TED Talk
Project
In loo of all the event planning and hosting we would normally do, our class is taking the time to work on actual leadership skills to benefit us after we graduate. To begin this skill building, we started with public speaking. Of course we cannot technically perform a public speech, so we were tasked with creating an online slide presentation, speaking about anything we want. I chose a relevant and somewhat controversial topic of microaggressions and colorism.
Here is a recording of my slide presentation along with the written speech and slide show. The point of my speech was to address microagressions seen in everyday conversations and to slightly touch on the colorism seen in the media. The presentation is mostly to bring awareness to these two topics and bring up how they effect people of color.
Conclusion
Usually we do not do projects in leadership, so of course I was a bit nervous for how it would turn out. However the project was focused on the aspect of public speaking rather than actual content, so we were graded on our performance rather than the actual information. A lot of accommodations such as these have been made in order for students to receive a cohesive education. This project was simply to advance our individual skills which I believe was accomplished. We watched about 4 or 5 public speaking videos to prepare us for this project, however it is of course not the same as presenting in person. I do believe the skills we did practice, such as problem solving and compromising, will benefit us however, especially continuing with virtual learning. In these confusing times you never know what you are going to have to accomplish in these circumstances whether that be a biology experiment or a painting, all to be done with limited instruction and materials, and this project was simply one of the many to prepare of for the plethora of situations the pandemic has and will bring about.
Overall, I did complete the project in full and on time, which is of course expected of me, but still an accomplishment in itself. The speech was in depth, but short enough to fit the 6 minute maximum time slot given in the requirements. I do believe that the topic I chose, though controversial, was relevant, current, and interesting because it applies to both people of color and non people of color. Both audiences were able to receive the message, simply from different perspectives. I also have experience in public speaking on zoom, through Board Meetings and other presentations, so I do believe that I did well presenting. However, because I know I have experience, I did not practice as much as I should have. My timing with the slide show was off in my presentation along with the screen recording shown above.