handled it well. Everyone knew what they were supposed to talk about, and we didn’t have any awkward pauses when switching between speakers. I liked how we were all able to explain our own parts without relying too much on our notes. Even though things didn’t go exactly as planned, I was happy with how our presentation turned out.
The presentation I enjoyed the most was “Want to Play Scrabble Like a Pro? Here’s Your Memory Trick” by Gavin, Nicole, Ryder, and Alexis. I never really thought about Scrabble being something that could help with your memory or teach you skills you can use outside of the game. That was probably what interested me the most. I also liked that everyone seemed comfortable talking about their parts and didn’t seem confused about what they were saying. I did notice that some people looked at their note cards a little too much, but I still thought they did a good job. Overall, I could tell they had practiced a lot.
By rereading my assigned article multiple times I was able to determine which information was most important to talk about in my sections of the presentation. I was in charge of writing and presenting the brief overview of the text along with one of the close examination points. When writing the overview I decided to talk about the experiment that was conducted in my group’s article and the findings from it. However, when I wrote my close examination point I made sure to choose one part of the article that stood out to me and go into its specifics. Once I finished writing what I wanted to say I continually rehearsed it until I had it memorized so I rarely would have to refer to my note card when presenting. I tried my best to stick to my script which helped me to avoid using filler words and made it easier to make eye contact as I didn’t need to look down at my notes.
My group had three members and we decided to break up the presentation into three sections. One group member introduced us all and gave a close examination of one point, another group member provided a conclusion, and I introduced the title and author during my overview and provided another close examination of a point. I think my group did a good job providing thorough descriptions for each of our sections. We also did a good job communicating with each other who would do what parts and when they would speak which helped our presentation feel more cohesive.
The group who presented on “Want to Play Scrabble Like a Pro?” stood out the most to me. This is because they had a great balance of referring to their notes and making eye contact with their audience. Another big moment that stood out to me during their presentation was how they connected it back to the content of English 1103. This made their presentation feel more relevant as we were learning directly how retrieval practice can be useful to us in our classroom Scrabble play, but also when studying for other classes.
For my groups presentation Mariah did the introduction. She introduced all of us, gave an overall summary of “Why Writing By Hand Is Better For Memory And Learning” by Charolette Hu. Me and Cole then proceeded to present some key take aways from the reading and additionally mentioned two quotes that backed up our statements and connections. Finally, Dev presented our conclusion which consisted of putting together me and Cole’s key points and comparing them to the solution of Charolette Hu’s writing. Dev’s final statement was then an open ended question for the class to think about.
By breaking up our presentation the way my group did, we all got an even amount of talking points and we all made the work load easier on eathother. Overall I would say our presentation had good rythem when we were working together and when we presented to the class. We each had our notecards memorized and we made sure to look at our audience.
A group’s presentation that stuck out to me was Kathleen Barr, Vivian Lalliberte, Marisol Moreno, and Zach Roseman’s “The Life Cycle Of Software Objects” Chapter one. Some specifics in this presentation that intrigued me were when the group mentioned how the digit were more advanced than the robots we have previously read about. I thought this was interesting when I was reading the chapter and I was happy the group somewhat touched on it. Furthermore, I felt this groups presentation itself was effective to the audience because all members seemed prepared, and had a good flow.
My group was assigned the article Why Writing by Hand is Better for Memory and Learning by Charlotte Hu. For my part of the presentation, I was given the role of addressing and examining a key point in the article. The topic of my key point was typing without thinking. This was a major strong point of my article, with my quotes being very relevant and backing up my topic. I was also able to find more textual evidence which also helped back up my claim, which in my opinion made it much stronger. I was able to find both of my quotes from Audrey Van Der Meer a professor from the Norwegian University of science and technology. She specializes in working with the brain and has been studying this matter for a long time.
Another strong point for the presentation was the poise, eye contact, and avoidance of filler words for our group. I thought our group was very strong at all of these for many reasons. Our group was able to stay focused the whole time keeping our eyes on the audience and on our group mates while they were talking instead of looking all over the place. Our group was also very poised the whole time reading carefully and making sure not to read too fast or too slow. I also thought that my group was able to avoid using any filler words because of the time we prepared before to work on our parts and getting it down, so we didn’t need to use any filler words.
