|
Feature Article | |
| ||
|
|
Perspective on Presentations As students, we often think of classroom presentations as end products – the culmination of all our research and thought made public. They somehow take on an aura of finality. We put ourselves out there, hold our breath, close our eyes and wait for the "critique" to hit. Then we turn away from it and move on to the next assignment. Not so fast! There is as much, if not more, learning opportunity in presenting the findings as in the research itself. I find the learning happens at several key points. - Figure out how to distill your ideas, without compromising them, down to their essence. This is important in order to be able to communicate and not lose the attention of your audience. - Frame and phrase your ideas in a language your audience understands. - Plan the flow of ideas – not just in logical, but captivating, sequence – to tell the story of your research adventure. You may find, as I have, that your point of view strengthens or shifts as you think about your subject from another's perspective. Presenting is not just a one-way communication of ideas, it starts a conversation. You are the leader of the group during your presentation, but you can also be a participant. It's in the give-and-take questioning, either during or after your presentation, depending on how you have structured it, that the real value and the learning opportunity reside. Another learning opportunity occurs after the presentation, when you take some time to reflect on what took place. Don't skip this! Whether you review it in your head, in writing, with other students, or with your teacher, this is your chance to test your assumptions, identify strengths or problems, alter your approach for your next presentation, and map out new paths for your study. So when facing a presentation, I find it helpful to keep in mind that presenting is not a test "of" me and of what I've accomplished. It's a test "for" me – an opportunity to test my ideas and learn how to put them to work for me and for others. 11/03 TOP |
||||||||
Home About NDG Contact Us Privacy
| ||||||||||
