My First Experience in Public Speech Class By Gabriel Acosta

 For many, the idea of just standing up in front of an audience is a scary thought since many people in the modern age are so afraid of speaking on a stage. However, most of the time people don't realize that they make a presentation when talking to their parents about going to the Bad Bunny concert or when discussing with a friend how good is your Intro to Public Speaking class is. The art of public speaking is one of the most important skills that any person can learn since you use it daily to communicate ideas, express yourself, and learning this skill can increase your chances of landing a better job of communicating at a professional level. The presentations made by the class helped me understand what, how, and why should I learn about public speaking as a class thought in Miami Dade College. Throughout the four group presentations, a lot of good information was provided and knowledge starting with group One.

Group one had what people can describe as the introduction to any topic. The group started with why people should be excited about speaking in front of a public. Even if speaking is something done by every person, for me speaking sometimes is exciting and scary at the same time especially when it is to or in front of someone new. Adding to that idea, the members explained briefly what the worst-case scenario could be while speaking to finish their take on chapter one. Later, one of the members talked about why public speaking is important for life skills and your career. The reason why I was so invested in this part of their presentation is simple and it deals with how this impacts me. One of the reasons why I took this awesome class was to expand and learn about public speaking since I'm pursuing a law degree. To be a good lawyer it is required to be a good speaker and a good listener to be able to understand, protect and analyze what is the best scenario for your client and those requirements are part of the many benefits from the public speaking class. After that, Group one talked about the rhetoric’s to use in public speaking, what mistakes to avoid while giving a public speech ranging from being neutral, being able to listen respectfully, and researching about their topics. To finish their presentation, they glossed over the purposes of speeches and explained that there are three types of speeches and those are: General purpose, Specific Purpose, and Thesis purpose. The most common one is a general purpose however in my opinion the most important one is the thesis purpose for my career and college. 

The next group was mine, group two but that one will be the last since it has more information and learning out of the four groups so the next group will be three. Group three started with explaining what effective delivery is and what are the modes for delivery. I was surprised to learn that there are different modes of delivery available to a speech and depending on the model chosen the speech would sound different. One of the modes of delivery that caught my attention during their presentation was the "Question-and-Answer session" this mode holds an infinite potential that can be used for college purposes. As a college student and a classmate, I believe that a question-and-answer method well used can help to deliver many ideas that get lost in the process of teaching, main classes such as math. In my notes, one of the most defining aspects of group 3 was their organization and the use of sensory aids. Their takes on how crucial is sensory aid for public speeches left me open to a new world of ideas to improve my presentations. This part of the presentation was so good, so enticing and so interesting made by one of the most engaging classmates named Jacques Fleischer. With an awesome, quick, and almost professional type of time management made by Fleischer a simple topic such as the use of technology in presentations was so modern and interesting. To finish, the members of the group closed with how to keep the focus on the message so people can get main the message of the topic. Usually and this is something that I learned from this class is to make a presentation for the benefit of the audience. After explaining how important it is to study your audience, the best way to keep people focused on your message is by making the message appealing to them. Most of the time people are selfish and want to see how a topic is relevant to them. 

The final group that presented was the one I think was the best out of the four groups and that is group four. Although this one is not my group, nor did I have any involvement people shall praise who deserves it and this group was just phenomenal. They started with what is the purpose of informative presentations which are most of the time the type of presentations that are seen in college. In most of the classes, the sessions are mainly informative and help with the understanding of topics presented by the professor (Public speaker) and the students (the audience). Later the participants explained how and why to present with a persuasive message. They gave examples and how to avoid falling into fallacies when doing a persuasive presentation. The group gave their thoughts on speaking on special occasions and they finalized how to work with small groups to present in an effective matter.

Finally Group two, the group in which I took part. There are no words to explain how working in these groups helped me understand, learn, and experience working as a team to make good public presentations. The help that my classmates gave me was incredible since it was the first time since high school that I worked alongside people to do a presentation. Even if perfections do not exist, I believe that my classmate such as Chanel Or Bryan did an amazing job despite that. I learned about the importance of the timing of a speech that to me was something crucial to know because recently a close one passed away and I did not understand so well when was the best time to approach his family. The lesson that I learned helped determine when to deliver the message but also the occasion is important. The occasion is the way of a presentation and knowing why to give a speech is as important as knowing when to give one. My assigned chapters also taught me about how public speaking is not only about talking but also about listening and with this knowledge I will be better a delivering a good public speaker.

No class is perfect, but I think that what matters the most is the content and what method of delivery is used to give the message. Those presentations were the perfect example for a first experience, and I expect to review some more and learn with you all!!!