Speaking in Public

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Stage One

Welcome: Experimenting with presentation software
Description: Research resources on good and bad presentations. Create a presentation using Powerpoint or Prezi about a topic of your choice that will demonstrate good design techniques. You will explore good and bad presentations and your final presentation will show how much you have learned.
 

Stage Two

Introduction

 

If you know how to communicate the sky is your limit, and effective presentations are spaces where you can share your ideas with others. Whichever way you look at it good design is essential in your presentation when you want to really communcate with your audience! Will your presentations make your audience want to sleep, or will they be sitting on the edge of their seats? In this webquest you will explore some of the good and bad apsects of presentation design. In a small group  you will then explore the roles of the text editor or graphic artist and create a PowerPoint or a Prezi about a topic of your choice, demonstrating good design techniques.

 

Dos and Don’t’s with Powerpoint

We've all experienced Powerpoint Presentations, so now, either alone or with a partner, brainstorm the things you think you should or should not do with Powerpoint. You will have the chance later to look at this in more detail.

 

 

Stage Three

Task

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This task has two parts:

Part One:
Analyse the good and bad things about presentations and decide on the best techniques for your own presentations.

Part Two:
Your group will create a 5 slide presentation about a topic of your choice using good design techniques. You will create one slide show as a team. The graphic artists will be in charge of choosing the clip art or photos to use. Be careful to use only images that you have permission to use. They will also be in charge of background colour, themes, illustrations, and overall design. The text editors will create the text for the slide show and select the font type, size, and colour.

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Stage Four

Process

 

Part One: analysis of good and bad aspects of presentation software

You are all familar with PowerPoint but do you know how to use the programme effectively? You may not know Prezi so well, but there are definite advantages to using this site, particularly if you want to collaborate online.

Remember that there is more to a presentation than adding text and a few pictures. In this quest you will learn all about what to do and what to avoid in your presentation. You will be in a small group, which will consist of the text editors and the graphic artists. You will need to take notes on the key points that you notice as you watch the PowerPoints and view the websites. You will be abe to apply these to your own presentations.

Study Activity One

First of all a light-hearted look at some of the common problems with Powerpoint.

1. Watch the Keynote, PowerPoint or Prezi video by following this link. Discuss with your group which one you think is best for you and why.

2. Download and watch the PowerPoint's Do's and Don'ts. (resource #1 below) which summarises some common problems that were in the video above.

3. Watch resource #2 below which is my example of 3 presentations on Prezi. Which one works best?

 

Study Activity Two

Watch the Gettysburg address in PowerPoint.
Now watch this Economic History of Europe Slideshare
Working individually, list three things that made these presentations problematic for the audience and then compare your ideas in your group.
Finally, decide which software your group intends to use and go on to the next stage, bearing in mind the lessons you have learned from Part One.

Part Two: Getting Started with your Presentations

First: Your team needs to complete a storyboard with the ideas you have for the five slides in your PowerPoint.
Follow this link to see a storyboard of a Prezi presentation.

 

The first slide is always the title slide and the last will be a conclusion slide.

Make sure that this slide leaves your audience with "food for thought".

All of your slides need to demonstrate good design techniques.

Presentation Framework
Slide/ Frame 1: Title it Our Topic by both of your names.
Slide/ Frame 2 - 4: Each slide should clearly illustrate a point you want to make about your topic. Think about what you would like your audience to see, to back up your ideas. Remember that with text: less is more.
 Slide/ Frame 5: This conclusion slide should tie it all together and be inspirational, ask a further question which comes out of your research or should conclude the main points in such a way as to make your audience think.

Responsibilities:

Graphic Artists:
Search the Internet for good images to represent the text in your PowerPoint. make sure that you respect the image copyright when you do this. Choose the background colour or theme. You will also include custom animation, transitions, and set the timing to automatically advance at 2 seconds.

Text Editors:

You need to create the PowerPoint by adding the text. You will select at least three different slide layouts. You will choose the font, size, and colour. Make sure you use the spell checker and have correct capitalization.

You will have the chance to give your presentations to everyone else in class.

 

 

Stage Five

Evaluation

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This can be done by peer evaluation and you can either agree together on the assessment criteria or use the grid provided.

The total score will be based on your final group assignment.

You will be awarded a maximum of 100% for this.

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Stage Six

Conclusion

 

What Did You Learn?

All of you will create many presentations in school, college, and maybe in your career. The things you learned in this lesson will help you to create dynamic presentations that others will enjoy watching. Remember some of the following when you create a PowerPoint in the future.

1. Use short bullet lists

2. Don't put every word that you will say on the slide.

3. Use graphics, but not too many animated graphics.

4. Colors of the background and text need to have contrast. Dark text on light background works best.

5. Don't place square graphics on the borders of the slide.

 

Good Luck with your future presentations!

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