Blog Post 1pm Class Julian Morejon

     Hello, my name is Julian Morejon, and I was a project manager, along with Derwin Granda, for the chapter presentation assignment. This was my first time ever in a leading role in a college class, and I was very excited. When presented with the assignment and the groups, Derwin and I decided we would split the groups and work on two individually. I received groups one and three, and Derwin got groups two and four. When I first spoke to my groups, I was nervous because I believed they would hold some resentment toward a classmate who was "in charge" of them, so I tried my hardest to show that I was really just there to help. I believe after that first class, I really got through to the groups, especially group one, where I got to talk to some of the classmates about life and their aspirations. This class instilled a confidence in me that allowed me to do the work I wanted and had to do for the assignments. My groups never really had any problems with the assignments; they had already picked out who was doing what and were working together to get through this first big step in the class.

    When working with group one, I had no idea what to expect. Since they would be the first to present, I wanted to spend extra time with them to try to get the assignment as great as possible. Going into this assignment, I wanted to see a presentation I would submit myself. When doing a PowerPoint presentation, I feel I am in my element. I thoroughly enjoy making the presentation informative yet appealing to the eyes. I love to put transitions that keep the listener engaged and I tend to stray against videos because I feel it distracts the reader from what I am saying. This group surpassed my expectations and showed me a high level of independence and aptitude when working on the assignment. They rarely required assistance and were able to create a beautiful presentation like one I would make myself. They used images in ways I would, in a supporting role for a slide. They used videos in a way I never thought would work for me. They had slides that were not messy or filled with words but were still informative. They made the slides pretty, which is the most important thing for me when doing a PowerPoint. This group really used everything that we learned in class and in the reading. I was very happy with the work they did in assembling the slides.

    In my time working with group three, I was genuinely impressed. Using my experience working with group one, I went about working with them with more confidence. Group three, like group one, rarely needed assistance, but I believe I helped some of my classmates a bit more in this assignment. Overall, I believe this group did great when creating their PowerPoint. As I mentioned before, I appreciate when a PowerPoint is neat, organized, and pretty, which I believe group three did. Some slides had a lot more information than I would have put on, but it was justified because that is what this classmate was trying to show from the lesson he was working on. This group did a great job in making their slides. I really like that they used images in conjunction with the topics they were talking about and used clear, concise language on their slides. I also appreciate that they made their slide pretty, which I mentioned before I really like. This group showed me that they learned and read the material when I was looking over the slides. They did an awesome job on their PowerPoint.

    During the presentations, I was very happy with both of my groups as well as the other groups Derwin worked with. I appreciated how everyone had a plan and talked further than just what was on their slides. I could tell that they worked hard and were very prepared for the assignment. Some of the things I did not like were that we had missing people. In my group three, as well as Derwin's groups two and four, we had at least one missing student. This put a stop to the presentation and messed up the flow of the project. I understand some students could not make it due to family emergencies, but it still affected me. In group three, I really did not appreciate that one student did not have the work prepared for the assignment before the day of class, which did not even allow another group mate to present it for them. Even with that hiccup, I believe group three did a great job in moving forward and not letting it affect them. Group one especially did a great job presenting. Everyone came extremely prepared and got through the presentation relatively quickly. Groups two and four did amazing jobs as well and took their hiccups in stride.

During this assignment, I learned a lot of new things. First, how to lead: I believe the best way to lead is not by being on top of everything someone does, but by being in a supporting role and trusting your team. Second, about the assignment itself: I have never been great at reading a textbook and understanding the lesson; this assignment helped me understand by having someone explain the chapter to me in a fun but clear way. Finally, I learned new things I can add to my PowerPoint presentation that will help it become prettier, more concise, and more professional. I can use these new ideas for my future career as well as in my daily life. As a future nurse who wants to get my doctorate, learning how to present in a good and effective way will help me thrive. In my life, this can help me by being able to efficiently explain to my patients what I am doing or will do to better their care. This assignment helped me a lot, and I could not thank my fellow classmates enough for allowing me to be a part of it.