Class reviewed the thesis that is due NEXT class.
Students were given the following information about presentations for their thesis. (info repeated at bottom of post)
The class reviewed three additional texts related to war.
and
WOW Senior Thesis
Presentation
Requirements
I want you to have the opportunity to present your research
paper to the class in an entertaining and interesting way. You’ll have 5 minutes to present, so be sure
to keep your ideas moving so you can cover the scope of your findings. Include a visual (slide, picture, survey, e.g.)
which enhances your audiences understanding of your topic. Be creative and entertaining.
I found several websites on the Internet that give helpful advice about
presenting, and I’ve copied down below one in particular from
A Research Guide for Students that I
liked.
Presentations start on Tuesday or Wednesday April 14th and 15th
. I’ll have a sign-up sheet
available next class period.
50 Summative Points
“Know the needs of your audience and match your contents to their needs.
Know your material thoroughly. Put what you have to say in a logical sequence.
Ensure your speech will be captivating to your audience as well as worth their
time and attention. Practice and rehearse your speech at home or where you can
be at ease and comfortable, in front of a mirror, your family, friends or
colleagues. Use a tape-recorder and listen to yourself. Videotape your
presentation and analyze it. Know what your strong and weak points are.
Emphasize your strong points during your presentation.
When you are presenting in front of an audience, you are performing as an
actor is on stage. How you are being perceived is very important. Dress
appropriately for the occasion. Be solemn if your topic is serious. Present the
desired image to your audience. Look pleasant, enthusiastic, confident, proud,
but not arrogant. Remain calm. Appear relaxed, even if you feel nervous. Speak
slowly, enunciate clearly, and show appropriate emotion and feeling relating to
your topic. Establish rapport with your audience. Speak to the person farthest
away from you to ensure your voice is loud enough to project to the back of the
room. Vary the tone of your voice and dramatize if necessary. If a microphone
is available, adjust and adapt your voice accordingly.
Body language is important. Standing, walking or moving about with
appropriate hand gesture or facial expression is preferred to sitting down or
standing still with head down and reading from a prepared speech. Use
audio-visual aids or props for enhancement if appropriate and necessary. Master
the use of presentation software such as
PowerPoint well before your
presentation. Do not over-dazzle your audience with excessive use of animation,
sound clips, or gaudy colors which are inappropriate for your topic. Do not
torture your audience by putting a lengthy document in tiny print on an
overhead and reading it out to them.
Speak with conviction as if you really believe in what you are saying.
Persuade your audience effectively. The material you present orally should have
the same ingredients as that which are required for a written research paper,
i.e. a logical progression from INTRODUCTION (Thesis statement) to BODY (strong
supporting arguments, accurate and up-to-date information) to CONCLUSION
(re-state thesis, summary, and logical conclusion).
Do not read from notes for any extended length of time although it is quite
acceptable to glance at your notes infrequently. Speak loudly and clearly.
Sound confident. Do not mumble. If you made an error, correct it, and continue.
No need to make excuses or apologize profusely.
Maintain sincere eye contact with your audience. Use the 3-second method,
e.g. look straight into the eyes of a person in the audience for 3 seconds at a
time. Have direct eye contact with a number of people in the audience, and
every now and then glance at the whole audience while speaking. Use your eye
contact to make everyone in your audience feel involved.
Speak to your audience, listen to their questions, respond to their
reactions, adjust and adapt. If what you have prepared is obviously not getting
across to your audience, change your strategy mid-stream if you are well
prepared to do so. Remember that communication is the key to a successful
presentation. If you are short of time, know what can be safely left out. If
you have extra time, know what could be effectively added. Always be prepared
for the unexpected.
Pause. Allow yourself and your audience a little time to reflect and think.
Don't race through your presentation and leave your audience, as well as
yourself, feeling out of breath.
Add humor whenever appropriate and possible. Keep audience interested
throughout your entire presentation. Remember that an interesting speech makes
time fly, but a boring speech is always too long to endure even if the
presentation time is the same.
When using audio-visual aids to enhance your presentation, be sure all
necessary equipment is set up and in good working order prior to the
presentation. If possible, have an emergency backup system readily
available. Check out the location ahead of time to ensure seating
arrangements for audience, whiteboard, blackboard, lighting, location of
projection screen, sound system, etc. are suitable for your presentation.
Have handouts ready and give them out at the appropriate time. Tell audience
ahead of time that you will be giving out an outline of your presentation so
that they will not waste time taking unnecessary notes during your
presentation.
Know when to STOP talking. Use a timer or the microwave oven clock to time
your presentation when preparing it at home. Just as you don't use unnecessary
words in your written paper, you don't bore your audience with repetitious or
unnecessary words in your oral presentation. To end your presentation,
summarize your main points in the same way as you normally do in the CONCLUSION
of a written paper. Remember, however, that there is a difference between
spoken words appropriate for the ear and formally written words intended for
reading. Terminate your presentation with an interesting remark or an
appropriate punch line. Leave your listeners with a positive impression and a
sense of completion. Do not belabor your closing remarks. Thank your audience
and sit down.”
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Time
Management
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Entertainment
Value
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Visual
Aid
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Creativity
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Body
Language
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Organization
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Speaking
Quality
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Eye
Contact
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Fielding
Questions
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Thesis Presentation /50
Name: ___________________________ Date: _____________ original date
scheduled? Y/N
