"Farewell, for the present."
It is week 13. Whoa. Time obviously flies. At the end of our module, I would like to express my gratitude to my ES2007S tutor, Mr. Brad Blackstone, and all my classmates in Group 3. Without you all, I would not have felt the same excitement every Monday and Thursday. Honestly, this is the most interactive, dynamic and exciting module I have ever taken so far. We did not just sit, stare and listen. We were parts of it. :) More importantly, thank you for all the constructive feedback which really contributed in my continuous improvement in professional communication.
Comparing myself at the beginning of this semester to myself today, I have learnt tons of things in this module:
Delivering an engaging oral presentation - The first time I had to make a presentation was in 7th grade. At that time, I was fascinated by how one of my classmate managed to make a presentation consisted of more than 100 slides and mostly filled by text. In the last six years, presentation techniques have developed and changed. This course has provided me with the latest yet most effective presentation techniques so far. Most importantly, now I understand that the objective is not only delivering the materials, but also making the materials memorable.
Writing a proposal - As a chemistry student, I wrote endless lab reports but I have never written a single proposal. I would not learn a thing about proposal (until it's too late!) if it's not because of this module.
Communicating effectively - I believe that I have improved my verbal and non-verbal communication skill... a lot, and learnt how gestures play an important role in communication.
Improving my writing - I love writing but many a time I only focused on the flow of my writing and neglected the importance of other aspects. This course pushed me to write more frequently and to adhere to the 7Cs and, consequently, improved my writing.
Being visible - One of the takeaway points that I can hardly forget from this course, somehow, is that being visible is important. This successfully encouraged me to take up more responsibilities and involve in more activities (hope I won't bite off more than I can chew!).
Fake it until you become it - This sentence will always linger in my head. Credits to Amy Cuddy!
Last but not least, don't be a stranger! :D
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12 comments:
Hi Teresa,
This is a very good post. You did emphasize the takeaway points you've learnt in this module. I like the way you explained how you improved your communication skills throughout the semester.
However, I don't really understand what you mean by being visible. Could you please elaborate ?
Thank you and see you at the Italian.
Cheers
Hi Teresa!
It has been an enjoyable working together with you! :)
There is a definite need to improve the way we present our ideas in lieu with the changes in presentation techniques. Our learning does not stop with the end of this module!
In addition, you have provided a list of skills which you have learnt during the course of this module. How about doing a comparison? Which of these skills have you shown the greatest improvements in?
Hi Teresa!
This a veru good post. Indeed it respects totally the 7C's. So nice job because the respect of this rule was a part of the deal to write this post. Maybe you should have focused your post on just one point but I understand that you want to highlights all your progresses because they are all important! Nevertheless, I am curious to know which progress is the most important for you?
Anyway , I agree with all your comments. In comparison with the first lesson, you are another Teresa in terms of effective communication! You have made so much progresses. Congratulations =)
It was really nice to work with you. You should have said me that my accent was awful^^. I would have tried to improve it!
I wish you all the best for your future!
Hi Guillaume,
Thank you! :) I refer to a part in our syllabus in which we read an article about creating a brand 'YOU'. One of the most important things that we should pursuit is being visible. We don't have to be visible to the whole world like MJ or Madonna but at least we should be visible to our local community.
Enjoy your weekend!
Hi Serene,
Thank you for your feedback! I think I made the greatest improvement in (the best three!):
1.) Verbal communication
2.) Oral presentation
3.) Non-verbal communication
And, yes, it's a pleasure working with you. :D
Have a great weekend! Best of luck for your finals!
Hi Maxime,
I've met many people (and lecturers) with worse accents. I think those are totally normal and I believe it is acceptable for people whose first language is not English (including me!) to have a rather weird accent. And living in Singapore is one way to improve it! You've improved as well, Maxime :)
Well, the most important progress, for me, is my verbal communication. I took this module at first because I wanted to improve on my verbal communication and I did. Hooray!
Thank you, Maxime! You were such a great coordinator, by the way.
Enjoy your weekend (and reading week)!
Hi Teresa! As I answered you in my post, your comment didn't offend me ! It is a good thing for me (Moreover, I already knew that my accent was bad, this is the reality) to hear that. Do not worry about that =)
Good luck for the following!
Thank you, Teresa, for this clear, concise and sweeping reflection. I like the way you essentially bullet point the various aspects of the course that stand out for you. (There is certainly a place for such summaries!) As always, your writing flows smoothly, effortlessly. Your enthusiasm also shines through your prose. For most of the main take aways you give an illustration. What might have made this an even richer piece of writing would be a bit more detail. For instance, as a seasoned writer, which of the 7Cs spoke most to you? Or, when in the course did you really "fake it to become it"?
Of course, students get very busy. I realize that. Nonetheless, in this course you showed lots of talent, though that seemed to be hiding from our general discussions behind a certain shyness at times. Of course, being rather quiet is fine. But throughout the lessons I admit that I envied your group mates since I wanted to hear more from you. I can see that you have so much to say, and a rich perspective. I'm glad that you've listed "being visible" as one of your greatest take aways. Doing so will enhance the experience of those around you. (Of course, for your readers in various publications you are a well known personality.)
In any case, it's been great working with you this term, Teresa. All the best as you continue your learning journey!
Hi Teresa,
I like you when you smile, especially during the presentation!So smile more! :D And even though you are slightly quieter in class, whenever you make a comment, they are often very constructive feedbacks that can be worked on. So it's good. Your post here focuses on various take home messages from this course but I thought it would be good to focus solely on one and in greater detail. But, nonetheless, your writing has always been very smooth and easy to read. So thank you and all the best for your upcoming papers!
Cheers,
Maple
Thank you, Maple! Noted. I did that because I couldn't decide one topic that I improved most. After contemplating, I guess I would say I have improved a lot in professional communication (of course, as the module title goes, but I would emphasize on the adjective 'professional') especially in verbal communication.
All the best for your finals, Dear! :) :)
Thank you, Maple! Noted. I did that because I couldn't decide one topic that I improved most. After contemplating, I guess I would say I have improved a lot in professional communication (of course, as the module title goes, but I would emphasize on the adjective 'professional') especially in verbal communication.
All the best for your finals, Dear! :) :)
Hi Brad,
Thank you very much! I will try to work on those points and elaborate more. :) It's a pleasure to have you as our tutors. Your methods were so extraordinary that we had lasting experiences. See you around and all the best! :D
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