Presentation Skills
In my opinion, the major theme of this topic is to "Be Prepared". In preparation for this task, these are some things to consider: What type of audience will I be presenting to? What materials do I need, if any to demonstrate to the audience? Will I be using visual aids (PowerPoint, etc)? Is all my information up to date? How will I introduce my presentation to my audience? Is my presentation designed to keep my audience interested and involved? How will I end my presentation? These are a few things to consider but there can be many others.
Cameron,
yes these ideas are definitely the tried & trues of good presentations.
Dr. Ryan Meers
I once took a speech class in college and many of the topics like being prepared and picking topics that interest the presenter were stressed throughout the course. They also proved to be very helpful when presenting to a room full of students giving you their undivided attention.
Public speaking in front of large groups not one of my strong points, however I do find that practicing in front of the mirror helps ease my fears before a presentation. I can actually see myself as an audience would see me.
Yes, great point, thank you! I have tried the "run in at the last minute" approach & it does not work for so many reasons. Thanks for the reminder.
Ryan
Most presentations for Human Services topics are not controlled by the speaker and you have no opportunity to really know the content of the topics assigned to other speakers.In those types of situations you need to have a really tight control on your own presentation and also have ways to be flexible in changing your direction.
I also find that it is equally important to prepare mentally. A great presentation can go south if the presenter does not have a clear head and a confident attitude. I am always sure to be very early on days which I am giving a presentation. This allows me to "unwind" my mind, take some deep breaths, and get a clear head in order to present the material in teh best way possible.
Absolutely right Donald, being prepared is definitely the key in all of this. All of these are great questions to have as a checklist prior to presenting.
Ryan