The group that presented A Break from Your Smartphone can Reboot Your Mood. Here’s How Long You Need by Allison Aubrey. This group did a great job with their key points and were able to back them up. The key points that they presented were about blocking the internet and the study that was performed on people for a month with no internet. The group also explained how the internet has taken over people’s lives also, and they need it for maps and zoom calls for work. The group’s focus was on how dependent humans have become of their phone, and they were able to present that very well.
For my group’s presentation, we focused on the article “Why Writing by Hand Is Better for Memory and Learning” by Charlotte Hu. To prepare for my portion, I reread the article and wrote down the main points I wanted to discuss. I also created an index card with keywords to help me remember what I wanted to say without reading directly from it. My role was to introduce my group members, Skylar, Cole, and Dev, and provide a brief overview of the article. I think writing and reviewing my remarks helped me feel more prepared and organized when presenting.
Overall, I think our group did a good job explaining the article and its main ideas. After my introduction, Skylar and Cole examined some of the article’s key points in more detail, including how handwriting improves memory and learning. I think our presentation flowed well because we each had a specific role and our information connected to the same overall topic. One thing I could continue to improve on is practicing more, which would help me feel more confident and avoid using filler words.
One presentation that stood out to me was the group discussing “Want to Play Scrabble Like a Pro? Here’s Your Memory Trick” by Ulrich Boser. I thought their discussion of retrieval practice was interesting because it connected directly to strategies we use in English 1103. I liked how they explained that recalling information from memory can help strengthen our understanding of what we learn. Their presentation made me think about how I could apply retrieval practice when studying for my other classes.
Overall when drafting the oral presentation with my group I feel as if we all did a good job of delivering a consistent and educational presentation. We met outside of class after individually drafting our ideas in order to make sure we were all on the same page with thoughts and flow. Gavin chose to do the introductory remarks which provided a strong overview and beginning to our presentation. Ryder provided the first point to our presentation providing knowledge as to how mistakes aren’t a bad thing and that they help us to grow. I then made the point regarding how our brains develop better neuron signals when we quiz to remember rather than hoping to memorize the answers on a test. Finally, Nicole provided a conclusion that summarized all that was said above and emphasized the importance of scrabble and memory quizzing. As a group I believe we did a good job avoiding filler words and making eye contact with our audience.
As an individual I believe that the strongest aspect of my presentation was my prior knowledge to the subject. As a biology major I was more than thrilled to be given the article “Want to play scrabble like a Pro…?” by Ulrich Boser. I wanted to further dive into the thought process of the study created by Yuzeng Hu analyzing the brains reaction to quizzing over memorization. I found studying the way our neural cords react to processing information to be beyond interesting and I appreciate how my major was tied into English 1103. The overall presentation that I provided felt strong and carried out well. I believe that my posture was good albeit it could have been better. I think that my eye contact was well carried out and that my thought process and analysis of information was intriguing to my audience. Therefore, as a whole I found this presentation to not only be fun but also to provide me with practice with public speaking and verbal analysis of articles.
The group that stood out to me the most was Hayden Porter and Brenna Murphy. They were analyzing “A break from your smartphone…” by Allison Aubrey. These two ladies provided such detailed information about the research conducted in their article. It kept me engaged and made me feel as if they truly took their time to understand and provide the best knowledge possible to their presentation. They carried their posture and eye contact well while keeping a good flow with each other. I appreciated that they kept alternating back and forth rather than one person reading and then the next. It allowed for a more lively presentation rather than a forced overview of an article.
Overall, I feel I did well on my part of the presentation, and most of that came from preparation. Rereading the article gave me a much better understanding of it. The first time through, I got the general idea. Going back over it helped me see how the author’s points connected and which details mattered most. Writing out my remarks and then revising them helped too. Each draft got clearer and shorter, so by the time we presented, I knew my material well enough to explain it while periodically looking at my note card. That made me more confident in front of the class.
