Congratulations Class!
You have all finished your presentations and I am so proud of your accomplishments. I know you all have learned skills that will benefit you in your future educational years. Be more confident in yourselves. Take constructive criticism as a tool for improvement. I think for the most part, you have done that.
This blog is basically your evaluation of Tyler's and Andrew's presentation - their selection of topics, the background to the collection, and of course, their delivery. Good Luck!
I felt for being two of the more shy people in class, Tyler and Andrew had one of the most well-delivered presentations out of all eight that were presented. There was good delivery, eye contact was constantly being made, and the boys knew their material well enough to not need their books or notecards constantly. This was a more difficult collection to master and maintain, but I thought the boys mastered the ropes and were able to make their story their own. The overall collection seemed like it came from a more objective standpoint with much room for opinions for almost every story that the boys covered. Each of these stories need a further evaluation for better understanding, and I found that both Andy and Tyler used their best capabilities to make the rest of the class understand the meaning behind the stories they chose. My favorite poem from the collection was Mirrors. It was haunting but very interesting at the same time. I found it most appealing because it seemed like the mirror itself was the narrator instead of a person taking on the role of telling the story. In my opinion, the mirror was explaining the idea behind itself that many humans cannot fully understand while gazing into the mirror; the mirror does not lie, the human that is seeing into it can make their own opinion of what they see and take it their own way, but the mirror shows a reflection that resembles the person exactly. My favorite line to further explain my idea is the line that states "I am not cruel, only truthful". People can view themselves however they want, but the mirror shows you for exactly who you are. I struggled a little more while reading The Lifeguard. From what I tried to get out of the poem, I find a total regret in the lifeguard who could not save the life of the drowning boy. However, people need to push past their mistakes and realize that they cannot control every aspect of life. The lifeguard tried his best to save the boy and should not live with the eternal regret he is going through. The effort that is put forth is what really counts and should be remembered as the good deed. Autobiographical Notes basically explained how hard of a lifestyle James Baldwin had and how he was such a loner. Many of the poems had a theme of depression within the text and was mainly a reflection of human behavior instead of other environmental stimuli.
ReplyDeleteTyler and Andy really stepped up to the plate for their presentation. Sometimes they would either talk a little too fast or became a tad soft spoken during the duration of the presentation, but I think that they had some of the best communication out of all of the groups. Great job boys!
Carli, I really enjoyed your blog this week. I thought that you made some very good points during it. Your first statement was very true. They are not the most talkative in the class, despite that they did a great job. There presentation skills were very good. The eye contact and the good posture was all there. I was very impressed with how well they did. Even for going last sometimes people are nervous because they had to wait so long. This did not phase them at all. The poem that you picked to be your favorite was Mirros, it was also mine. I thought that it was something that I could relate to. It made me really take a step back and think about what it meant. When I look in a Mirror I look at all the bad things that I see and don't concentrate on the good things. This is something that most of us do! I did not however like the Lifeguard it was confusing and I didn't really understand what it was about. I feel like most of the class felt the same way! What you said about Tyler and Andy was very true at times their voices did drop off. But other then that they did great. Nice blog this week!
DeleteCarli, your blog is very well written and I agree with it very much. Tyler and Andrew did a very good job this week. I find that Tyler surprises us every time he speaks, because he is very good at it. I didn't like Lifeguard, because there was too much symbolism for me. On the other hand, I really liked Mirrors because of how honest and truthful it was. All girls, even guys, have self-conscious issues but should not because everyone is unique and have their own qualities of beauty. Good blog, Carli.
DeleteCarli, you proved some good points in your blog. I agree that for them being the two of the most shy kids in the class, they really talked a lot withot any trouble. They came out of their shell and speaker very professionally. Their stories had a lot of depth and they did so well. Lifeguard was very well explained too they really focused on the emotion too.
DeleteThis last past month and a half or so has been something very different. When Dr.Pam first told us about the group presentations I was a little nervous. I didn't know how getting a partner was going to be and getting up in front of the class and talking about my collection. I was also a little nervous when Jess and I were the only group that was a boy girl group. However it worked out great! Jess and I got along and we shared the work load very well. I'm glad I got the chance to get to know Jess a little better and present with him. Also I thought that it was going to be boring just sitting their watching everyone else do their presentation. It was not though. I liked it because it was something different and all the groups made it easy to talk. Although at times the class was a little slow to respond to some of the groups. I did very much enjoy doing something new and different.
