Brock Gandarillas Blog about group 4

 One of the most important things in public speaking is being able to express your ideas clearly, confidently, and effectively.  Whether you're speaking in a classroom, an auditorium, or just making plans with friends, speaking clearly and confidently shows you know what you are talking about, and it is a vital skill.  Group 4 gave a good presentation and displayed a number of positive speaking qualities, including confidence, preparation, and a clear and commanding voice.  There were of course, some things to work on, mostly the use of filler words like "Um" and to try to maintain better eye contact, although it is not as natural to stare into the camera as it is to look into the eyes of a person who is physically in your presence.  

The thing that really stood out to me was the group's confidence and slide presentation. The slides were all very well done, and the speakers appeared comfortable while giving the presentation.  They also clearly had a good grasp of the material they were presenting.  Their confidence showed me that they were prepared. They spoke clearly and were easy to understand throughout the presentation, which is not easy, especially when presenting virtually and dealing with all the challenges that come with digital platforms, like small audio cutouts, lag, and other technical difficulties. They also did a good job of transitioning between speakers, which helped the presentation feel organized and unified rather than like several unrelated speeches put into one. Each group member seemed to understand their role and contributed a meaningful part to the overall presentation 

One of the most important parts of public speaking is speaking clearly because if the audience cannot understand you, it does not matter how prepared or confident you are; a clear voice allows listeners to focus on the message instead of struggling to figure out what is being said.  Group 4 did a really good job with their volume and pace, which helped make their presentation understandable and easy to follow along.

Even though the presentation was given with confidence, the use of the word "um" was at times distracting.  Some of the speakers in group 4 used "um" at the end of almost every sentence, while some didn't use it at all. It is common for people, myself included, to use the word um when we are nervous and are not comfortable with the silence in between sentences.  However, overuse of the word can break up the flow of your speaking and presentation and lead the audience to believe that you are not as confident or prepared as you obviously are. 

A good way to cut down on filler words is to replace them with brief pauses. Although pausing may be uncomfortable for the speaker, it generally sounds natural and well controlled to the audience.  A pause gives the speaker the opportunity to arrange their next point and enables the audience to understand what has just been said.  It can also be used to stress a key idea.  Rather than filling in every moment of silence, Speakers should try their best to learn to regard pauses as a valuable element of communication. This is something that simply takes practice. When I was in the army, it took me about a year to feel I could confidently lead and talk to my soldiers. My best advice is to fake it until you make it and stay humble, as people really appreciate that and don't like people who believe they are on their high horse. 

Another useful method for controlling filler words is practicing out loud. Simply reading silently does not help as much as speaking aloud and practicing how to pronounce and deliver the words correctly.  While practicing out loud, speakers can pinpoint where they might get stuck and work on their pace.  Most people will speak a little faster during the actual presentation than they do while practicing because of the nerves involved with presenting.  Recording yourself is one of the best ways to do this because most do not realize how often they say "um" or "like" or other filler words.  Watching the recording can also reveal nervous habits, unclear sentences, or places where the speaker needs to slow down. Practicing several times can make the material feel more familiar, which reduces nervousness and allows the speaker to focus more on connecting and engaging with their audience 

The need for better eye contact was the other major thing that I picked up on while watching this group.  Although the group spoke with confidence and did pretty well at keeping the filler words to a minimum, most of the speakers were not looking at the camera when presenting; instead, they often looked at notes placed off to the side.  This can make the audience lose interest, as it does not really engage you in the way that someone looking right at you does.  The notes are a great tool to use, and I myself leaned on them heavily during my presentation, probably a little too much as well; it is definitely something that I think this group could work on.  One way to address this issue would be to place the notes closer to the camera or use brief keywords to jog your memory as to what you wanted to talk about instead of reading complete sentences from your notes.  That would make it easier for speakers to glance at their notes without appearing to read the entire presentation. 

Overall i think group 4 did a great job and i only noticed a few minor issues that could be easily corrected. I enjoyed lostening to them speak and I thought the powerpoint slides were very well done and looked professional. the group demonstrated strong preparation, knowledge,teamwork, and confidence. If the speakers reduced their use of filler words and improved their eye contact with the camera, The presentation would be even more polished and effective.  these are common public speaking challenges, and they can be imporved through practice, recording and repition.  With these few minor adjustments the groups future presentatins could be perfect. Group 4 should be very proud of their work and contiune building on the many stregenths that they showed in this presentation. Really great job.