Put
in the Time
- How
can you become a more effective presenter?
Basically,
I have two issues when it comes to giving presentations. First off, I have a
terrible fear of public speaking. Secondly, I have an underwhelming grasp of
technology. The first of these I’m not sure what I can ever do about, the
second just requires a bit of effort on my behalf.
Ironically,
given my chosen profession, I become very anxious when speaking in any group
larger than two people. Even when I get together with my closest friends, if
there are three or more people at the table, I am usually the quietest one. Those
of you who witnessed my first presentation in Dr. Mike’s class probably recall
my very brief question and answer section- the one where I said, “There will be
no questions.” In front of my students, I have no difficulty because I approach
the classroom as a stage, and do a fairly good job of transforming into an
actor.
The
second issue is just a matter of me not really ‘exploring’, as Andrew so
succinctly added to my last presentation, the available technologies and
systems out there to aid ‘would be presenters.’ I’m actually making efforts in
that regards. Those of you who were in the, ‘Everything is Curriculum’ class
saw me give my first ever PPT. I was in my office till about 1 a.m. putting
that miserable piece of work together. Last semester, after that, I began
putting together PPT’s for my composition classes with varying degrees of
success. Tomorrow, I plan to take my first ever ride on Prezi. Hopefully, it will
go well. I’m not sure if I can ever become a confident public speaker, but I
believe I can learn more about the technology which can help me.
Gary,
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate your candor. It seems in today's day and age being a good presenter and working with technology go hand-in-hand. I would recommend watching how to videos on YouTube on how to work PowerPoint. Like you, I haven't had much experience with PowerPoint, but the YouTube video did help me.
Keep at it.
I liked your actor on a stage analogy. I have always felt the same way when I teach. It definitely makes it easier. As Tyler mentioned there are a plethora of sources on youtube regarding presentations.
ReplyDeleteThanks guys, I'll look into those.
ReplyDeleteThese cohort classes are honing all of our presentation skills. Keep at it, man. We'll get a handle on them eventually. Trial by fire is often the only way. As my favorite American poet Charles Bukowksi said, "What matters most is how well you walk through the fire."
ReplyDelete