ReplyDeleteAndy and Tyler did a great job fishing up the last of the presentations. I would never want to go last. They had to wait almost a month or so to wait to present. It would have been hard to remember what was in the presentation. However Tyler and Andy did not seem to be affected by this. They really knew what they were talking about. The authors that we talked about during it was very interesting. They were all different in some way. The author that we went over were James Baldwin, Sylvia Plath,and James Dickey. My favorite poem that we went over during the this presentation was Mirrors. When I read this so many things went through my mind. One thing when it talked about the lake was in the Lion King, when Simba looks into the water and sees his fathers reflection. This is showing who he should is and how much alike he is to his father. Lifeguard I found kind of hard to understand. The other one of my favorites was the Autobiographical Notes. It talked a lot about how he thought he really didn't fit in anywhere. I could see how some people could of felt like this back during that time. It would of been really hard. However the worksheet was very helpful to comprehend this collection. At times I felt that they were a little to quite when they talked but they still really knew what they were talking about. I thought they did a good job!
Hayley, I completely agree with the nerves that come along with the thought of presentations. You and Jess worked well together and it was nice to see the boy/girl group. I also agree with you saying how well Andrew and Tyler did considering how long they had to wait to present. They knew exactly what they were talking about and had good communication with the class. I also didn't like Lifeguard, because I don't understand symbolism. Mirrors was very relatable and I liked it a lot. I enjoyed how you brought up the Lion King reflection because it is really deep. I enjoyed your blog this week!
DeleteHayley, I found your opinions on the entire views of the presentations to be completely true and similar to my own thoughts. I was not sure how it would be when we first went in with the thoughts of being bored or tired, but I felt it was one of the best ideas Dr. Pam had for us for the entire year. You and Jess meshed so well together and could really bring out the stongest voices in each other. My favorite reference that you had was the Lion King because it explains Mirrors so well! I agree with The Lifeguard, it was majorly confusing. However the boys did such a good job that we all gained a new respect for the collection and had such better understandings. Good job girl!
DeleteHayley I think that your thoughts were very well prepared in this blog. You and Jess did a great job in your presentation! You guys worked well together and brought out good ideas in each of you. The other day when you told me your Lion King reference I thought it was so good!!! It really fits well with the poem Mirrors so well! The boys didn't great job on their presentation and I was very impressed with it! Great job with your presentation and blog Hayley!
DeleteAndy and Tyler did great, they had skills that were very useful for presenting. They barely looked off the slides and kept good notes on their notecards. For being the only group without a girl, they did excellent. They really showed that boys can present and prepare just as well as girls can! They are also both pretty shy and they definitely came out of their shell a lot more by presenting this. They really had a difficult selection, but they detailed it well. The stories were confusing and needed a lot of depth and explaining. Listening to them really helped me to understand better. One of my favorite poems that they went over was Mirrors. It was very interesting yet mysterious. It was really beat how the Mirror was the narrator of the story, it was speaking on what it saw. The reflections that people look into it were more than just reflections of themselves right then and there, they were reflections of the past. You remember the more important things in the past. The mirror also it shows a picture of how they are on the inside, not outside. Another story that was well presented was The Lifeguard. This was hard to understand, but once they explained it I learned more about it. The Lifeguard was a story about a lifeguard who failed at rescuing a child who was drowning. This shows how hard life guarding is and how some people really get emotional with their jobs. Tragedies do happen. The lifeguard was upset about his failure. This story was very dramatic and gloomy to me. Tyler and Andy did very well though and seemed to know exactly what they were talking about the whole time.
ReplyDeleteLeah, you did a good job on your blog this week! One thing that I didn't talk about was how well they did without reading off their slides. I think they knew what they wanted to say and went over it the nights before. Also they were very planned out and had lots of useful note cards that they read off of. Tyler is not one to always talk but I thought he did a very good job presenting at times he talked a little to fast but other then that he did a good job! Andy also did a good job however he would talk quietly sometimes. So far the favorite poem seems to be Mirrors. I feel like it was one thing everyone can relate to. Everyone reads that poem differently. Everyone sees different things when they look in the mirror. When you brought up the reflections into the last was a very good part. Leach you did a good job explaining everything about this weeks blog!
DeleteLeah, great job on the blog this week! I never thought of how well they did without reading off the slides. They knew what they were talking about very well and were well prepared with their information. I was very surprised with Tyler! He did a great job talking in class. Sometimes he talked too fast but other than that it was really good. I liked how you explained in depth about the works and I feel like your understanding of the works was really good! Great job Leah!
