Blog Post #2 - Javier Rios
Looking at the Change Makers project, I can truly say that it was probably one of the more enjoyable presentation experiences I've had in any class. What I loved was that every group was assigned a different time period with many important people who have helped shape our society in their long-lasting ways. All of the presentations were presented with a different style, not one looked alike. I appreciate every ones effort into putting the time and research into their topics. Throughout the whole project, I learned very unique things about our change makers and the various backgrounds they came from. It is astonishing that one person's actions tens or hundreds of years ago has had so much lasting impact on millions of people.
Starting off with group 1, they focused on the numerous change makers from the 1800s and the early foundations of our beloved country. Their presentation covered historical figured who helped to bring our country up in its early years. I enjoyed learning about the people who I've heard before but never had done the research nor studied in a greater detail before. It helped me understand how many of our freedoms we experience in todays world come from the efforts of the leaders of the past. Although there were a few issues with them at the beginning where they didn't know who was going to screen share, they still managed to recover rather quickly and continue on to present their material. From then on, it was clear that they spent the proper time to prepare their topics.
Secondly, we have group 2, which might be the best group (a little biased here), had to focus on the wonderful change makers of the 1900s. We had so many great leaders like Rosa Parks, Henry Ford, Teddy Roosevelt, and a few more. I chose one of the strongest leaders this country has ever had at its command, Franklin D. Roosevelt. Doing the research gave me a greater understanding on his impact to the people. His leadership was unmatched and was able to influence the country out of such a rough patch. I always knew he was important, but I did not fully comprehend all his feats on American history.
Presentation day has to my favorite and the most nervous part of my experience. I was sweating a little beforehand, but as soon as the first person start presenting I knew it was smooth sailing from there. Like the first time, everyone in my group was readily prepared and had their information organized. There was a teeny-tiny hiccup with one of our members, but I have to say she did handle it professionally and allowed for the presentation to continue smoothly. Despite the minor speed-bump, everyone continued as focused as they were and kept everything flowing as before. Overall, I couldn't be happier with how everyone in my group was able to work together to deliver an excellent presentation with a good summary of information.
Lastly, we have Group 3, who focused on some of the modern change makers of our era. They had to do a presentation on the 2000s. They had to have been the most engaging in the sense of the topics being of events that I as well as most of my classmates have probably experienced or heard. Group 3 spoke on modern leaders, scientific advancements, as well as social movements and events that have had their continued influence on society today. They did an excellent job of all the current events and connecting them to their change makers. Their presentation left me thinking that a change maker can be done by any one right now. It is not just limited to the past, but it is in our present day that can be used for change towards the future.
A great thing that I loved to see was seeing the different strengths that each group has and how that influences their overall presentation. Some were very organized and neat, while others had the strength of public speaking and perhaps engagement. The presentations all offered something different onto the table. Different minds with different types of creativity lead to some interesting perspectives on the assignments. Even with all the differences in the people that we chose as our change makers and the time periods, every group was connected through leadership, commitment, and innovation.
I also want to give thanks to the well coordinated project managers. They have been a tremendous help with coordinating and giving information on the projects. They've been able to manage all 3 groups, while even contributing to some of the additions on the presentations. The communication they have provided has been a life-saver for the assignments and they deserve a lot of credit for allowing everything to come together successfully without any setbacks. Both the managers have put effort behind the scenes that have allowed for all the groups to run organized throughout the entire process.
One of the most memorable moments of all the presentations occurred at the end of class when one the project managers, Tyler, decided to sing a song before we left the meeting. After 1-2 weeks of researching and inputting information into the slides, this was a great way to end our second presentation on such a fun note. The performance brought positive energy and it gave us all a change to disconnect from project mode. It was a great way to conclude us onto the next journey.
Excellent post reflection. You really captured the idea I had in my head. Thanks for doing that!
ReplyDelete