Tuesday 30 October 2007

Reading Week

Yesterday at 9.00am I Received my Reading week assignment, as we all predicted that it would be a presentation, since the last thing Steve talked about was how to do a presentation.


Low and behold it was, before we left for half term he mentioned that everybody’s task will be different, were all given colours, mine was orange so I have being researching into all things orange.


These are the main areas I have being researching into:

  • Culture
  • Symbolism
  • Fruit
  • Retail

Throughout yesterday I was researching into all these areas and saving what information I found. I also incorporated some of the key points into a PowerPoint Presentation and I also made a list of notes that I will have to memorize before Monday.


Yesterday I also did a practice presentation to a friend, and to my surprise it wasn’t as bad as I though it would be. And throughout the rest of the day I studied how to use my body language to my advantage, I have compiled another list of notes of have to have the right stance and also how to keep an audiences attention.


Today I have being elaborating more on my presentation and nearly completed it, although it is only 8 or 9 pages, I will elaborate on them in more depth by ether using my notes or making it up as I go along, not suggesting that I wont learn most of it, but to try to be spontaneous so that it doesn’t seem robotic.


In yesterdays email we were told that we could ask Steve one question, I though about what to ask him throughout the day, and my question I finally asked was if we had to wear formal clothing i.e. a suit.
He responded to this by saying not this time, but now I realise that there were better questions
that I could have asked.


Tonight I will be sure to total finish the PowerPoint presentation and throughout the week I will compile the notes I have into smaller, more meaningful chunks and do further practice into
speaking to an audience.


I know that I will be nervous about giving this presentation this Monday but as Steve said it is natural and I should be worried if I wasn’t.


Task to do throughout the rest of the week


  • Finish PowerPoint
  • Compile Research
  • Practice speaking to an audience

P

12 comments:

Michelle Bonfield said...

It sounds like you're really on the ball. Especially by considering your body language, do you have any good websites you'd recommend?

Also in terms of the amount of slides you have created it sounds about right. Steve recommended 1 slide every 2/3 minutes, so spot on really!

I think chunking your information will be key to a good delivery and you have plenty of week to perfect it now. Good luck!

Thomas Wealthy said...

I have gone for the same tactic as you Liam. On the Monday I collected the research and putted the information into my presentation, and then I have started practising the presentation.

By doing it this way I think it adds structure to the presentation and the way you work as well in general.

Tom Smith said...

Well done on researching body language... I hadn't thought of that! It shows your commitment to this task in my opinion. I think I'll just stick to the advice Steve gave us in the lecture for now though.

Just one piece of advice... you mentioned some spontaneity, and that you'll try to learn most of it. Make sure you learn ALL of it, but don't plan what your exact words are. That's the best way to be spontaneous if you ask me. The information must be rammed into your head!!

James Bell said...

I agree with Tom about learning all the presentation as this will give even more confidence.

Anonymous said...

Date stamp and time zone test.

Craig Burgess said...

It's an odd one, 'learning' a presentation. Do you revise it so you know exactly what you're going to say, or do you just research your topic and have key points you want to talk about?

I personally always go for the latter and I find it makes for a lot more natural presentation. I'll do all my research and then write down the key headings that I want to discuss. These headings then make up my slides.

To top it off, I'll add a couple of key leading words onto the slides. My advice would be don't revise what you're going to say, nor write a script. Just have an idea about what you're going to say, and make sure you've got lots to talk about on each key point.

Rebecca Bradley said...

I think its good that you are looking in to every thing about how the presenation should be set out and how you should come across to your audience.

I think its a good idea to that you make sure you have learnt every thing for your presenation.

Gary Benn said...

Hi Liam

Looks like you have almost got it.

I also practiced my presentation on a few work colleagues the other day and I was shocked how easy it was although I did loose my train of thought once as I felt so stupid. But I found it much easier than I have found them in the past.

I think the main thing I am not worried about is the fact I imagine it will be somewhat different with 15 beamy eyes on you and Steve watching to assess us on it.

As for your reference to the detail of information in the presentation, I don’t see it necessary to go into novel length detail on any one subject as this is only a 5 minute presentation. The way I see it is Steve is looking for an understanding of the selected colour and the presentation techniques.

Chris Towell said...

When we did the colour presentation it was just in front of Steve, so you may be okay.

As for remembering I found the best thing to have was cue cards which I am frantically searching for at home for my presentation on the Classic Gameboy.

I found like craig writing key points or keeping bullet points on the presentation is the best idea.

Similarly to the cue cards as well keep them short so you don't get mixed up with your words as if you get nervous words meld into one I find.

Good luck in your presentation anyway.

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DREW said...

I did a presentation on the colour Orange in my first year. It went quite well I was so nervous at the time but I feel I've improved since then.

One thing that I had a problem with was that I'd produced too many pages on my Outlook presentation which meant I was constanly flicking through them which wasn't so great.

I think one of he most interesting things I found out about Orange is what it says about the people who wear it.

Ben Waller said...

I did the presentation on Orange in the first year too. I didn't realise just how much religious significance the colour had until I started researching into it.

Its only natural to feel nervous about presentations but the more you do the more confident you become.