DeleteLeah, while I was reading your blog, it reminded me so much of my own and my own ideas. I think we understood the same types of concepts through this certain presentation. I completely agree with how the boys really stepped up when they are not the boys who usually talk or answer questions in the class. I never thought about how well they did without their books or notecards. I did not even see them glance at their powerpoint once! The only speaking errors I noticed were when Tyler would speak to quickly or Andy would get quiet. I found that our views on the stories were very similar and we found similar interest in Mirrors. You did such a good job with explanations and I agree with what you say. Good job!
DeleteThis week it was Tyler and Andy's turn to present the final group presentation. It feels so good to have this project done and out of the way. Tyler and Andy's collection was called "The Created Self." The collection had a lot of stories about one certain person and how they viewed themselves. Both Andy and Tyler did a great job presenting their works. They went over the authors very well. I liked how they went over the authors first all together and then jumped into their works they wanted to cover. My favorite work they covered was Mirror by Sylvia Plath. I think it is something most people in high school, especially girls, can relate to. I feel like with every girl or even guy they look in the mirror and see something they wish they could change about themselves. The speaker in this poem, most likely Plath, is looking in the mirror seeing things she wishes she could change about herself. I thought it was interesting that the poem was in the mirror's point of view. I liked this because it was easy to picture what was actually being seen by the speaker in the mirror.
ReplyDelete"The Lifeguard" by James Dickey shows conflicts that are found inside the human mind. In this it shows the stress that responsibility can place on one's mind. Despite his best efforts, the lifeguard cannot save the drowning child. He feels very guilty because of this failure. He keeps having reoccurring memories of his failure that plague his mind. This must have been very hard on him because he didn't save the child. I can't even imagine how he would have felt not have been able to have saved this child.
The last work was called "Autobiographical Notes" by James Baldwin. This was an interesting story to read. He said that he didn't feel like he fit in with the black people or the white people. This was something I found interesting. I also thought it was interesting that he didn't write about the troubles he had to overcome like other black people did. This was a fresh relief because a lot of African Americans wrote about these hardships.
Rachel, I agree that Andrew and Tyler did a great job with their presentation. I also concur with you that the works covered are relatable in society today. I found that "Mirrors" reminds me of how people want to reflect their own image based off of others, and in this poem the mirror gives you a direct reflection of one's self. Also I found James Baldwin to be very interesting. This man is torn because he is black and does not like the whites or the blacks. In a way Baldwin is neutral. I think that James Baldwin is the most interesting author of this collection. I also enjoyed reading his "Autobiographical Notes." Good job with your blog. Hope to see you at prom!
DeleteRachel, I really liked you blog with this week and I agreed with all of it. I seemed to see all three stories the same way that you did. "Mirrors" was about a women looking into a mirror and seeing something that wasn't real. It seems to fit today's day and age because that is how a lot of women are today. "Lifeguard" is a little scary because a little boy dies while swimming in the ocean. The lifeguard does his best to save him, but he is unsuccessful. You did a good job of saying how hard it would be to go through that and have to live with it the rest of your life. "Autobiographical Notes" seemed to stir up a lot of emotions for the class. We are very accepting of everybody and Americans weren't back then. You did a good job of saying that James wanted to overcome that African Ameican barrier and be equal to everyone. Great job this week!
DeleteRachel, good job on your blog this week! I like how you mainly focused on the theme, "The Created Self". This theme was really focusing on how people view themselves. In this collection, people viewed themselves good and bad. The story "Mirrors" really fit the theme. It was about how the mirror sees people's personalities and how it sees them on the inside. Good job on your blog!
DeleteTyler's and Andrew's presentation marked the end of all the collections! I would like to congratulate this group of presenters, I thought their presentation went very well. The information presented was informative and interesting. I especially thought that both presenters had great eye contact with the entire class.
ReplyDeleteCollection 21 contained many great works of literature. One of the works covered that I found interesting was "Lifeguard" by James Dickey. I especially can relate to all the emotions expressed in this poem because I am a lifeguard myself. This poem talks about the stress and responsibility necessary to being a lifeguard. This poem also expresses my fear of not being able to save someone. Most people think that lifeguarding is just siting in a chair and yelling at kids. In reality lifeguarding is stressful and involves hard work. Also I like how the water symbolizes the little boy that the lifeguard could not be saved. Although this was a horrible event, I found this poem relatable.
Another work covered was "Mirrors." This poem was quite odd in my opinion. The author is writing from a third person perspective, personifying the mirror. Looking into a mirror gives a person a true reflection of themselves. I thought this author is very unique and used symbolism and imagery very well in her works.
