Reflection on my learning in AEP

a) What are the most valuable things you learned about the process of preparing and delivering presentations? (2 or more)
Firstly, It is quite valuable for me to know how to use slides and pictures effectively. Before taking this class, I always put too many words in one slide and the audience always got bored. Through this class, my paradigm was shifted and I understood the effective way. The book of Zen is quite useful but also my classmates' slides are also good textbook for me. Honestly, I did not expect my classmates are so great to use slides so they motivated me and I tried using slides uniquely, differently from them.

Secondly, I learned how to organize group presentations a little. To tell the truth, it was not perfect but it was a great experience for me.
I usually do not do a group presentation even in Japanese because I did not like it. The effort to organize thoughts are really tough and I still like a single presentation better than a group project. I, however, got many things from my group members and it was so beneficial.
Mai and Miki's presentation style were a little bit different and what they concentrate on was different. I tend to focus on how to do a unique presentation but they are more likely to do presentations professionally and especially Mai's powerpoint skill was awesome. Through this group work, I learned how to organize a serious presentation and maybe it's becasue of this group presentation, not a single presentation.



b) In what presentation skill areas do you feel you have made progress or improved your awareness? (2 or more)
1.Getting attention. Since I lacked the English ability to speak well, I thought I should get attention by other ways. I never used funny pictures in my presentations before, but I used funny pictures in this class and it seemed effective to get attention. Also, I attempted a participation presentation. When I talked about the meditation, I just used a minute for doing meditation with classmates and that experiment was exciting for me. It was too short but I would try that type of activity in my future presentations.

2. I got some confidence for doing presentation. Beforehand, I did not use English and did not take English course a lot. Because of my English ability, I avoid taking English course especially which I need to do a presentation or discussion in English.
From September in this year, I would go to the US as an exchange student, I changed my mind and participated in AEP course. At the beginning of this class, it was, honestly speaking, owful because I just understood the half of the contents which my classmates were speaking and I never did a presentation in English before that. I therefore felt embarrassed and did not think I could do well like other classmates.
But little by little, I got used to this situation and I thought I should have the confidence. Since they were so kind, they did not laugh at my mistakes (except for meditation). I was getting outgoing in the sense of speaking English and I attempted chatting OYL friends more actively outside of this class.


c) What points do you want to improve further in your future presentations? How can you improve those? (2 or more)
1. I want to control what I would say in my presentation. My presentation is almost automatic and I usually think nothing. It is a kind of effective to do presentation well but it is also a troublesome occasionally and what's more, it is difficult to improve my presentation. In fact, I sometimes forgot eye contact and my speaking speed because I did not afford to mention them. it's because I did not try to make good scripts and to rehearsal in front of others. For avoiding them, I can prepare more.

2. I want to do a presentation more rhythmically. So far, I do not have my own "flow" to speech, I really want to find that. In order that, I need to practice more and do presentation in front of audiences. In English, I just have a few experience to do maybe almost only in this class. In this term, I want to take a small English course and I would use the opportunity of doing presentations.