The TED Talk in "Plan B" Mode

This talk was used during the make-up week because I wasn't able to attend class the week before.  My Plan B situation was dealing with a disruptive audience. 

I realized from the clip that my very first response to this was just simply brushing it off by pausing and saying "oh...okay."  I thought I should have actually been more assertive from the very beginning with the first disruption to tell the audience that this was my time to shine.  This was the first time ever for me in handling a situation like this, so I was overwhelmed when most people didn't have their attention on me (seeing people talk with one another, laptops open, people throwing paper planes, etc.)  I can understand why professors can get annoyed with students being on their laptops during lectures, especially in a smaller class environment.

The hook that grabbed the audience's attention was solid.  I was actually surprised in getting two responses of the polar extreme.  Although I kept my composure throughout the presentation, I did get somewhat flustered.  This had me struggle at times here and there and prevented a smooth continuity as I would have liked.

Another aside to note is that the clicker did not work that day.  It had me closer to the podium to change between slides.  To some extent, if the clicker were present, my presentation would probably have seemed worse because of my dependency on the notecards.  However, it would have had me away from the podium and closer to the audience.  By getting closer to the audience, I could have immediately made my presence known that I wouldn't tolerate disruptive behavior.

Now I want to mention some things to note on the presentation itself.  I had a clear and strong voice.  I thought the amount of "ums" were less than the usual.  Towards the end, I seemed to get too comfortable behind the podium.  Again, not having the clicker might have had something to do with this, but I should have been presenting in the center more.  This was after a mini-TED talk, in which the speakers usually are "out there" walking back and forth and more engaging.  I don't think I did a good time connecting with the audience other than using the hook and telling them to keep it down.

It's a shame I was unable to attend the actual class when the TED talks were first presented.  This could have been something I would have liked to re-do.  Nonetheless, it was definitely an enlightening experience in dealing with a new and unexpected situation.