I thought Andrew and Tyler did a great job presenting. Way to end the presentations on a strong note!!!!!!
Just a side note I hope everyone has an AMAZING PROM!!!!!!!!
Marla, I really thought that you had a very good blog this week. You got straight to the point and pointed out the strengths of Tyler and Andrew's presentation. I also thought that they both had really good eye contact and talked very clearly. I can see how you would be affected emotinally with the poem "Lifeguard". You work very hard at making sure that everyone in the pool is safe and it would be hard to see a child struggle. I can see how you can relate to that. "Mirrors" was the most confusing piece in this collection to me. The author was looking in a mirror, but is almost seemed like the mirror was a person. Overall, it was a good presentation and Marla you did a great blog this week.
DeleteI think that it is sort of nice to have all the presentations done with. I did not hate them, but they were going on for a while. I liked most of the work in the collection. "The Lifeguard" was a difficult piece to understand fully. Some people might not be able to understand how heavy guilt can weigh on someone. Knowing that they were the only one that could save someone, and fail must feel worse. A similar effect with "The mirror." It is never said that the speaker is a mirror, but it is sort of brought out. A mirror as the speaker is odd, but it is a very interesting choice.
DeleteFirst off, I want to congratulate all of the groups on a job well done with the presentations. We were all nervous at first, but we overcame that and I think that it is safe to say that we are all a little bit more prepared for what the future brings about when it comes to speaking. I thought that Tyler and Andrew did a great presentation. They both had very good eye contact with the class and they did a good job of keeping us engaged in conversion. At times they may have seemed to be at a loss of words, but they were able to help each other out and keep the discussion moving along. I really liked the way they handled who talked and when. It seemed that they had talked about it before hand and that really showed. Andrew would talk about the author, but then Tyler would talk about the story. I also thought that they feed off the responses of the class very well. They were able to add on to the answers and really get a good discussion going.
ReplyDelete“Lifeguard” by James Dickey was a poem that was confusing at first, but made sense after I read it a second time. The man seems to be swimming out in the ocean to save a young boy and it is unclear if he is unable to save him, or the child just doesn’t want to be saved. He returns to shore with only his life and begins to feel guilt. I don’t think that he should be feeling this because he made an effort to save the child. However I do think that it would be hard to try and save somebody and they don’t make any effort to try and be saved. I know that I would become depressed and would feel as if I have failed at life. I hope that he continues to save people because he seems like a very determined man. Another story that we read was “Autobiography Notes” by James Baldwin. He was an African American writer that loved to write about living in America and how they were treated. He sends mixed feelings toward white people because he says that he hates them, but he wants them to think of everyone as equal. He also says that he loves America but wishes that they weren’t so mean to certain ethnicities. James was a very brave man when writing this because it took place during the Civil Rights Era. He was an avid supporter of it and I think that he broke a lot of barriers with his writings.
Again, I think that Tyler and Andrew did a great job this week. I think that it would be hard to do what they did because it was over a period of three days. They timed everything out perfectly and used the time that they had well. I want to wish everyone a happy and safe prom weekend!! See you all there!
I did enjoy learning the information for the presentation, contemporary literature is an interesting topic. Andy and I planned out the presentation the day before. If we had just winged it then the presentation would probably have been pretty bad. I will say that "The Lifeguard" is a pretty confusing poems. Really have to go over it a few times before figuring out what the words mean. I actually did not think about the drowning child not wanting to be saved, I just thought of him being out of reach. I thought that James Baldwin went through a lot in his life. Doing so much with the Civil Rights Movement and also doing writing.
DeleteAll of the groups did great on their presentations. I feel that I learned a lot from it, and that everyone else did too. This last presentation by Andy and Tyler had some of the best literature yet, and they seemed to know the information quite well. There was one piece that I did not quite get out of this. This was "The Lifeguard." It was somewhat confusing for the first few times I read it, but it slowly got better over time. Sometimes I think that we get too many authors from the Civil Rights Movement, as the last few collections had been focused primarily on it, but this collection had the best literature to represent the time period out of any yet.
DeleteGood job on the blog Camille!
