presentation dos and donts

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CGW Presentation Do’s and Don’ts: Supplemental Know Your Materials (a) Avoid Reading Off: You should be off-script so to speak. Reading from your notes verbatim does not a presentation make! Your job is to become the “expert” on your (limited) subject matter. You should be able to speak to the audience knowledgeably with minimum reference to your notes. This also includes knowing how to pronounce the vocabulary that is included in (relevant to) your presentation. (b) Use Your Own Words: Beware that you are not simply parroting a website (including their own self aggrandizing promotional materials). The text of your presentation should sound like you. While we’re on the subject of language, you must eliminate all “garbage language” from your presentation vocabulary - the ah’s, uhm’s, like’s, etc. Reading Off Screen An extension of the above noted point. Neither should you be reading verbatim off the screen at the front of the class. This naturally leads into the following point... The Dangers of Power Point As I cautioned before the presentations began... Beware! Beware falling into the trap of putting everything you want to say on the screen and simply reading it off. It’s called Power Point for a reason... Voice, Body Stance and Positioning Your voice and body stance should reflect your interest and enthusiasm in the subject matter (fake it if you have none). Further your should be positioned so that you are facing the audience. You should not be presenting your back to anyone in your audience. Neither should you be positioned such that you are in front of, or blocking, another group member while they are speaking to the audience. Utilising Graphic Materials (audio and/or visual) Visual materials must serve a purpose. They should illuminate some aspect of the issue or move the discussion forward. They should be relevant and timely. Also, some information is best presented in visual form. Here I am referring, in particular to alot of the data that was rhymed off in a number of the presentations. Turning the data into simple graphics (maps, charts, graphs) and then speaking to the patterns and trends that can be observed will aid retention on the part of the audience. Be Prepared! The Boy Scout motto - Be Prepared - applies well here. You must know, in advance, what audio-visual materials you are using and when you are using them. They must be pre-loaded on the computer, or hotlinked on a flash drive file, so they are ready to go to when necessary. Under no circumstances should there be surfing going on, on screen, behind a speaker. This is a huge distraction and takes away from their hard work and effort. Speed... Slow Down! Speed bump ahead! Whoa Nellie! Make sure that you speak at a pace that your audience can follow. This is especially important if/where/when you are dealing with information that includes lots of statistics and (random) facts. What exactly are you expecting your audience to take in? If you want them to remember particular stats/facts then they must be provided an opportunity to note and digest that information... and/or provide it on the summary handout. Be Specific Giving us the big picture is great... But, there’s a but! At some point you have to get specific. For instance, listing the basic principles or goals of some programme or another is a good starting point, but you need to also provide clear description of what the goal/principle means in plain

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Page 1: Presentation dos and donts

CGW Presentation Do’s and Don’ts: Supplemental

Know Your Materials(a) Avoid Reading Off: You should be off-script so to speak. Reading from your notes verbatim does not a presentation make! Your job is to become the “expert” on your (limited) subject matter. You should be able to speak to the audience knowledgeably with minimum reference to your notes. This also includes knowing how to pronounce the vocabulary that is included in (relevant to) your presentation.

(b) Use Your Own Words: Beware that you are not simply parroting a website (including their own self aggrandizing promotional materials). The text of your presentation should sound like you. While we’re on the subject of language, you must eliminate all “garbage language” from your presentation vocabulary - the ah’s, uhm’s, like’s, etc.

Reading Off ScreenAn extension of the above noted point. Neither should you be reading verbatim off the screen at the front of the class. This naturally leads into the following point...

The Dangers of Power PointAs I cautioned before the presentations began... Beware! Beware falling into the trap of putting everything you want to say on the screen and simply reading it off. It’s called Power Point for a reason...

Voice, Body Stance and PositioningYour voice and body stance should reflect your interest and enthusiasm in the subject matter (fake it if you have none). Further your should be positioned so that you are facing the audience. You should not be presenting your back to anyone in your audience. Neither should you be positioned such that you are in front of, or blocking, another group member while they are speaking to the audience.