As a group, we introduced ourselves and opened the presentation clearly. The points we examined were good ones and relevant to the article, and each of us explained our section with a clear purpose. Our biggest problem was pacing. We talked too fast, probably from nerves, and it would have helped to slow down and give the audience time to take in each point. Our conclusion also suffered because the group member assigned to deliver it was absent. Without it, the presentation ended abruptly. Next time, we should make sure more than one person is ready to cover each section, so one absence doesn’t leave a gap. On delivery, I’m proud of how we did. We avoided filler words, kept good posture, and made steady eye contact with the audience. If we fix our pacing and plan a backup for the conclusion, our next presentation will be much stronger.
The presentation that stood out most to me was the group that covered “Why Writing by Hand Is Better for Memory and Learning.” Their main point was that handwriting improves learning because it takes more effort than typing, which forces you to process what you write. What made it effective was how easy it was to apply. They connected the article to something everyone does every day, taking notes on a laptop or phone, and tied it to our overreliance on technology. Their points also built on each other in a clear order, which made the argument easy to follow. It made me rethink how I study, and I plan to try writing my notes by hand for my other classes.
Overall, I think I did well presenting my portion of “Want to Play Scrabble Like a Pro? Here’s Your Memory Trick.” Rereading the article and organizing my thoughts into notecards helped me better understand the material and prepare what I wanted to say. Revising my remarks also helped me explain my points better. During the presentation, I think I spoke slowly and clearly without rushing. I could have done better with eye contact with the audience, avoided using as many filler words, and had more relaxed body language to appear more confident.
As a group, I think we did a good job presenting the article and explaining its main takeaways. We each introduced ourselves separately, and the opening remarks (Lance), main points (myself), and conclusion (Layla) flowed well together, making the presentation feel organized and cohesive. Some parts of the presentation people became a little nervous I think which led to stumbling over some words, but overall, I think we were well-prepared and communicated our ideas effectively, although we could have improved our confidence and delivery in certain areas.
The presentation that stood out to me most was the one about blogs versus term papers. I really liked their takeaway about how both forms of writing helps students to develop critical thinking skills while also finding their natural writing voices. I thought their group did a great job of presenting because they spoke calmly and clearly, appeared confident, and the audience was engaged. In my opinion, they had the strongest overall presentation.
Preparing for our group presentation taught me the importance of reading carefully and organizing my thoughts before speaking. Rereading the chapter and writing my talking ideas and explaining them more clearly. Using facts and examples also helped me connect the information to the chapters’ overall message.
I thought our group did a good job introducing the topic and explaining the chapter. Including a quote from the reading helped support our points, while the questions encouraged the audience to think more deeply about the subject. The presentation was organized, and each group member contributed to explaining the information. One area I could continue improving is avoiding filler words and focusing on the proper terms to be used for addressing characters and objects from the reading.
The presentation given by another group that stood out to me because of effectiveness was Why Writing by Hand is Better for Memory and Learning? By Charlotte Hue. Its members used examples from the article and explained their ideas clearly. I also liked how they discussed the benefits of the topic and asked questions that encouraged the audience to participate. Their presentation showed me how using specific examples and connecting ideas to reading can make a presentation more interesting and easier to understand.
Rereading the text was extremely beneficial when creating my points because my annotations pointed to the similarities and differences between Ana and Derek. Additionally, I was able to divide these key points between Bailey and I, so our ideas could connect and play off one another. I was relieved to hear our professor reiterate the same points my group made, showing that we focused on the correct key points, and that our presentation offered a good insight into the reading.
As for my personal performance, I feel as though there is a lot of room for improvement. I am glad I got all of my talking points in, but I said a lot of filler words. I also probably shifted my weight a lot, as that is something I have done for years while speaking to a crowd. As for eye contact, I made sure to look at a lot of my classmates and was happy to see a lot of them looking back at me while I spoke. Practicing my points more would have benefited my presentation.
The rest of the class did really well– especially the group that presented “Want to Play Scrabble like a Pro?” I really enjoyed how personable the presenters were, as so was the text that they were talking about. The connections they made towards class (not just when talking about Scrabble), made me value the reading more.
Rereading the article Blogs vs. Term Papers by Matt Richtel helped me better understand the main points and remember the information. Writing and rewriting my remarks also helped me prepare because it made me more familiar with what I wanted to say. I felt pretty confident when presenting because I had practiced and understood the article. I also made eye contact with the audience and avoided using filler words, which helped me feel more comfortable while speaking.