After about a month, the presentations finally end with Andy's and mine. I did personally like the pieces of literature we picked. I also really thought James Baldwin was well versed in several different areas. Whether he was writing, or standing against discrimination, he would always state what he has to. "The Mirror" was probably my least favorite of the pieces that we covered. I did enjoy the line "Not cruel, but honest." It was a very strong line that most people can understand what it means. People sometimes lie to spare the feelings of others. But really, people will usually end up more upset at lies. I wonder if it just a coincidence that almost all the poets covered in the presentations had bad lives, or if most do. "The Lifeguard" had a vast amount of symbolic meaning. The literal meaning showed the weight of guilt. The lifeguard could not even face the kids that had trusted him after he failed to save the drowning kid. But some view "The Lifeguard" to symbolize life and death, or also as a representation of Christianity. I do like contemporary literature, it is a style that we probably never realized we were reading. A harsh reality with nothing to cover it, that is what contemporary literature is about.
ReplyDeleteMy opinion of the Andy and my presentation was that it was good. I like to see a level of professionalism in a presentation or anything, so I wanted to capture that essence. I do feel that we did good on that front. The slides showed what we were going to discuss rather than state exactly what we were going to say. Main thing that deteriorated from the quality in my opinion was my nervousness the first day. I got over it part way in, but I feel like that dropped the quality a little. In the end, I hope that everyone enjoyed the presentation and got something out of it.
Tyler I thought you did an excellent job with your presentation. I also believe that you conquered your nervousness throughout the presentation. You had many good talking points and your slides were right to the point. Also the literature in your collection was very interesting and definitely contemporary in style. I thought the best part of your presentation was presenting James Baldwin. Overall I thought you did well, and I also appreciate how you wrote about your strengths and weakness in your blog. Honesty is the best policy! Great job
DeleteTyler, I think you did a good job with the presentation. First off, I thought any nervousness stopped right away, and you did great with that. Next, your slides and material were full of information and no extra "fluff" that was not needed. The literature that you and Andy had in the presentation was some of the most interesting literature that we had in presentations, and you did good with presenting it and making the whole class be a part of it.
DeleteGood job on the presentation and the blog!
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ReplyDeleteGreat job on your presentations everyone! I think that we all learned a lot from this, both by presenting and listening to the presenters in class.
ReplyDeleteAndy and Tyler had what I think is the most interesting collection out of them all. The literature was much different than the rest, and aside from it being a good change of pace, it was interesting to read. Even if the authors seemed to be troubled, this trouble gives them something to write about. I think that many of the best authors had some emotional stress that they wanted to get rid of, and so they put their feelings into writing. This contemporary type of literature is interesting to read because you do not know what will happen next in the story or poem. The poems tended to be gloomy, but James Baldwin did great with his poems. He captured the feelings of "not belonging," and he wrote in full contemporary style. He was one of the most interesting authors we studied in any collection.
Overall, I thought the presentation by Andy and Tyler was well thought out and well put together. They both knew what they were doing, and it ran smoothly the entire time. The questions on the worksheet really made us think, and the handout had good information on it. The keynote itself was also well put together, and had everything clear and precise printed out in an easy to read way. Both Tyler and Andy did a good job of presenting.
Jess, I also agree with how their presentation changed the pace of the presentations, it was much different from the others. I also think that you were right when you said that most of the authors we learned about in this collection were troubled by something. With this trouble, people want to write their feelings down to get them out of their chest. This really helped Andy and Tyler grow on speaking points also. Good blog Jess.
DeleteJess, all of the presentations presented to us were very well done. Our presentation was very interesting to learn about, but I don't know if it was the most interesting. I did enjoy how the literature was much different than the rest. This made it fun and easy to discuss. There were not many questions on the worksheet that we handed out, but we tried to think of questions that would involve much thought. Tyler did a great job with the worksheet. He put much time and effort into it, and I applaud him for that. Thanks for the input on our presentation Jess!
DeleteJess, it was nice of you to give your complete, honest opinion saying that Tyler and Andy had the best presentation, even over your own. It is nice to such a good attitude like that, especially in a selfish society like today's. I would like to congratulate you on that. I also enjoyed Baldwin's work. I found it interesting how he could separate himself not only from white Americans, but African Americans as well. I also like how you pointed out that most of the writers we have studied have dealt with emotional trauma. I feel that not only did writing help cope with the pain, but the pain gave them something to write about.
DeleteAndrew and Tyler's presentation was a good ending to our whole month of presentations. During the first day you both had good speaking points throughout your presentation. You both coped really well with your presentation being spread throughout the corse of the week because of shortened classes. You really did well in putting enough ideas and points on your presentation each day so that you didn't fall behind and fall short of time.