Utilising Graphic Materials (audio and/or visual)

Visual materials must serve a purpose. They should illuminate some aspect of the issue or move the discussion forward. They should be relevant and timely. Also, some information is best presented in visual form. Here I am referring, in particular to alot of the data that was rhymed off in a number of the presentations. Turning the data into simple graphics (maps, charts, graphs) and then speaking to the patterns and trends that can be observed will aid retention on the part of the audience.

Be Prepared!The Boy Scout motto - Be Prepared - applies well here. You must know, in advance, what audio-visual materials you are using and when you are using them. They must be pre-loaded on the computer, or hotlinked on a flash drive file, so they are ready to go to when necessary. Under no circumstances should there be surfing going on, on screen, behind a speaker. This is a huge distraction and takes away from their hard work and effort.

Speed... Slow Down!Speed bump ahead! Whoa Nellie! Make sure that you speak at a pace that your audience can follow. This is especially important if/where/when you are dealing with information that includes lots of statistics and (random) facts. What exactly are you expecting your audience to take in? If you want them to remember particular stats/facts then they must be provided an opportunity to note and digest that information... and/or provide it on the summary handout.

Be SpecificGiving us the big picture is great... But, there’s a but! At some point you have to get specific. For instance, listing the basic principles or goals of some programme or another is a good starting point, but you need to also provide clear description of what the goal/principle means in plain

Page 2: Presentation dos and donts

English as well as concrete examples of how (they plan) to achieve these principles or goals.

The Comprehension Check (the quizlet or whatever it is)

This was supposed to be able to be handed in for evaluation... after you marked it. The questions asked were to assess their understanding of the key issues, not test whether or not your audience members had taken in a random sampling of numerical facts (which they’d have been hard pressed to have done with the speed many were motoring along at!) Also, the intent was not that they be the equivalent of open book... i.e. don’t tell them the answers are on the handout, and let them look at it.

Mind Your TimingDo a run through of your presentation in advance... either individually or as a group. You must mind the time. There are a specified number of people who have to speak in a specified period of time. If you take more than your share you create a time crunch for the group members who follow you.

Mind Your MannersAvoid, at all costs, creating a distraction while your other group members are presenting. If you’re not the speaker you should be sitting quietly by, nodding quiet support and confirmation of what your other group members are saying... not chit-chatting away on the sidelines.

R.E.S.P.E.C.T. and The Golden RuleFor your classmates. They have worked hard on their presentations as indeed, presumably, you have. You owe it to your classmates to sit and listen attentively to their presentation. Surely you expect the same of them when you give yours? Remember the Golden Rule: that you should “Do unto others as you would have done unto you.” If you are late to class, come in quietly, take your seat and do not create a distraction/disturbance.

Presentations TIPS!!

• question and reason with the class• explain points clearly until understood• use many and varied visual aids• work with answers given by audience -

even when not exactly what you were looking for

• be well organised• clear speech - enunciate each word slowly

and clearly• vary the tone and pitch of your

presentation... lose the MONOTONE!!• know material by heart... DO NOT read off

your notes• become an expert on your particular

topic... exudes confidence• relax, slow down... don’t rush and stutter

and stumble for words• vary the pace and structure of your

presentation... keep audience interest• include all group members in presentation• make information relevant• maintain eye contact with all members of

the audience... invites them to participate and maintains crowd control

• keep audience interested - watch for signs of restlessness and address them

• provide audience with definitions of terms • place information in a context that the

audience can relate to• invite audience participation• use blackboard and overhead to assist with

presentation• review important points of information as

presenting and in summary at the end of the presentation

• provide outline - road map - at beginning so audience knows what to expect

• provide answers to all questions asked• speak loudly and face the audience• avoid “garbage” language (i.e. uhm, ahh,

like, etc)• use humour to keep things interesting -

BUT use it wisely!!• use lots of examples... including metaphors,

similes, etc.• make the presentation age appropriate• dont fidget... and LOSE THE GUM!!• use quick quizzes to test audience

comprehension