Friday, February 27, 2015

IW 14-15: FINAL: Presentation Tips and Tricks

As an educator, you probably have participated in many workshops or learning experiences. Likewise, you also may have been a presenter in a workshop. 

Think about the presentations that were particularly interesting or inspiring to you.  What made those presentations so appealing and interesting to you?  Or what tips or tricks did you use in your own presentation to make it enticing to your audience? 

As we prepare for the Inspired Learning Conference on April 25th, what presentation tips or tricks would you like to share with your cohort members?

17 comments:

  1. I think the best advice I can give comes in the form of three simple phrases - breathe, be yourself, and work time. Not only do these three things impact my work as a presenter, but I see all three of these things in presentations I enjoy as well.

    First of all, breathe...no one can argue that every presentation you give is nerve-wracking. You don’t know what to expect from an audience, you don’t know how what you say will be perceived, and you aren’t all that confident that people don’t already know everything you are sharing. It is amazing how much a deep breath or seven can let you take stock and get ready to go. It is one hour of your life, maybe two, nothing to give yourself a mild heart attack or ulcer over. I still have butterflies and nerves before and during every presentation, but I breathe and help get myself on track.

    While watching presentations over the years, one of the things I have appreciated the most are presenters who are truly themselves. If you have ever seen Mark Overmeyer speak he exemplifies this quality. He infuses humor, real world examples, triumphs, and failures into his presentations. He isn’t talking at you he is talking to you and makes his information approachable because that is who he is. My amazing teammate Erin and I learned in our very first presentation years ago how true this is. We were both so nervous we made some awkward statements (very true to who we were) to start our presentation. When people started laughing it calmed us down and made us realize we could do it. We joke, we share our strengths and weaknesses, and we show what really happens in our classrooms. Just as Mark does, I feel like it makes it more approachable. Who you are is amazing and unique so don’t be afraid to show it and share it.

    The final piece that is BIG to me, is allowing teachers to work during your sessions. How you integrate this is totally up to you, but you want people to be able to access what you are teaching so they can make it work for them. I integrate more tools and ideas from presentations I attend if I have had time to work with it during the session. Plus, let’s be honest, we all know what kind of learners we are - we ‘multi-task’ all the time, so why not embrace that and engage your learners just like you do in your classrooms everyday. We know the fundamental to learning anything new is practice, so give people time to do it.

    Honestly, even just signing up to put yourself out there is half the battle! Trust yourself, trust your knowledge, and know that you have important, amazing things to share that will benefit many!

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  2. The best presentations I have ever seen have always been well organized, led by an energetic presenter. I do well with interactions, questions, hands on pieces.
    The GAFE Summit last semester was really good, because I saw a reaaaaally good presenter (all of the above applied) followed by a presenter that sat behind a computer, lights off, with a powerpoint on the projector. The audience was completely distracted, people started checking their phones, etc. We had no one up front to energize us, hold us accountable to what was being presented.
    I am very nervous to present, but excited to share some of the things that have really helped me this year!

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    1. You will kick its butt! I have a feeling you will be doing this for a long time - your energy and passion will be contagious to others.

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  3. I agree with Brittmarie and Miss Wyman on a few tips. First, be energetic and fun. What I have learned from Inspired Writing group is just be yourself. We are all on different pages on this journey. I may not be the most technological but my information just may be helpful to a few people. If I am human and make it fun, no one will be too upset about not getting too many new ideas. I know from going to the Inspired Learning Conference that it is best to just jump in and give it a whirl.

    I also like the idea of giving links to lots of information and let the audience see everything and try it out. That is the best way is to just use the limited time we have to practice right there while I am presenting. Also more questions may come up while they are working with it that I will be available to help them with.

    Finally, use humor and fun videos to draw your audience in at the beginning. I just went to a GAFETalk TextHelp Conference. The presenter used lots of fun Google April Fools joke videos to keep us engaged and listening. I think I will use that too!

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    1. I am so bummed I missed the GAFETalk! So glad you got great ideas, I can't wait to hear a few if you are willing to share them with me :)

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  4. This is a good one! My teammate and I, along with several other teachers from our school, just recently attended a GAFEtalk/Texthelp all day workshop in Downtown Denver. This day epitomized what I find important in presentations/workshops. Though we were guided through a day of interactive learning, we were also allotted time to practice what we were learning. I think that's so important. I learn more when I have the chance to immediately put into practice what I'm learning, rather than just sitting through a lecture and praying I can at least retain 1/2 of the new learning I'm taking in.

    The day was well organized, timed out well, allowed for reflection and discussion with colleagues, and provided learning we could use immediately to increase student productivity, performance, and engagement.

