Olivia Monologue

TED CRITIQUE #1: Doherty, Olivia
I think that the topic Olivia chose was very interesting because in her attention getter she listed some fun facts about this disease and that there is no cure. Olivia’s topic was appropriately leveled. I think that her content was just right. This disease is very complicated because there is no cure but I like how she described the disease and how it is similar to dementia. If I was listening to her talk and had no idea what Alzheimer’s was, at the end of her TED talk I would have had a good general idea of what this disease is. Her talk was very well organized. I like how she started with the disease and what it was then moved into the research and then ended with recommendations and what she believes. Her

I thought it was very well organized. Her example of the Thanksgiving meal was very helpful to realize how obesity can happen and how it is impacted by our pleasure center. Meg’s description on how these drugs are different than pervious anti-obesity meds was very helpful and encouraging because like she said they are always getting pulled off the shelf shortly after being marketed. Her writing of the drugs up on the top were helpful specifically for seeing how the drugs were spelt. Meg was very confident when giving her presentation. Her changes in her voice were helpful to know her key points she wanted us to get and when she found something fascinating. One thing she can work on is her hands were a little distracting at times because they were moving very often. Also, it was a little distracting how she was in the same paragraph but she would transition from different

Leah’s TED talk was academically appropriate. The specific drug and its mechanisms were very complicated but Leah did a wonderful job describing how they work on a simpler level. Before her TED talk I really didn’t know much about Duchene Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). Her history of what this is and what the signs and symptoms of DMD are were very helpful to gain a better understanding of her topic. I didn’t know drugs were able to go on the fast track through the FDA process. I liked how she described the reasons why this drug was approved for the fast track and why some people opposed this approval. Leah had enough content and a wide variety of information. Her visuals were very helpful and enhanced her talk. I really like the Gower maneuverer picture because I have never seen someone stand up like this which is the common sign of this disease. She didn’t use her hands much for nonverbal mannerisms but I thought that it was helpful she didn’t move them because they can be distracting at times. She gave the talk confidently and I liked how she shared the hopes for this drugs