Session 5 Writing Assignment
Effective presentations usually involve having a specific topic and purpose of why this topic is
being presented. College professors, teachers, project leads and many other professions have the duty
of presenting information every day. They have to ensure that what they are presenting is efficient,
true, and effective to listeners. The most effective presentation that I have experienced was at a school
function in front of the student body, school administrators, and parents. One of my classmates was
required to make a speech and he exceeded in presenting his speech well beyond what anyone
expected of him. One of the most obvious traits about his speech was his voice quality and style. He
kept the same pace as he was speaking through the entire speech. He knew exactly when to add an
extra little pop of personality making his speech interesting which engaged his listeners. If everyone
portrayed the same qualities that he did while speaking, presentations would be better for everyone
involved.
Presentations that are least effective do not portray originality, personality, or effective
presentation mechanisms. The least effective presentation that I have seen was at a high school
graduation. The Valedictorian of that senior class did not have an original speech that she wrote herself.
Instead, she copied Jessica’s graduation speech from the Twilight movie. The presentation method was
nothing more than her reading it straight from her paper as if she wrote it five minutes before the
ceremony. She did not do anything for the speech to be memorable except use the same exact speech
from the movie. It was very disappointing that the person who was ranked number one in the
graduating class would decide to make their speech in that fashion.