Sunday, September 28, 2008

Good Presentations (Free Write)

I have taken a communication class so it was familiar to me how to effectively keep an audience's attention when giving a presentation. Having an attention getter, and then organizing your speech well with clarity are obvious important factors when speaking to a large group. However, I was not aware of the important elements that should be included when giving a more formal business presentation. I know that everyone should be competent in this area, because even me being an elementary school teacher, odds are I will have to present new information to my authorities or fellow staff members. The power point is such a great tool for giving this sort of information because it keeps you organized and it focuses your audience. Neatness is a quality that everyone should strive for, which is why I think the parallel bullets are so important. Keeping them alligned is commonly used, but I know I have even neglected to keep the lines written in the same fashion and at the same length. Keeping these lines concise with limited text will help the audience stay on track, but will also make what you are saying important becuase not all the information is on the slides. Another quality we discussed in class that a good presentation will have is a handout that the audience can take with them to remind them of your speech. I agree with this, but I do think that it is best to hand this out at the end of your presentation becuase otherwise your audience may turn you off and only rely on the handout to receive the information you are presenting. So, after last class I firmly believe that all the elements of an effective presentation are important and must be focused on before presenting and I feel it will help us in the future.

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