I think our group did a good job presenting the article and getting our main points across. We introduced all of our group members and explained the important ideas from Blogs vs. Term Papers. One group member who was supposed to do the conclusion did not show up, so we had to adjust. Even with that unexpected change, I think we worked well together and communicated the main points of the article to the class.
The group that presented The Life Cycle of Software Objects by Ted Chiang stood out to me the most. They showed that they had a good understanding of the reading and were knowledgeable about the topic. They also asked a question that made the class think more about the reading. The group seemed confident while presenting and made good eye contact with the audience, which helped keep the presentation engaging.
Preparing for my part of the presentation helped me understand the article better and feel more prepared to explain one of its main ideas. Rereading the article and writing out some notes helped me figure out which details were most important to share. One point that stood out to me was Professor Lunsford’s experience at Stanford, where students wrote a 15-page paper and then worked on other assignments, such as blogs and oral presentations. I thought it was interesting that students could go back and revise their original papers after completing those assignments. This helped me understand that blogs and papers do not have to replace each other because they can both help students improve their writing.
Overall, I think our group did a good job explaining the article and connecting its ideas to the main topics. Introducing our group members and starting with a short overview helped set up the presentation and give our classmates an idea of what we would discuss. We shared important points from the article and explained why they mattered. I think our presentation was organized besides not being able to deliver our conclusion. Personally, I could continue improving my eye contact and confidently knowing the information instead of continuously looking down at my notes. Practicing what I was going to say helped me feel more prepared, but I know there is always room for improvement.
One group that stood out to me was Group 4, which presented about how playing Scrabble can improve learning and memory. I thought it was interesting how challenging our brains with new words can help strengthen our memory and help us learn more. Their presentation helped me understand how games can be more than just entertainment and can also be a way to exercise our brains. I thought this topic was effective because it connected something fun and familiar to learning, which made the information interesting and easy to understand. The groups ability to have eye contact and know what they were talking about made them stand out to me.
Preparing for my portion of the presentation showed me how important it is to go back and reread a text multiple times. When I first read the article, I mostly focused on the Scrabble examples. As I reread it, I started to understand the larger message about retrieval practice and how actively recalling information can improve learning. Writing my introduction took a few revisions because I wanted to make sure I included the most important ideas without repeating the article. Practicing and rewriting my remarks helped me feel more confident and allowed me to speak more naturally when introducing my group members and giving an overview of the article.
I think our group did a strong job covering the main points of “Want to Play Scrabble Like a Pro? Here’s Your Memory Trick” by Ulrich Boser. The introduction clearly explained the article’s focus, and each group member built on the previous speaker’s ideas. We discussed retrieval practice, memory, and the role that mistakes play in learning. Our conclusion tied everything together by reinforcing the article’s main argument that learning is most effective when we actively challenge ourselves rather than passively rereading information. Overall, the presentation felt strong on the information being presented to the class, but we did have a slight hiccup during the presentation, which happens and shouldn’t reflect on the information stated. During my own portion, I worked on maintaining eye contact, speaking clearly, and avoiding filler words. Although I was a little nervous at the start, practicing beforehand helped me stay composed and deliver my part with confidence.
One presentation that stood out to me was “A Break From Your Smartphone Can Reboot Your Mood. Here’s How Long You Need,” presented by Evyn Jones, Ryan Lofton, and Leslie Mendoza Arreola. Their presentation was especially effective because the topic was highly relatable and relevant to everyday life. They explained how excessive smartphone use can affect well-being, mood, and attention span, which is something many students can connect to. I also appreciated how they emphasized that becoming dependent on smartphones can take time away from healthier and more meaningful activities. The group was well prepared, spoke confidently, and maintained good eye contact throughout their presentation. Their organization and clear explanations made the information easy to follow and helped the audience understand why taking breaks from technology can be beneficial.
Overall, I was disappointed in my part of the presentation. I knew what to say; I just blanked. I overall prepared well for my part and practiced speaking and writing ideas down. I did, however, start using eye contact and avoided filler words.
As a group, we did a great job staying cohesive and building on one another. The introduction was strong, and the points were important to the article as a whole and to our class, which I was able to tie together in the conclusion.
