For my S2 presentation, I honestly was feeling a little unsure only because I had a retreat from Friday through late Sunday and I would not have had time to collect data by Tuesday to present so when Professor Hunt asked if the class would have preferred Thursday I was so relieved. I had planned to gather data on Tuesday but something came up so I had to wait until Wednesday. The good news though was that I already knew where I was going to gather my data. I wanted a popular location for cyclists and the intersection of the Panhandle and Golden Gate Park was a perfect location.
My main goal for collecting data was to observe at least 50 people to see if whether the wore helmets, stopped before the crosswalk, signaled, rode in the bike lane, etc. I was quite hard to collect data because there was only one of me and the cyclist would come in packs so I had to be super quick. I wanted to take pictures but that was difficult, jotting down observations and taking pictures was a handful so I focused on collecting the data. Next time I need to collect data, I think the results will be more accurate if I have an extra pair of hands so a helper would really help.
I felt way more confident in my speech and in myself than in the S1 presentation. I felt that I knew my topic better because I actually went out to conduct some real life research than findings in books. I was not as nervous when addressing the crowd because I now knew who my audience was. The video that told us the 3 steps, tell us what you are going to talk about, talk about it, conclude was a great outline was a big help and serves as an example as to how my speech should go. I did not read off the paper or powerpoint because I was prepared, unlike last time. But I did realize after I was done with my presentation that I had left out some important information that flew right over my head when I was presenting. Next time I should have note cards listing my main points that I want to highlight so that I will not forget to address certain things. I referred to the slides every once in a while, made charts so that the audience could see the relationship of the data. I did find myself struggling with the word “break,” my mind zoned out and luckily the class was there to bail me out but overall I felt good about my presentation.
The ways in which I can improve is to use notecards! I stress this because I wrote it down on my S1 reflection and I did not do it. I saw some of my classmates use notecards and it helped them refresh their memory and it would have been a big help to me since I forgot to mention some things.
I liked how Ettore’s presentation tied in with mine because his presentation dealt with the safety rules of cyclists as well as how safe people felt cycling in San Francisco. Some of the safety rules he covered were the same as the ones that I observed if cyclists broke. I liked how Ettore surveyed individuals in order to examine if people knew the rules for cycling and I agree with him that a larger number of surveyors would be beneficial.
I really liked how Ariel’s topic was thinking outside of the box. She offered statistical data from studies for both male and female, which was great because that built her credibility. She addressed the lack of research that focuses on the women’s effect on sexual health from bikes. Her transitions were great, it kept the presentation flowing nice and neat. I know it was an unusual topic but it really grasped the attention of the audience. Ariel did an excellent job on being an expert on her subject, she knew the content of her subject very well.
