This week was practice presentation week! I had my first practice on Monday and it was a little rough since I had only practiced for a few days.
I felt like I stumbled through the information, hastily skipping transitions or not conveying information very well. A lot of these problems stemmed from a lack of familiarity and nerves, but there were also sections where I needed to add transitions. I also had to add a hypothesis slide, and an accompanying section on explaining the parts of my hypothesis. Also, in my first practice I realized some slides needed more transitions to make the information more digestible.
After I changed all of these things I was feeling pretty good, but then.... it was time to present in front of Mr. Molk and Dr. Helmers, the two people who helped me with my project besides Mrs. Haag. I was honestly terrified. I overcame my nerves a few slides into the presentation, and overall the feedback I received was super helpful. Mr. Molk asked me to define the capitalist system and justify why I am using that specific definition. Dr. Helmers told me I could cut out a section (maybe even in my paper) to make my argument more concise and credible. He also gave me a new direction I could take in my discussion: individualism as another fundamental aspect of a capitalist structure. This discussion is particularly interesting since it fits REALLY well with the themes I found in a majority of movies, therefore tying my results more directly to my discussion.
I walked away from my second practice feeling really good. My fears of being wrecked were not fulfilled. Instead, I got amazing feedback. So I am going to take this moment to give a shout out to the teachers I have worked with, and all the teachers who I know are working hard to help us. This research process has not only taught me about research and my own process, but it has also helped me to learn more about the academic community. I went into this project knowing very little, but with the discussions Dr. Helmers and I had, he was able to introduce me to film analysis. Mrs. Haag taught me more than I imagined about research formalities, as well as always provided strong insight on argumentation. Mr. Molk provided a separate perspective, allowing me to realize the connections my research had with other academic focuses, and also pointed out some logical gaps. Each one of these teachers helped me improve my project so much and their willingness to be an integral role in my paper, shows the support and passion they have for the subject and their students. I definitely think that their guidance has helped bring me to a higher level, since I felt like they expected a certain level from me.
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| Me @ the amazing BASIS teachers |
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Hey Grace! I am glad to hear that you got such good feedback, especially from Dr. Helmers since it can be applied to both your paper and your presentation! I understand how you initially felt really nervous -- I did too -- but I also had the experience where I really liked the feedback I received and left each practice round feeling more confident for the final this Friday. What do you see your plans being for the rest of this week and preparing? What do you still have left to change? Other than transitioning and changing content, is there anything left to fix with your slides, or are you feeling that aspect of the presentation is completely solid? Those are the only questions that came up for me; otherwise, I think you sound like you are on a great track to kill the final presentation this week! Good luck making the final edits. :)
ReplyDeleteYo Grace!
ReplyDeleteIt was nice to see you turning into BASIS on Saturday... I definitely agree with you about the feedback on the practice presentations. I think we had different reasons, as Dr. Helmers and Mr. Molk were involved in your project so they could give amazing insights, while for me it was their first look, so I valued their input on whether they could follow my argument and results.
Either way, Mrs. Haag and the two of them are definitely amazing!
Extra practice will also help you improve your nerves and familiarity with transitions and animations in your presentation, so make sure you keep that up!
What's your plan of attack for editing your paper this week?
Keep up the good work -- it's the home-stretch!
Yash
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Hey Grace! I'm really glad you had some amazing teachers take a look at your presentation! Dr. Helmers and Mrs. Haag are both amazing and excellent teachers who are very good at what they do. They also provide really quality feedback for students who seek their help! I know that just getting their opinion can make your presentation a lot better! Also, Mr. Molk is a master at making powerpoints better! He helped me make mine better by providing a ton of feedback and pointing out formatting and clarity issues on my PPT! How are you planning on attacking your paper these next few days? I cannot wait to see you kill your final presentation!
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Ved
Grace -- thanks so much for the shout-out. It's been such a pleasure working with you, and I was so proud of what you accomplished. The Saturday presentation was an excellent iteration of your argument, and I think with those few refinements, you'll further bolster your argument. I know that at the conclusion of your presentation, you'll feel accomplished and fulfilled. Good luck -- but you won't need it!
ReplyDelete