Day 5 Presentation Do’s and Don’ts

 Submitted by Annie Yu

 

Being a very independent person by heart while having a natural fear of public speaking, I was somewhat anxious about the team presentation we would do today. After an ordinary morning, of breakfast at Pines, and the 7 minute ride to SIO, we entered the Vaughan building being greeted by our instructors Veronica and Bonnie. We were separated into our “Hot” and “Extreme” groups and while the “Hot” group left to work on ocean warming in another room, I was left with Susan, our program coordinator, Bonnie, our instructor, and Daven and Trae, my two other classmates-and team members for the day to examine decade long data regarding rainfall in Bakersfield, CA.

Quickly, I was immersed in a land of numbers, spreadsheets, and silence while my teammates were indulged in their own work. Bonnie, was very efficient in walking us through the techniques used to get standard values and soon I was calculating means, maximums, and standard deviations like it was basic math. After three hours of analyzing data, and a short but much needed break, we were on to working on the presentation. Working on our power-point, required more communication to be organized. My group divided up the work in a way in with each person addressed a different part of the power-point. One was calculating the means, while another was typing text, and the third was finding images. Quickly, I wanted to dominate the formatting of the presentation. However, I realized that my group members had inputs that invalidated those of mine, so I loosened my control and tried being more receptive towards my group mates’ ideas.

Annie and Trae

Annie practicing her presentation skills

Daven getting more comfortable speaking to the group

Our teamwork was a bit choppy at first, but we adapted and finally finished. Even though we received criticism the first time we practiced presenting, I felt that as a team, we were able to significantly improve and repair our power-point without expressing much opposition or conflict in regards to each other’s ideas. After presenting a second time, with significant improvement, we presented in front of our peers. The third time was met with more confidence and ease. Finishing the part I was supposed to present felt like a weight being lifted off my shoulders. Hearing feedback from others, despite the criticisms we received, gave me insight on the skills that I needed to improve upon. Although I’ve gotten used to being an independent worker over time, today’s activities revealed the importance of teamwork and being conscious towards the ideas of others. Additionally, it showed me that having the courage to present in front of others and being receptive towards constructive criticism makes presenting a much easier task.