ReplyDeleteDuring the presentation, I really enjoyed the short poem, "The Lifeguard". This had a lot of symbolism that came with it and it actually related to how I looked at lifeguarding when I worked at the pool. It was actually really nerve racking. You both did very well in talking throughout the presentation, sometimes you would lose track of where you left off in speaking, but you recovered well. Tyler, you talked very well. I was a little nervous that you were going to be rumbling right through your points, but you managed to slow tour nerves down and get to the point. Andy, you did very well in talking too. You put your opinion through the presentation on almost every story and poem, which really kept your presentation going.
Over all, I really enjoyed your whole presentation. The only thing I didn't like was the poem, "The Mirrors". I found it boring and I didn't enjoy it that much, but you guys had to present something, right? So i give you credit. Good Job this week boys!
Emma, thank you for the input on our presentation! I am glad that it is over, but it was good while it lasted. All of the presentations were great, I just didn't want to be the last one. Much like you, my favorite poem was "The Lifeguard" by James Dickey. When you look back into the poem and see how much symbolism was actually put into it, one will realize why it was so successful. This is what James Dickey was known for. He loved to use symbolism for his readers to engage in while reading. Once again, thanks for the input on our presentation Emma.
DeleteEmma, good blog this week! I agree with you, the boys did very well this week. They probably faced the most adversity of all of the groups, having to split their presentation into so many short class periods. I feel like that had to effect their plans, but it didn't show. I was really impressed with their presenting skills as well. I still work at the pool as a lifeguard so I know exactly where you are coming from; it can be very nerve racking at times. "The Lifeguard" was a very good poem for our class because of all the symbolism. The poem gave way for so much discussion.
DeleteCollection 21 was fun to present. There was so much useful information in the collection, especially on civil rights. Tyler and I discussed many authors and their works, and it was cool to learn about the authors a little bit. It is interesting to know that many authors come from a terrible or gruesome childhood. Sylvia Plath is a great example of this because she had a tough childhood. James Baldwin was also very interesting. He had an extremely informational background, and he had a large influence on civil rights. James Dickey was a poet that wrote about the realities of everyday life, and he was very successful with it. As far as Tyler and I presenting, I thought we did a decent job of teaching the information. Yes, the presentation could have been longer, but just because it was short doesn’t mean that it wasn’t useful. I am glad we did these presentations as they will benefit us in the future.
ReplyDeleteThe author that I liked to discuss the most was James Baldwin. I am always interested in stuff like civil rights, so he was a great example of it. James Baldwin started writing to escape his stern stepfather. I feel that many authors do this and they are often successful in their writing. I think that showing the video on the black economic empowerment was helpful because it showed the true hardships that black people had to go through. Since James Baldwin was speaking of it, it really gave viewers a sense that he is involved in equal rights for black citizens.
The poem that I liked to discuss most was “The Lifeguard” by James Dickey. Usually poems have somewhat happy ending, but “The Lifeguard” certainly does not. It gives readers a sense of the helplessness that the reader was speaking about. Death is an everyday topic, and writers during the contemporary literature era often wrote about everyday life. This is why this poem, along with James Dickey, were so laudable at the time. When I read the poem, I had to read it twice because I was not sure what the speaker was speaking about, but then I soon realized it.
As far as the presenting aspect of the presentation, I believe that Tyler and I did good job with that. I do wish that our slides would have flowed together better, rather than jumping back and forth from topic to topic. That was just bad organizational skills on my part of the presentation. I thought that Tyler did a good job. Tyler is usually not the type of person that is very sociable, so I was impressed with what he was able to do. Overall, I think our presentation went well.
Andy, Congrats on prom prince! You did very well in the presentation of Collection 21 also. I feel that when yoiu talked about "the Lifeguard" a lot, it made me like it and understand it more and more. That was actually my favorite of the stories and poems you and Tyler talked abou. I think maybe it was because I related to it in some ways. You had good speaking poojnts that that helped you use the time you sis in your presentation wisely, and you spoke clearly most of the time. Good job!
DeleteAndy, I could tell that you had fun presenting! You seemed to genuinely like the collection and the works that you were presenting and that made me want to read it more! I loved the poem Mirrors because it was a bit weird and those are my favorite kinds of things to read. I also feel that her background is just so interesting. She was a little crazy and it was interesting to be able to see into her mind and the way that her mind works. I think that you and Tyler did a fantastic job presenting and like I have already mentioned in my own blog, good job on having to do it for three days instead of just two! I loved your enthusiasm. You should think about maybe doing something in public speaking for a career because you seemed to like it!
DeleteIt is strange to say that we are finally over with our presentations. While it hasn’t even been a month, it feels as if these presentations were something we have been doing all year long. Now that we are done, the end of the year mayhem is really turning full spin. (By the Andrew, congratulations on being voted Prom Prince!) These presentations started out as a nuisance, but turned into an everyday occurrence for our class. They really strengthened our presenting skills, and these skills we learn now will most definitely help us in the long run.
