When it came to giving a speech before taking this class, I did not know much other than

stick to the rubric and just talk. I did not really stop to think about all the other things that I do

during a speech and how they can affect the overall outcome of the presentation. A speech could

have very good content but turn out horrible all because of the way someone acted or presented

themselves. One thing that I learned by taking the class and after my first presentation is be

aware of body language. Giving speeches before I would try to lean against the podium or keep

myself behind the computer so no one would really see me. Learning now that that is not

something that is acceptable when presenting, could explain some of the grades I'd gotten. I

learned to stand tall, straight, and allow the audience to see you. Don't fidget and allow them to

listen to you instead of watching the things that you are doing that distract them. With one of the

videos that we were shown in class the girl was moving all around, scratching herself, and folded

her arms. Those things took away from what she was saying to the point that I don't think I heard

everything and we did not think that her presentation was very good because of that.

Another thing that I learned is to keep better eye contact. It's okay to bounce between

reading notes and looking at the audience, but reading straight from notes or a PowerPoint is not

something that you should do. I also learned that maybe looking at someone for too long could

be awkward, so having an equal balance between the two is best. Before, I would mainly read

from my notes so that I wouldn't have to look at anyone but after presenting it seemed easier to

just look casually at everyone in the audience. Again, in the video we saw one girl just stare at

her paper the whole time and not look up once. We saw in another video a girl that had note

cards and would read from them and then look at the audience and do this back and forth. We

obviously liked the second one that we watched.

When it came to citing sources of information that I used for presentations, I would

always just do a Works Cited page at the end or just a references page of the places I got my
facts. By taking the class I learned that it's okay to cite as you go that way the audience can keep

up with you and know what references go with which pieces of information. This helps the

organization of the presentation and also helps you so you don’t forget to cite anything and get in

trouble for plagiarizing. I also learned that information that you use should not be older than five

years from the date that you are presenting. This way you know the information is credible and

up to date.

Lastly, I learned that giving a presentation is not as scary as it may seem. Sure it can be a

little nerve racking but, when you practice your speech before you present, time yourself, and

have everything organized then really all you have to do is talk about things that you already

know. Show that you care about what you are presenting and that you know what you are talking

about. This shows your credibility and makes them believe you more. I think this class has taught

me a lot and I think, made me a better presenter overall. I can definitely see how

communications is related to the nursing field and everyday life.