    I also loved when workshops have just a carefree tone or atmosphere. It's nice to incorporate humor and fun into any new learning situation. We need to remember how much our students enjoy that as well.

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  5. Honestly, I didn't know what to expect from presenting at the IW Conference. Looking at the pictures from last year seemed it wasn't a stressful environment and we're all here to learn. So, that helped me not be stressed out. Tip #1 relax and breathe. We are all here to learn. Tip #2 - don't over plan and be flexible. Often my presentations are too long in one are and not long enough in another. Tip #3 - come in with an open mind.

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  6. I have a hard time presenting in front of other teachers. Dana knows it ;) A lot of my colleagues know it. I can stand up in front of students all day. There’s something about standing in front of other teachers that is intimidating. But, as I learned throughout this Inspired Writing process, everyone has something to share. Sometimes I learned so much I was completely overwhelmed by everything I wanted to try!

    I even learned at Innovation Avenue. As my kids were busy impressing people passing by (they really didn’t even need me there), I was luckily enough to chat with Maria, who was next to me with her students. I loved their Digital Portfolios! It got my wheels turning for next year.

    Inspired Learning is now over, but I think back to how I prepared myself for presenting. I just told people I do not consider myself an expert, explained the population of students I work with, and shared the things that I have done that work for my kids. In the end, I felt better because I was passing on what makes my students feel successful. And that’s what is most important.
    I was so impressed by the sessions I attended at Inspired Writing. Thanks everyone!

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  7. I learn so much from my colleagues who are just as inspiring as professional and well-known people. They are in the trenches with me, day in and day out, I appreciate everyone's honesty. I agree with the comment of allowing people time to practice what they have just heard/learned. That is what makes these sessions meaningful. Otherwise I am too busy telling myself, "try to remember this and this and this...". Taking notes doesn't help when I am worried I will forget everything. Hands-on time and an opportunity to ask questions as well is SO valuable!

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  8. When we presented at the Inspired Writing Conference, we learned some very valuable tips. One that is crucial, is make sure you login under the same domain as the one you created your presentation in. We had student links that we wanted to share with our IW class, and they didn’t work because we logged in to our k12.co.us domain instead of the student domain of lpsk12.org. Another tip to make sure everything runs smoothly for sharing student work is to make sure that the students work is changed to “anyone with a link can view”. We were able to pull up the student work on the SmartBoard, but participants could not access the student work at all.

    Another tip that I thought others did a great job of, was providing and building in work time for participants to create and use what you are presenting. Our topic, Student Led Conferences, didn’t lend itself to that structure very well. However, I might set aside time for participants to create a template that they will have their students use the next time they have parent/teacher/student conferences.

    And, probably the greatest tip of all is STAY CALM. There is bound to be some technical difficulties. There isn’t a day that doesn’t go by in my classroom where a student doesn’t have an issue with technology. The same is true for this conference. Despite logging in to the wrong domain, the sound not working, and students links not being correct, I am proud of the work my team and I have accomplished and were able to present.

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  9. When we presented at the Inspired Writing Conference, we learned some very valuable tips. One that is crucial, is make sure you login under the same domain as the one you created your presentation in. We had student links that we wanted to share with our IW class, and they didn’t work because we logged in to our k12.co.us domain instead of the student domain of lpsk12.org. Another tip to make sure everything runs smoothly for sharing student work is to make sure that the students work is changed to “anyone with a link can view”. We were able to pull up the student work on the SmartBoard, but participants could not access the student work at all.

    Another tip that I thought others did a great job of, was providing and building in work time for participants to create and use what you are presenting. Our topic, Student Led Conferences, didn’t lend itself to that structure very well. However, I might set aside time for participants to create a template that they will have their students use the next time they have parent/teacher/student conferences.

    And, probably the greatest tip of all is STAY CALM. There is bound to be some technical difficulties. There isn’t a day that doesn’t go by in my classroom where a student doesn’t have an issue with technology. The same is true for this conference. Despite logging in to the wrong domain, the sound not working, and students links not being correct, I am proud of the work my team and I have accomplished and were able to present.

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  10. IW Blog Final - February

    Inspire in me the reason that it is important for me to hear your information. Interact with me in some way. Give me time to hear discussion and questions about your topic, and let me know how I might contact you for further help or assistance with your new technology or idea. THESE are what cause me to walk away from a presentation saying “wow”. And, wouldn’t we all like the “wow” factor? In a few weeks my colleague and I will be presenting at the InnEdCo conference. I am challenged by the thought of presenting to educators that are attending because they look for that which inspires…..might we be a “wow”? I hope so.

