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EvanCulver
English250SectionSD
Assignment5OVEReflection
SamanthaFuthey
December11,2015
Ofalltheassignmentswedidforthisclass,Idefinitelyputthemosteffortinto
assignment4,themediatedresearchassignment,whichIbelieveisreflectedbymypresentation.
Althoughtheslidesarevisuallyunimpressive,Idothinktheywereaneffectivedisplayof
relevantinformation,andthecontentofthepresentationwasdetailedandcoveredmanydifferent
questionsposedinanalyzingtheproductivityofminimumwagelaws.Nevertheless,thereare
someimprovementsIwouldmakeforabetterpresentationnotonlyvisually,butinthewayI
spoke.
Thestrongestpartofmypresentationwasmyphysicalpresentation.Ifeltconfidentand
comfortableandprojectedthattotheaudience.Ihadgoodpostureandspokerelativelyclearly,
withgoodvolume.IwasveryexcitedtosharemyideasandIthinkthatenthusiasmcameoutin
myspeech,butIhaveneverbeenaveryanimatedspeaker.Becauseeconomicsisnotthemost
interestingtopictoalotofpeople,itmayhavehelpedifIhadgreatertonevariety.Additionally,
despitemakinggooduseofhandgestureswhenIpracticed,Ididnotmovemyhandsmuch
duringmypresentation.Inthiscase,usingafewmorenondistractinghandgesturesmayhave
alsomademytopicmoreinterestingtopeople.
AnotherstrongpartofmypresentationwastheideasIexpressed.Inmypaper,Icovered
awidebreadthofissuesabouttheminimumwage,soIfeltwellpreparedtojustifymy
proposition.Mypresentationwasformattedasapersuasiveargumentasopposedtoaresearch
presentation,butitwasnotbecauseIhadanagendaofpushingforahigherminimumwage.In
fact,whenIstartedthisprojectIhadagreaterdispositionagainsttheminimumwage,butIwas

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nottotallysure,soIdecidedtodosomeresearch.Ultimately,mypositionchanged,andInow
favorraisingtheminimumwagewithsomekeystipulations.Thebiggestargumentagainstthe
minimumwagewasemploymenteffects,soIspentmostofthetimeproviding
counterarguments,butIthinkinthiswayIshowedmultipleperspectivesontheargument.In
thesewaysIbelieveIprovidedastrongcaseformypointwhilestillshowingobjectiveresearch.
Whilemyideaswerestrong,IcouldimprovethewayIorganizedthem.Someofthe
ideasseemeddisjointed,goingfromonepointtothenextwithoutgoodtransitions.Specifically,
goingfrommypointaboutblackyouthunemploymenttohowIthinktheminimumwageshould
beimplemented.IfIrevisedthispresentation,Iwouldfindawaytoorganizemyideassothis
transitionedbetterwhichmightevenmeancompletelyrestructuringmypresentation.Partof
whatmadethissodifficultwasthereductionintimeallotment.
Withlesstime,IhadtosignificantlyreducemypresentationandeverytimeIpracticed
myspeech,Ijustskatedthroughundersevenminutes.Duringmyactualpresentationhowever,I
wasalmostdonewithmypresentationbythetimethetimerheldupthesignindicatingIhadtwo
minutesleft.Imayhavebeennervous,butmostlikely,Iwasjusttryingtogetthroughmy
materialintime,somethingthatIhavedoneinmultiplepresentationswhereIwasunderatime
crunch.ThishadapooreffectonmypresentationbecauseIskippedoversomethingsanddid
notgettoelaborateonsomeofmypoints.Inretrospect,thewayIcouldhavebestsolvedthis
issuewouldbetoreducethebreadthofmyinformationandjustgivegreaterdepthtoeachissue.
Thiscouldhavegivenmegreatercontrolovermytime.
Also,morepracticewouldhavehelpedmetimeeverythingIsay.Inpastspeecheswhere
Iwassuccessful,akeycomponentinmysuccesswaspractice,andmorespecifically,

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memorization.ObviouslyIdonotneedtomemorizewhatIamgoingtosaywordforword,but
memorizingeachpointImakeandhowItransitionbetweeneachideawillmakeforamore
welltimedandwellexecutedpresentation.Inapresentationlikethis,practicingmanytimes
wouldhavebeenthebestwaytomemorizewhatIwasgoingtosay.
Regardingthevisualcomponentofmypresentation,althoughitmayhavelookedalittle
bland,IdothinkitclearlyandconciselydisplayedinformationrelevanttowhatIsaid.Itwasnot
toowordy,hadusefulgraphicstohelpmedemonstratemypoints,andusedbulletpointswhich
werebrief,butaidedmyaudienceinknowingwhatmysubjectwas.TheimagesIusedwere
graphsandamapwhichservednotonlyasvisualstimuli,butactuallyservedasinformational
contentaswell.Nevertheless,ifIweretogivethispresentationagain,Iwouldaddmorepictures
totheslidestomakethemmorevisuallyappealingandstimulating.Itisdifficulttosaywhat
kindofimagesIwouldadd,however.Muchofthesubjectmatterofmypresentationisvery
intangible,sofindingimagestophysicallyrepresentwhatIamsayingisdifficult.Thismeansit
mighthavebeengoodtodiscussexamplesinmypresentationwhichdemonstratemypointto
makeitalittlelessabstractandalittlemorereal.Iwouldalsochangethecolorschemebecause
whiteandgreyisprettybleakandunimaginative.Instead,Iwouldchoosecolorsthatare
appealingtolookat,butdonotdistractfrommypresentation.So,Ididagoodjobatmakingthe
slidesnondistracting,butIcouldimprovethembymakingthemalittlelessminimalistic.
WhatthisallsaysaboutmeasacommunicatoristhatIfocusalotonmyideasandthatI
liketogivelotsofsupporttomyarguments.Givenenoughtimetospeak,Icouldmakeavery
longandwelldevelopedcaseforwhatIamarguing,butinmanycases,Idonothavethis
luxury.Eithertimeisactuallylimitedlikeinthisassignment,orpeoplesattentionsimplyruns

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out.ThismeansIneedtoworkonbeingamoreconcisespeaker,stillgivinglotsofcontent,but
reducingthetimeittakesformetoexpressitall.Visually,Icommunicateeffectively,butnot
creatively.IdonottakethetimetothinkhowIcanmakeavisualaidmorememorable,but
ratherthinkofjusthowtoincreaseitsutility.Inviewofthis,IshouldexpandthewayIthink
aboutaudienceandcommunication.
ThisassignmentshowssomeofwhatIamcapableofdoingasanoralandvisual
communicator,butIknowIcangofarther.Yes,Iwasconfidentandconcise,butsomeofmy
organizationcouldbeimprovedandIcouldmakemyslidesmoreeffectiveincomplementing
myspeechinsteadofjustaidingmymemory.Thereisgreatpotentialinthispresentationforme
todevelopitintosomethingthatreallyinfluencesmyaudiencewhichIhopeIcanuseinfuture
presentations.