A presentation could be a beneficial way of conveying information to a number of people in one sitting, if done right. As a teacher, I am essentially "presenting" information to my students every day. There are numerous ways that I have learned to become a more effective presenter.
I need to keep it simple. Often times I find that I write all the information under bullet points so my students don't miss any information. By doing this, they are paying more attention to writing those down, than actually listening to my explanations. I need to keep it to a maximum of six bullet points. This will also help me know my stuff better and it will also ensure that I am not reading frame to frame, making it an ineffective and boring presentation.
Another way that I can become a better presenter is by really thinking about the design, colors, and look of each frame. There should be a contrast between the letters and the background. Also, sometimes I tend to just find pictures that somehow relate to what I am talking about, but I never really stop to think about their size, resolution, or positioning on the frames. By placing them in certain places, enlarging, or arranging them in a certain way, I could create a greater impact on the information I am trying to convey.
In every frame, I should be able to ask myself what the point of the frame is, and why it matters. If the answer is unclear, I need to just get rid of it instead of wasting time and adding useless information.
Giving handouts with key points, or something that the audience or students can take with them, is another useful way to help me present better. This will give them something to refer to after the presentation, help them remember some of the key information that had been discussed, and also give them a chance to go over some information that they might have over looked.
Overall I don't have a fear of speaking in public or doing a presentation in front of people, but taking the time to really think about the information displayed on each frame, will hopefully help me enhance and deliver an effective presentation that doesn't feel long, boring, or unprepared.
You have a very teacher-esque theme here! I like the books! From a design perspective, the apples are a nice touch, too!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely, keeping it simple is the way to go, especially with our ESL students. Much of them are at a beginner to intermediate level and in giving them some key words/phrases to focus on, you're essentially guiding them. A handout can also be a good complement and further guide their learning experience.
I think overall, you're in a very similar place to me with regard to teaching and presenting. We've been doing this a while and a lot of the material feels stale. I think paying more attention to the fine details and asking questions like "What relevance does this have to my message?" will allow us to fine tune our lessons and focus on the important things. I have to say, I'm looking forward to trying to implement some of these new things we are learning in our classes next semester!
Me too! Let's share, and thanks for the comment ^^
DeleteI really like your blog. It is nice to read about your thoughts and opionions on effective presenting. Very detailed and clear objectives on how to do a better job. It's very easy to comprehend and visualize. Clear and to the point. Can be very useful for many looking to improve presentations.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment Victor^^
DeleteYour blog has mentioned some important key points to presenting;
ReplyDeletekeep it simple,
pay careful attention to the design of digital presentations,
and give handouts.
I concur with all these key points but the last one leaves me with some questions. I have also used this idea in order to leave the students something to study and help them remember the key points of the lesson. Is this effective though? I've always wondered if their handout went directly to the trash can. If the students were to complete a task with the handout and returned it to be graded then I would be satisfied that it was useful.
Since learning more about the digital classroom in our Framingham course, I believe that the paperless classroom may be a much more effective method than handouts. Google docs seems like an effective alternative to physical handouts. I'm looking forward to learning more about digitizing my lessons and going "paperless".
P.S. Your blog has a great look for a teacher.