Proposal Presentations

• We will do proposal talks next week.
  • Please view these as an semi-informal presentation to peers.
  • I would like a 10 or so minute presentation of your topic
    • Overview - especially introduction to the topic.
    • make sure you give us any definitions we will need for our discussion.
    • Thesis/Question/Area of investigation/Direction.
    • More depth on your area of interest.
    • Project idea.
    • Quick overview of the sources you have found.
  • I would like to follow this up with 5-10 minutes of group discussion.
    • Questions are a major portion of a research project.
    • It is polite to have questions for a presenter in any case.
    • Remember, Jones, Doran and I will be here!
    • You should take this time seriously, and make sure that you record any ideas/problems/thoughts that arise.
• 2/26 and 2/28: 12:30, 12:50, 1:10, 1:30
• Presentations:
  • Why do we give presentations?
  • To whom do we give presentations?
  • When do we give presentations?
  • Time:
    • most presentations are a timed affair.
    • In elementary/middle/high school sufficient material for the time was the problem.
    • After that, if you know the material, insufficient time is the problem.
    • You will need to focus what you will talk about.
      • Make sure you get the definitions/ideas required for your main point.
      • Carefully select this, but if you audience does not have the background, they can not deal with new material.
      • Select the ideas/points of what you have done.
      • You will probably not have time to cover all of your work either.
      • Focus on the most important portions and present this.
  • Slides:
    • Essential/Awful
    • Death By Powerpoint
      • Know your audience: But this is for any presentation.
      • Content is King: Make sure your message is clear, then add the fancy stuff.
      • Get a color wheel, and use it: This is not the time to experiment with colors.
      • Keep It Simple Stupid
        • Very few words per slide.
        • People don't trust you and will read your slides before they listen to you.
        • And you have lost that time.
        • Keep your charts/graphs simple too.
        • Invite people to read your paper/write to you for more information.
      • Fonts are like donuts: you really shouldn't have more than three at a time.
      • Friends Don't let Friends use the Laser Typewriter
      • Keep your artwork/background/other parts simple too.
      • Have a backup plan.
    • Day and Gastel
      • Specifically designed for a presentation. (Not a copy of the paper/book/...)
      • Not crowded/complicated: Can it be understood in 4 seconds?
      • Not too many.
      • If it contains a graph/picture/table, explain the main idea and why it is important.
      • Use a graph in place of a table if you can.
      • Use a picture in place of text if you can.
      • Test/Test/Rehearse (OUT LOUD)/
      • "The slide should supplement what you are saying at the time the slide is on the screen; it should not simply repeat what you are saying."
      • "Do not read the slide text to the audience."
    • Your Audience
      • You need to present the material clearly in a manner that the audience can understand.
      • You are the expert, explain the parts to your audience they might not know.