Some tips on effective presentations

Below are some materials on effective presentations  during Teacher Development Program from Greg Reihman, Director of Faculty Development, Lehigh University

Know your material
The advice below assumes that your know something about the topic and have something to say. But don't focus on everything you know, focus instead on the key things you want your audience to learn

Determine 3-5 objectives: what do you want really your audience to learn?
Your audience will learn more than that, but if you can teach someone 3-5 new things you will have done a great job

Tell a story
People understand and connect with ideas that they can fit together into a story. A good story sets up an interesting problem, challenge or puzzle and works its way toward resolution. At a minimum, plan a beginning, a middle, and an end that makes sense together.

Be a body
Make eye contact, use gestures, be open with your arms, face the audience, smile. Practice this

Plan some form of "energy shift " every 15-20 minutes
Your audience should be doing something significantly different after 15 - 20 minutes. To Accomplish this, you might lecture for 15 minutes then offer a personal anecdote, a short video clip. Or it might mean giving your students something to do (5 minutes to write or discuss or stretch or take a quiz). Or it might mean presenting a case study, talking about it for 10 minutes with your audience, then presenting the next case. What matters most is that you do something to change how the room feels; to have your audience use a different part of their mind.

Make some part of your presentation personal , but not "about you"
It's great to include a story or an example that is about you or your experience; however, if you do, make sure you offer it in a way that helps you connect with your audience or helps them understand your point. If your story is meant to impress, it probably won't

Speak with an easy authority 
When you start speaking, your audience assumes you have something to teach them. If you mutter or apologize, if you are self-effacing or disorganized, you will give them reason to think that you do not. This does not mean being authoritarian (tyrannical, bossy, strict) but rather being authoritative (in control , knowledgeable, influential)

Aim to teach, not to impress
If you present your talk thinking, "I have to show them that I know what I'm talking about" then, at best, they will leave having learned "Wow, she knows what she's talking about" (at worst, they will find you arrogant, unapproachable, and ineffective). If you present your talk thinking, "I have to help them understand what I'm talking about" then, at best, they will leave having learned, "Wow, I get it" (or , at worst, they will learn find you helpful, kind, approachable and will come back hoping to learn more).

A SHORT LIST OF RESOURCES ON EFFECTIVE PRESENTATIONS

1. HOW TO SPEAK: LECTURE TIPS FROM MIT's Patrick WINSTON
    From Harvard's Bok Center for Teaching Excellence

2.Videos of good presenters
   www.ted.com

3. Preparation Tips
http://www.garrreynolds.com/Presentation/index.html

4. Delivery Tips
http://www.garrreynolds.com/Presentation/delivery.html

5. Stanford Center for Teaching and Learning "Speaking of Teaching " newsletter on "Oral Communication in the Academy"
www.stanford.edu/dept/CTL/Newsletter/oral_comm.pdf
6. "Giving a Job Talk in the Sciences" (Rick Reis, Chronicle of Higher Education)
http://chronicle.com/article/Giving-a-Job-Talk-in-hte-Sc/45375

7. A presentation does not have to include PowerPoint/Keynote, but if it does consider these
 http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2005/12/the_102030_rule.html

http://www.presentationzen.com/
 
http://www.garrreynolds.com/Presentation/slides.html

Teacher Development Series Fall 2011

Session 1 - Presentations & Communications
When: Thursday September 29th, 2:30-4:00
Where: Sinclair Laboratory Auditorium
Topics: An opportunity to learn more about-and practice-effective preseentation skills.
Who: Greg Reihman (Faculty Development/CAS-Philosophy).

Session 2 – Advice from Current Graduate Students on Effective Teaching
When: Thursday October 13th, 2:30-4:00
Where: Sinclair Laboratory Auditorium

Session 3 -Engaging Students
When: Thursday October 27th, 2:30-4:00
Where: Sinclair Auditorium Laboratory
Topics: How do effective faculty engage and inspire students? How do they ensure content mastery and promote higher-order thinking?
Who: Greg Reihman (Faculty Development/CAS-Philosophy).

Session 4 - Academic Support Services for Students
When: Thursday November 10th 2:30-4:00
Where: Sinclair Laboratory Auditorium
Topics: A chance to learn about the many factors affectiing student learning (including learning disabilities, cultural differenes, students at risk) and find out what other support servie are available to your students.

Session 5 - Symposium on Teaching & Learning
When: Thursday November 17th TBA
Where: Linderman Library
Topics: This symposium will highlight various innovative ways Lehigh faculty are using instructional technology and media in their teahing. Poster presentations by various faculty and staff, plus keynote presentation.

Teacher Development Series SPRING 2011

Session 1 - How Students Learn: Effective Assessment
When: Thursday February 10th, 2:30-4:00
Where: EWFM 379 (Media Center Classroom)
Topics: How does one effectively assess student learning? What are the roles of quizzes, tests, essays and other forms of assessment in the learning process? How can effective assessment help improve teaching?
Who: Greg Reihman (Faculty Development/CAS-Philosophy).


Session 2 – How Teachers Teach: Writing to Learn
When: Thursday February 24th, 2:30-4:00
Where: EWFM 379 (Media Center Classroom)
Topics: How can teachers use shorter, informal, easy-to-grade writing assignments to facilitate learning?
Who: Gregory Skutches (Writing Across the Curriculum/CAS-English)


Session 3 - How Teachers Teach: Using Technology to Enhance Learning
When: Thursday March 3rd, 2:30-4:00
Where: EWFM 379 (Media Center Classroom)
Topics: Why use instructional technologies to enhance learning? How should such technologies be integrated into classes so they are used most effectively? What instructional technologies are available and how are they being used?
Who: Ilena Key and Judd Hark (LTS-Instructional Technology Team)


Session 4 - How Teachers Teach: Developing a Syllabus
When: Thursday 3/24 2:30-4:00
Where: EWFM 379 (Media Center Classroom)
Topics: What is the purpose of a syllabus? What should be included? How can an effective syllabus help both instructors and students?
Who: Greg Reihman (Faculty Development/CAS-Philosophy)


Session 5 - How Students Learn: The Role of Cognition in Instructional Design
When: Thursday 4/7 2:30-4:00
Where: EWFM 379 (Media Center Classroom)
Topics: What are our best theories about how people receive and process information? How should teachers take these theories into account when teaching undergraduates?
Who: M.J. Bishop (COE-Teaching, Learning, Technology)


Session 6- How Teachers Teach: Explanations and Investigations
When: Thursday 4/21 2:30-4:00
Where: EWFM 379 (Media Center Classroom)
Topics: How do effective faculty explain difficult concepts? How do they help students learn which questions to ask and how to find good answers?
Who: Kristen Jellison (RCEAS - Civil & Environmental Engineering)