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  11. Okay, so I learned that I needed go back over my website the night before I presented, because some of my students FORGOT TO MAKE A COPY, and ruined a couple of my example templates....but that became a teaching point...STAY CALM was a huge lesson to learn, especially when someone decided to announce that she was going to go to another session once I started presenting. That shook my confidence! (And then she came back because it "was full")! We didn't have many people, so I took that personally - I should have just focused on the one person who came up to me later and let me know that it helped her. OFFER CHOCOLATE! That is always a plus! I was really proud of the women that presented with me! I thought they did an amazing job, and I got to go back to my students and teach them about being brave and getting through something challenging. I hope if nothing else, they'll remember Miss Wolf when they find themselves in similar situation - and that they will persevere as well!

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  12. What presentation tips or tricks would I like to share? I do know that when I attend conferences, the first thing that I sense is if the presenter has a passion for the subject. As the presenter shares that passion, it lets me know that I’m using my time for something important, that what the presenter is saying could make a difference in my teaching.

    Another thing that I value is when I sense a connection with the presenter. Often that is done through small stories and not all success stories. It helps me if I can identify with that presenter, that the presenter understands just how difficult and rewarding teaching can be.

    I also value when the presenter is well organized and presents information in a way that makes sense. At this conference, I certainly valued all of the presenters giving us time to try it on our own. I also valued the availability of those who helped and answered questions during the presentations.

    I was extremely nervous during the weeks before presenting at the conference. It helped me immeasurably to talk with the women who were presenting with me. Their support and sense of humour made such a difference. Randy and Dana were always positive about the slideshow that I presented. It does take a lot of support to get a nervous teacher to enjoy presenting at a conference!

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  13. The most influential presentations I've attended have been funny and relatable. I really enjoy hearing from teachers who don't take themselves too seriously and who are comfortable sharing what has and hasn't worked for them. The saving grace of our profession is laughter, so I love hearing from a teacher who is having fun! I'm inspired by other teachers who are excited by what they're teaching and that comes through loud and clear during a presentation!

    I'm always thankful for work time in a session. It's overwhelming to hear loads of information at once without the chance to practice it. I'm a "learn by doing" kind of person, so I engage more in sessions that give time for the attendees to practice. As a presenter, I've found that the comments and questions that come from this free time shape the direction of the session to be more tailored to that group. It makes the conversation and tips more meaningful!

    I think that the nervousness leading up to a presentation comes from the worry that you won't have all the answers... but that's what makes a relatable presentation! It's inspiring to hear what a teacher has experienced in a real classroom and to hear what they would do differently or how they would grow on what they've already built.

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  14. Presenters need to be knowledgeable and passionate about the topic they are speaking about, and be friendly. I knew I had all of those traits going for me as we went into the Inspired Writing Conference, but I was still nervous.

    The presentation went fine, although it could have run more smoothly if we had remembered a few tech items. For example, we forgot to make sure all of our presentation was shared under the same domain as our login. Also, we forgot to hook up our sound before hand. Finally, we needed to change viewing rites to some of our links so that audience members could access them. Although all of these issues caused glitches in our presentation, my colleague and I did our best to remain calm and worked through these problems, and I believe we were still able to deliver a solid presentation.
    Presenters should also give their audience a chance to ‘try’ what is being presented, but our topic of ‘Student Led Conferences’ didn’t really lend itself to that format. It was more of a give and get.

    I’m glad I presented at the district conference, because I am presenting the same topic at the state tech conference, and now I will have most of my bugs worked out. Plus, the state conference is a shorter time amount and is designed to share our idea, not teach others how to do it, so I think the format will fit better.

    I’m proud of the work my team has done around including technology into Student/Parent communications, and believe it’s important. Therefore, my nerves are calmed a bit just knowing that what I have to share holds value.

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  15. Presentations that are appealing and interesting to me continue to be ones that the presenter gets out of the way (after some initial instruction) and gives the participants time to experiment with the new tools. Just like our beginning of the year discussion of playground rules with elementary students: If the teacher is all talk and the students mostly listen, then the majority of the students will forget most of what was said and will have a higher incidence of misbehavior/unsafe behavior.

    The tips or tricks that I use in my presentations to make it enticing to my/our audience include incorporating elements of surprise and humor into what I’m presenting. I would rather foster a sense of friendly curiosity around a topic first, then assist attendees with their own learning/pacing around the topic compared to forging ahead with my own agenda and making everyone else adjust.

    I’m relieved that there are other people who are willing to share what they know with me. No matter what the presentation format is, it is undeniably powerful to have people give up their personal time for the betterment of children that they will never meet face-to-face.

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