PEER WORKSHOP

REFLECTION

Skills Gained

This workshop was an interesting experience. As we had some last-minute rescheduling for the class, I did not end up contacting my group mates until the day before we were scheduled to present. We weren’t even sure if we were still supposed to present on that day. After checking with the professor, we confirmed that we were indeed still presenting. I put together a powerpoint presentation for our topic, which was active versus passive voice. I actually learned a lot myself while putting the presentation together, because I have never, to my memory, had a lesson on the topic. One of my teammates, Mya, responded to my email right away, and created a worksheet to go along with the presentation. Everything fit together really well. Unfortunately, my other teammate didn’t respond to our emails until the next morning, so we did the presentation without him. We were actually the first group to present our workshop, so he had plenty of time to easily join another group. The presentation itself went well. We got a lot of positive feedback from our classmates: they liked the interactive element of the worksheet, they thought it was organized, they wanted it to last longer, etc. Some of them even used elements from our workshop in their own. Overall, I wish that I would have started sooner, but I think that we did very well with the time that we had.

During this process, I learned quite a few things. First, and most importantly, I got a reminder that I shouldn’t put things off until the last minute. Building off of that, I learned that when doing a group project it is highly beneficial to contact your teammates as soon as possible. That way you can start planning early, and the whole process is much less stressful. Additionally, starting early would probably avoid any issues with group mates, such as how one of mine ended up having to join another group. Aside from that, I also learned a great deal about passive versus active voice while creating and giving the workshop. This was useful for me when I was writing my essays, as well. Finally, giving the presentation taught me quite a few things too. I got to practice public speaking, which is not something I do all too often. My partner and I were able to read the room quite accurately, which I was proud of. It’s also a good idea to make sure that you’re equipped for giving a presentation before it happens, which I will remember to check for from now on. From the feedback that we got, I know that it is important to keep your audience engaged while giving a presentation; they get more out of it that way, and so does the presenter. I was also reminded that I need to remember to speak loudly when talking to larger groups. Obviously, there were a multitude of things that I was able to get out of this presentation, many of which I can apply to situations for the rest of my life.