For example, I was making a presentation for a class about technology that I teach. Instead of talking about the different things that go into technology, I was able to represent them with pictures. I used a speaker system that all of my students could relate to for the "systems" slide. I used a picture of bright, fiber optic cable to demonstrate communication. Then I gave them the handout as well and they were able to follow along and kind of be part of the presentation by reading definitions and examples.
I really like the www.everystockphoto.com and the other websites for finding pictures. This makes me feel like a better person because this way I know that I am not breaking any copyright laws. The only problem is that sometimes it can be really hard to find a good picture of what I'm looking for. This just helps me to be patient and to tell myself that, "Hey, not every one of your presentations can be done or redone overnight to blow people's socks off. It's going to take time; years." It also helps me to remember that no presentation is static and I should always be working to make the presentation that I gave last year better.
Matt, I really agree with you concerning the Presentation Zen. When you first read all of his ideas it seems like a hard task to complete, especially given the "old way" of doing things that we are used to with the textbook and a massive amount of bullet points. But, once you actually sit down to do it, it is not that hard at all as long as you let your creativity flow and think a little differently about your presentations. One thing that the Presentation Zen approach does require is that the presenter has to really know their content otherwise it will be hard for them to connect with the audience because they will be focusing a lot of reading off of their notes, etc. I am glad to hear that this approach has worked well for you :)
ReplyDeleteThe Presentationzen text has really influenced my thinking as well. It sounds like what you did with your technology slide show was very effective. I agree that searching for the right picture can be time consuming. There is always that tendency to keep searching because something better might be right around the corner. I was surprised when I saw that some of the websites had the option to submit a picture for others to use. I guess I never thought about where the photos came from. I assumed professionals. I took a look at your photos for class. You should consider submitting some to a site. I particularly like the beer shot and your sandwich. It must be dinner time!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about it being more fun to do a presentation. It is challenging to find the right picture, but once you do it makes your presentation so much more entertaining. The kids can focus on your words while looking at the pictures. Copyright has always been a worry to me as well. I try very hard to do what is right and include all the correct bibliographic entries. It is great to now have those resources and to know what you are expected to do to cite them.
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