Monica Zambrano Reflection #2

This is the second presentation I've done this semester, and it has been my favorite topic so far! 

At the beginning, a guest that our professor invited explained the blog, the MDC library, and disability awareness. When Corrinne started, she was very entertaining and light-hearted. She presented on disability awareness among classmates, teachers, and family, covering Autism, Anxiety, and Learning Disabilities. I really liked that she mentioned her own struggles with a disability, which made the presentation more relatable and inspiring. She introduced the theme of the project and explained its meaning in detail. 

Seeing all three topics for the presentation, I knew it would be an enjoyable and informative experience. Initially, I was super confused about what we had to do because it involved a study guide, an agenda, a brochure, and the actual presentation. I got a little stressed, but then I realized we had about two weeks to complete everything. Corrinne also mentioned she might use our presentation and brochure for disability awareness, which added some pressure, I won’t lie. 

I loved the idea of a brochure, especially after seeing all the examples she provided. It’s for a great cause, and it felt rewarding to contribute to something meaningful. Overall, this presentation was both educational and personally enriching. I'm thankful for the experience. 

My thoughts on my peer’s presentation 

The other two topics, learning disabilities and autism, were also interesting. My second pick would have been learning disabilities because they can be small and unnoticeable, even to the person affected. Group 1 covered this topic. Their study guide was more eye catching than ours, and they did an excellent job teaching us about learning disabilities like dyslexia, dysgraphia, and more. 

What really caught my attention was the non-verbal learning disability. Christopher explained it using a simple and understandable video. They provided a lot of information about learning disabilities I had never considered before. They used good video demonstrations for most of their sub-topics, making it easier to understand. Their color theme and brochure were well put together, and I felt very informed about all the learning disabilities. 

Now, Group 2 went after us, so my undivided attention was fully on them. They had the topic of Autism, a well-known disability. When I first saw the topic, I thought of the show Love on the Spectrum, which has been very informative about autism and the spectrum. It explores the experiences of people on the autism spectrum as they navigate dating and relationships, providing valuable insights and increasing awareness. 

Group 2’s presentation was excellent. I had never researched much about autism, so learning about its history and overview was very interesting and enlightening. Their presentation style was quite different from ours. After covering the history, Jasmine explained the different types of autism, including autism disorder, Asperger disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder. It was a lot of information to take in, but it showed the dedication to raising awareness about autism in America. 

My favorite part was Katherine’s slide on opinions and interviews, as I found it interesting and somewhat relatable. She also provided good resources. To finish, Lisbeth presented a nice brochure and a conclusion that summed up everything well. 

My Experience with the Anxiety Presentation 

This presentation has been my favorite so far, and I’m bummed that this class is coming to an end. I’m super grateful to God for joining this class, especially having my closest friend in my group and such a great professor. 

  

Zainab and I were pretty nervous about not having Tailynn in our group since she was our initial leader and did great last time. However, she reassured us that she would still help if needed, which was super considerate. 

  

I remember not understanding the presentation initially because of the agendas, study guide, and research required. Thank God I had Zainab to explain it to me, and after that, I was good to go. With everything understood and no set leader, Zainab and I decided to step in. We got on a call to discuss how to distribute and involve all the research needed. We first decided each person would do a form of anxiety, but then we realized it was a lot for each person to do the history, interviews, world vs. America’s perspective, and definition of the anxiety. It’s a lot. Then, a brilliant idea popped into our heads: the first person would present the history and definition, and the second person would cover the research and contribution. This worked out perfectly. We presented the plan to our group, assigned everyone their slides, and set the order. I felt super proud of Zainab and myself for figuring out how to set up everything. We finally had a plan and felt relieved and excited for the next step: the agenda and study guide. Thankfully, Zainab had that on lockdown and sent the word document for the agenda and study guide to the others to fill out. She was great at clarifying and reminding everyone to finish their part.  

 

Then came the actual presentation. I wasn’t as nervous as the first presentation; I was actually very confident. I always like being the first group to present since you can get it out of the way. I loved the topic, especially the form of anxiety I had, which was separation anxiety. Maybe that’s why I procrastinated so much. I admit I got stuck on the word “stress.” I’m not sure why my brain farted; I literally couldn’t think of another word. I found myself replaying that part in my head afterward and laughing at myself. But other than that, everything else went smoothly, and my classmates did super well. 

I'm eagerly looking forward to the next presentation, determined not to procrastinate this time. The previous one was a valuable learning experience, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm committed to delivering an engaging and informative presentation, putting my best effort into it.