Presentation StuffNotes for Presenters
First, remember that this presentation is on the exact same subject as your paper. The content is the same, so there is no need to change anything. All you are doing here is presenting that content through different media. At its core, this presentation should still 1) prove something is a problem, 2) describe a clear, thorough solution(s) to this problem, 3) defend the feasibility of this solution, and 4) address some opposing viewpoints.
Title your presentation. Show us that title (on a slide, in an outline document, on the board, in a handout, etc.) and introduce yourself. Not everyone will know who you are, and they will need to know your name for their audience assignments.
Do not try to “wing” this presentation. Have a plan and structure in place, and be sure to practice your presentation ahead of class. There is a clear expectation for how long your presentation should be (7-20 minutes, depending on solo, partnered, or grouped presentations), so practice your presentation to ensure you meet these expectations.
Just like a paper, the audience should know the purpose of the presentation very quickly. Presentations should not be mysteries. There should be a surprise reveal at the end. Get to the point quickly.
Videos are a perfectly acceptable supplement to your presentation.
• Make sure you have timed how long the videos are and how much of the presentation they are. For a 7-minute presentation, videos should not exceed 2 minutes.
• Make sure your videos are relevant to your subject. Do not simply re-use student presentations you happened to have found on YouTube.
• You are allowed to create your own video and present it to us for the bulk of the presentation, but you will still need to address questions the audience (including me) might have.
• You are responsible for volume, so double check the volume settings before you begin your presentation.
Note cards or some derivative thereof are perfectly acceptable, but do not simply read from these cards. Use your notes to help organize your thoughts and transition you from point to point. Look at the audience regularly. One of the worst things you can do for this presentation is simply print your paper out and read it to us.
Remember that your presentation requires a visual aid. Most people choose a slide presentation or a video, but don’t feel as though this is something you have to do. There are other options. All you need is something visual to help focus the attention of the audience.
Any visual writing in your presentation must be proofread! Avoid grammatical errors and typos in your visual materials.
I strongly urge you to use some kind of visual outline. This could mean writing what you plan to do on the board (I will have markers), having a small Word document that lists bullet points you plan to address, or using a slide in your presentation software. Not only will this help you focus, but it will give your audience a clear set of expectations for the few minutes you present.
If you plan to use presentation software, I recommend one of these:
• PowerPoint – available on campus computers
• Google Presentations/Slides – available via your campus email account
• Prezi (Links to an external site.) – available online at prezi.com (Links to an external site.)
• Haiku Deck – available online at haikudeck.com (Links to an external site.)
Regardless of the presentation software you use, please adhere to the following:
• Do not overload slides with too much text. Keep your slides limited to bullet lists with basic information that you can then expound upon verbally.
• Do not overload a single slide with too many images. Too many images means viewers will be uncertain about where to look.
• Do not overload your presentation with slide animations. Keep dissolves and swirls and bouncing text to a minimum. It’s distracting.
• Keep a uniform font through your slides: one font type and one font size in the body of the slides.
• Title your slides. Practice parallelism when naming.
• Be mindful of color contrast. Make sure the contrast between your font color and slide color is distinct enough to be visible to the audience.
• Embed videos within the slides themselves.
• Included a Works Cited slide that cites not only the content sources from your paper, but also entries for images, graphs, and/or videos you used in your presentation.
• Avoid “Here Are Some Facts” slides that list information without context or direction. Providing facts is a key element, sure, but don’t simply jam all of those facts into a single slide. Present those facts via proper context so as to demonstrate something is a problem, illustrate a potential solution, prove the feasilbity of a solution, or address opposing viewpoints.
You may be required to answer questions. In all likelihood, there will be people in class who disagree with some aspect of your topic and presentation. This does not make them inferior to you. Be prepared for critical questions. Do not be dismissive or insulting towards people who ask these questions. Answer those questions if you can. If you cannot answer the question, do not fake it.
• I might also ask questions, time permitting. Some of these questions might simply be for additional data. Some of these questions might be rhetorical attempts to see how well you address opposing viewpoints.
Notes for audience members:
Any disruptions to one of your peer’s presentations will be met with severe penalties. You will no longer be able to stay in the classroom for the day, marked absent, and potentially receive a zero on your presentation. You will not be allowed to complete the presentation review for that day.
If you come to class late and you see a presentation is already underway, please wait in the hallway until I wave you inside. If you need to step out of the classroom for a minute–for water, bathroom, to accept a phone call, etc., please follow the same procedure of waiting in the hallway until I wave you inside.
If you fall asleep in class, your grade will plummet. Do not fall asleep in class. You will no longer be able to stay in the classroom for the day, marked absent, and potentially receive a zero on your presentation.
Before presentations begin, make sure your phone is turned silent or off.
For each day of presentations, you will be required to pick one presentation to summarize and review in a written document. This review can only be completed if you attended class during the presentation. Unlike other assignments, you will submit your review on paper. Each review will be due the next class day. Reviews should not exceed a typed double space page.
You are permitted to take notes, if you wish, but you must do so the old fashioned way: pen/pencil and paper.
Unless directed by a presenter to do otherwise, you should not use your phones, classroom computers, or any other electronic devices. Monitors should remain off.
If you use an electronic device of any kind without permission or do not provide your undivided attention to the presenter, you will be asked to leave, marked absent for the day, and given a 0 on your presentation. If you’re expecting a call of dire importance that cannot wait until after class, inform me at the start of class, and then quietly excuse yourself to answer that call out in the hall.
Reserve questions for the end of the presentation. Once a presentation ends, time permitting, we will have a question and answer period. This is not your opportunity to add a comment. This is also not your opportunity to belittle or embarrass a peer, demonstrate how brilliant you are, or expose the class to your political platform. Any efforts towards these ends will not be met kindly by me. Either ask a constructive question or remain quiet.
In the broadest and colloquial sense of the word, don’t be jerks.