ReplyDeleteTyler and Andrew did quite well this week, especially with the crazy schedule. Of all of the groups, they probably faced the most adversity of all. After doing all of the work and planning, finding out that they would have to adjust to the schedule probably was a sort of road block. But, in my opinion, they did a very nice job overcoming this issue. While they had to adapt their slides and timing of discussions, there still was so much to talk about. I also was flabbergasted about their great presenting skills. Not only did they talk clearly and loudly, but they actually enjoyed what they were talking about. The boys had this energy in them that I noticed from the start; they enjoyed what they had learned, and they were so excited to show all of us. It’s one thing for any of us to go up in front of the class and present something, but it is a whole different ball park to be able to maintain such enthusiasm throughout the presentation, and I commend Andrew and Tyler on that.
Of the three literary pieces we had discussed, I would say James Baldwin’s work was my favorite. I’m not sure what about it had me so addicted to reading the story, but I just loved how it was written. Baldwin was another one of those writers that had a lot to write about. While he faced troubles in his past, he used his gifted talents to express himself through writing. I also liked how they mentioned he spent a lot of time with Richard Wright because Morgan and I chose to put him in our presentation. After reading Baldwin’s story, the two actually did have a bit in common, so it is no wonder how they connected.
Maria, I absolutely agree with you whenever you say that the presentations seemed like a nuisance. I felt nervous and scared but now I think that I could get up in front of any class and have no problem with doing a presentation. I think that Tyler and Andrew did a good job with the way that they handled the schedule. It must have been hard to plan for three days, even though they were shortened periods rather than just two. I personally enjoyed The Lifeguard more than James Baldwin's work but that is just me.
DeleteIt is weird to think that the presentations are over with, it seems like we just started working on them the other day. I agree with you that Andrew and Tyler did a good job overcoming the difficulties that they ran into. I think their presentation went over smooth though. I really enjoyed Baldwin as well. It is interesting to see how the different collections and authors are related in unique ways. Good job!
DeleteI hated having to get nervous and present in front of the class, but now I actually feel a lot more comfortable with it. I heard a couple of chemistry students complaining about how they had to do a 5 minute presentation on something and all that I could think of was how we had to present for two whole days. That makes 5 minutes look easy! I think that if I were told now that I had to stand up in front of the class and do a presentation for any of the classes that I take, it would not be a big deal at all. This project, while nerve wracking, definitely benefited the class in such a good way.
ReplyDeleteAs for Tyler and Andrew, I think that they did a good job at presenting. The schedule was weird this week, so they did not get to have two days to present, but rather three. I do not have any clue how they managed to present for three days because I was so happy whenever it was my second day and I could finally say that it was over.
They mentioned something about one of the authors, James Baldwin. They said that he was actually a homosexual and to add to it, they said that his partner was Richard Wright. I found this interesting because in Maria and I's collection, Richard Wright wrote Black Boy. I had studied Richard Wright and his background, but I was not aware that he had been a homosexual and that was interesting to find out.
My favorite work from this collection was The Lifeguard. I didn't not quite understand the poem at first, and I had to read it a few times to finally grasp the full understanding of it. James Dickey used an incredible amount of imagery in his poem. It was easy to picture everything that he was talking about and he used his words to tell a story.
Tyler and Andrew, the only advice I would give is to make sure that you both divide up the amount of things that you say evenly and to try to be a little more comfortable up there the next time you have to do something like this. Other than that, I think that you two taught the class a lot of information and job well done!
Morgan, I agree with you that it helped me feel more comfortable talking in front of an audience. I had to present something in Chemistry that took a couple of minutes and it seemed like a piece of cake. I think it would have been easier to present for three days in stead of two, because they only had 20 minutes to take up on the last two days. It's interesting that you mentioned that about the two authors; I had not realized this either. Good blog!
DeleteMorgan, I really think that "Lifeguard" was a great story, but it was super confusing to me. I thought that Andrew and Tyler did a wonderful job explaining it because after they did I could analyze it better and understand. It really showed that they studied that poem well. One of my favorite things about our presentations is that some how they all connected with each other. In a way we all benefited each other.
DeleteIt is a relief to know that these presentations are over with. I think that the whole class got a lot out of them though. In Chemistry, I had to present something that lasted a couple minutes and I was not nervous at all. The presentations we did in English this year, even though I dreaded them, were very beneficial. It was a different teaching method rather than just a regular lecture. It was interesting to see how the class interpreted things and to learn from them teaching us rather than the teacher all the time.