Devyn Jones, Ryan Lofton, and Leslie Mendoza Arreola’s presentation on “A Break from Your Smartphone Can Reboot Your Mood . . .”, brought up points I had never considered. One was how the world is built around technology, but also how you need technology to navigate the world in the year 2026. They were also confident and spoke clearly.
I prepared for my part of the presentation by rereading the article, my peers’ notes, and their parts of the presentation before writing my conclusion. I reread my conclusion a couple of times, but I wish I had memorized more of it so I could have delivered it with more confidence. I think our opening was effective, and there is nothing I would change about it. I think our group did a good job explaining the main points of the article, but I think our transitions from one person to the next could have been smoother. Overall, I do not think the transitions were bad, but improving them would have helped the presentation flow better.
Overall, I think our group worked well together because we split up the work and everyone contributed. I think we were able to work together and put our parts into one presentation. One thing I would improve about my own delivery is making more eye contact with the audience instead of looking at my notes as much. I also wish I had presented my conclusion in a more confident manner. However, I think our group did a good job in mostly avoiding filler words, and I noticed that one of my group members, Devyn, did a great job making eye contact with the audience. Her delivery showed me how important it is to engage with the audience.
The group that stood out to me the most was the one that presented on “The Lifecycle of Software Objects” They focused on how development is not just about creating a program, but also about building relationships with robots and how humans can connect with them. I think their presentation went well overall because they explained their topic clearly and kept the audience interested. They also did a good job making eye contact with the audience and transitioning smoothly from one person to the next. I think their smooth transitions helped their presentation flow better and made it easier to follow.
Hayden Porter ENG 1103-01: Group Presentation Blog Response
As for my part of my presentation on putting down your smartphone, I think that I was very well composed during the speaking portion of my part. Meaning, I believe that I knew my topic well because I had previously read it carefully while annotating within the margins and thought about the content before class. During the brainstorming of the project my group member and I decided that I was going to talk about the major benefits to putting down your smart device. I reread the material and took notes on key things I knew I wanted to talk about which overall created a pattern of repetition within my delivery. I also spoke loudly and clearly while doing my best to not look at my notecard while presenting so I could be direct with the audience.
For the group outcome, it was still an amazing presentation because Brenna and I worked cooperatively and created a rhythm that made our words flow into each other easing into transitions. However, it was a bit difficult going into the project as we has one less group member to begin with (three members) and then our other member was absent on the day it was given so overall it was just me and Brenna conveying our message to the class. Overall, I still believe that we worked great together and we got our message out clearly with a confident tone during the presentation.
The other group presentation that stood out to me the most was the one about playing Scrabble Like a Pro. The reason this one stood out to me was because they made it seem very relatable in the sense that we were all confused as to why in the beginning of the year we were playing a word game once a week for a grade. However, they made an explanation as to why we are keeping our minds in rotation of thinking about different words and meanings of said words, as well as keeping the competitive nature while trying to make all the best plays within the board. They talked about how even if we were to never play scrabble again, it is teaching us key writing skills within our minds to help us convey different meaning, and tone all while still using strategy within our work. They also were all very confident in what they had to say and all flowed nicely to each topic they talked about creating a very persuasive and informative presentation on a Scrabble Pro.
Preparing for my group presentation on the first chapter of Exhalation helped me understand the importance of rereading the text and organizing my thoughts before presenting. My group members and I worked independently on our own parts and came prepared for class. Before presenting, we practiced together so that we could bring our individual sections together and make the presentation flow smoothly. Writing and revising my script helped me feel more prepared because I knew what points I wanted to discuss and how to explain them. Overall, I think we did a good job preparing our introduction, examining the important points in the article, and putting together our conclusion.
I think our presentation was connected due to us working together to make our individual sections connect rather than feel like separate parts put together. One thing we could have improved was our understanding of the digients, since we missed that they are not actually robots. This was an important detail that could have made our analysis stronger. However, I think we presented the material well overall because we came prepared and practiced before class. Personally, I could continue improving my eye contact, poise, and ability to stop moving while speaking. Practicing more would help me feel even more confident and make my delivery stronger in future presentations.