ReplyDeleteI was rather surprised at how well Andrew and Tyler did. To be honest, I though Tyler would be kind of nervous. They both knew many facts about their collection and it was obvious that they studied it well. They seemed to have a good time teaching us which made me excited to learn about it. They seemed a bit nervous at first, but I think we all were. They overcame their difficulties very well. Also, they worked well throughout the three days. They adjusted their slides well and found something to do each day for the whole time period.
The collection was very interesting. I enjoy James Baldwin. I am glad that Maria and Morgan pointed out that he was involved with one of their authors, because I did not even realize that during the presentation. It is cool to find out how they are connected and to see how similar their work was. Some of the stories, such as "Lifeguard," were hard to understand at first. Tyler and Andrew explained it well. Good job, guys!
Larissa, I am also so glad to be done with these! I always get nervous for people whole their presenting. I really agree that these helped us with giving presentations and speeches. I had a speech class in sixth grade and its still benefiting me to this day because it helped me cut out the likes and ums when I speak. I think that Andrew and Tyler were most nervous on their first day, but the they really came back strong on the second. Good blog.
DeleteAndrew and Tyler's presentation was one of my favorite ones we had. They did very well at presenting their information, working together, and communicating with the class. The volume of the boys while presenting was perfect, as well as their eye contact. It was easy to discuss their collection, and every person could have had a different opinion and it wasn't wrong. They worked well together during the whole presentation. I don't even know what I could tell them to do to improve because I feel as though they did most things very well.
ReplyDeleteI loved the poem "Mirrors" because it is so relatable. As a teenage girl, it was like reading my thoughts on paper. It was very deep and emotional, and was one of the few poems I enjoyed reading. It was interesting while reading it because the mirror was the narrator, speaking of the woman. My absolute favorite part of the poem was, "I am not cruel, only truthful." While we as humans point out flaws, it is out of truth. I could go on and on about this poem. On the other hand, I can't talk about "Lifeguard" very much because it was so confusing therefore I didn't care for it. I'm not one for symbolism, and that's what this poem was about.
Once again, I want to commend Andy and Tyler for their awesome work on their presentation. Good job, boys!
Nicole, Andy and Tyler's presentation was so good! I definitely share your opinion in that I think that this presentation was one of my personal favorites. I was very impressed by how well they both did throughout the entire process. A first, I thought that they would find it difficult to present throughout all three days, they seemed to pull through very well and came out with one of the best presentations overall!
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ReplyDeleteTyler and Andrew did a very good job on their presentation this week. I think they had a very interesting collection and that they covered it very well. As others have said they proved that the boys can do just as well, if not better, than the girls. I think they also coped well with their three day split of their presentation. My favorite part of their presentation was the autobiography they covered. I really liked that author and the way he felt toward race. He showed a different view than we have been discussing throughout the other presentations. The lifeguard was a really unique poem. To be honest, I had trouble understanding it at first, but Andrew and Tyler did a GREAT job teaching it. Another favorite part of their presentation was "Mirrors". I really liked the author and the way she personified the mirror. I also think that we had some good participation for this presentation. Good job guys!
ReplyDeleteMaddie, I totally agree with you on your opinion of this presentation. I was really very impressed by how well both Andy and Tyler did. While Tyler does have a tendency to speak rather quickly, he still pulled through and I'm really very proud of the both of them for it.
DeleteAndy and Tyler, there really isn't much to say other than you two did a great job. You both were confident and knowledgeable in all of your subjects. Unlike some other presenters, I learned more from you than I would have from the book. You brought on details that I wouldn't automatically have know if you hadn't pointed them out. You both had a difficult selection to make interesting, and you both really helped me to understand the different stories and poems. "Mirrors" and "The Lifeguard" were both somewhat dark and tragic, but you somehow brought a new and hopeful light out of both of these. In "The Lifeguard", there was a certain message within the story which I found interesting. You would have to read this story very analytically to see the ideals of Christianity within it. It's interesting to think of God as our lifeguard. While he sets out save us, he can't always save us all and you see the pain that the lifeguard seems to be put through when there is not possible way to save the victim. It's a new and interesting viewpoint for me to see through. You both really brought out new ideas to light in all your stories and even concerning your authors themselves about how they seem to relate themselves to their stories. You did a really, really good job. I'm proud of both of you for coming out of your shells and dropping your shyness to make this selections one of the best.
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