The presentation I enjoyed the most was the group that presented on “A Break from Your Smartphone.” I thought their presentation was particularly effective because of the transitions between their main points and the factual evidence they included. They did more than just summarize the article I feel like they explained the information in a way that helped the audience understand and remember the key takeaways. Their presentation felt more like a lesson because they seemed like they were educated on the material and were able to explain why the information mattered. I also appreciated how smoothly they moved from one point to the next, which made the presentation easy to follow. Their approach showed me how important it is to understand the material well enough to teach it to others rather than simply repeating what the article says.
This presentation was a great way for me to connect with other students and learn more about an element required of this class. My group focused on the importance of students handwriting assignments. We read and examined Charlotte Hu’s article, “Why Writing by Hand Is Better for Memory and Learning”. Reading and rereading this piece of text helped me and my group members have a better understanding of its content and how it related to our class.
We began our presentation by introducing ourselves and the text that we read. We examined two major points in the article which were, improving memory and optimizing learning. We used examples and research from the text to further explain each of these topics. The conclusion summarized the main points that we discussed and left listeners with a clear understanding of the topic.
I was unable to attend class the day of the presentation and delivered mine a separate day. Because of this, I was not able to see any other groups present. My group members and I practiced speaking clearly and tried to limit the amount of filler words that we used. When prepping for the presentation, we wanted it to flow as naturally as possible and be cohesive.
My group’s presentation was a great learning experience because it allowed us to work together, share ideas, and learn more about the topic. Everyone contributed in their own way, and we were able to combine our ideas to create a presentation that explained the main points. Working as a group helped us improve our communication and teamwork skills. It also showed me the importance of being prepared,listening to others, and making sure everyone has a chance to participate.
Overall, I think our group did a good job presenting the information and working together to complete the assignment. One thing we could improve on in the future is practicing more so that we feel more confident and speak smoothly during the presentation. This experience taught me that teamwork, preparation, and communication are important for success. I am proud of the effort our group put into the presentation, and I believe we can use what we learned to do even better on future assignments.
The other group’s presentation on The Lifecycle of Software Objects, pages 62–74, helped me better understand the story and its main ideas. I learned more about the relationship between humans and artificial intelligence, as well as how technology can develop and change over time. The presentation explained important parts of the reading and helped me think about how people interact with artificial beings and the responsibilities that come with creating and caring for them. I thought the group did a good job explaining the material and sharing their understanding of the story.
During the group presentation planning, my preparation for the presentation consisted of finding evidence that supports my key point and rereading the notecard to ensure that I do not look back down at the notecard. Rereading the notecard helped keep my attention towards the crowd while delivering my key point, which allowed me to state my point with more detail and efficiency. Rereading the notecard allowed me to avoid filler words and help me maintain eye contact.
My group members all did very well with the delivery process of the article “Want to Play Scrabble Like a Pro?” by Ulrich Boser. The introduction, delivered by Gavin, was able to introduce the class to our concepts. The conclusion, delivered by Nicole, explained how our key points tied into the article and why it the key points aligned with the article.
Hayden and Brenna’s presentation on Allison Aubrey’s “A Break from Your Smartphone Can Reboot Your Mood” summarized a research project conducted by professionals that included over 400 people and lasted for a month. Hayden and Brenna stated that the experiment showed that staying off of smartphones resulted in participants experiencing improved mental health and attention span. They stated that this is a correlation to the Academic Research and Writing class because we are expected to learn without smartphones or laptops. This presentation was very effective because Hayden and Brenna did not have four people total for their presentation, yet they were able to deliver efficient key points without needing to read over their notecard.
Originally, I was supposed to present with my group, and we were prepared with a good idea of the order of information we were going to present. Unfortunately, I was sick on the day of the presentation. This forced me to present by myself weeks later, without partners and without knowing what was said without me. Looking at the comments, I see that the presentation with my group went well in my absence, which I’m glad to see.
Having to present weeks later without any partners was hard since I didn’t know how well it went or what was said. Looking over the article beforehand definitely helped me and refreshed my memory on what the topic was about. Using a notecard with key information definitely guided me to present the right information diligently while not forgetting stuff like quotes and phrases that needed to be included in the presentation. I think I presented the information pretty well, considering the situation at hand. I think the use of quotes and credible authors helped to convey the main point of the article we were given, “Blog vs. Term Papers”.
I was absent for everyone’s presentation; therefore, I cannot comment on the other presentations.