Presentation Prowess
From: cmlynch, 3 minutes ago
Presentation Prowess
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October 26, 2008
5130: Peer Reveiw and Presentation Prowess
Well, I just turned in my Presentation Prowess project. Had a little scare when I tried to open the design script and Word kept saying there was an error and shutting down. But I managed to get the issue resolved fairly quickly (no idea what was wrong, it just finally worked). I also turned in the actual project as a PowerPoint because when I uploaded it to SlideShare, some of the transitions did not work the same. I still uploaded it to SlideShare for the experience, and here is the link: http://www.slideshare.net/cmlynch/presentation-prowess-presentation
In the past I have not been the biggest fan of peer reviews. Maybe it is because the experiences I have had with them have not been that useful or great. But with this assignment, and even the Instructional Message, I have taken away a lot more from the peer reviews. Doing them for other classmates helps me get a better grasp on the assignment and an eye for looking at how they could do things different, as well as examples of techniques I can use in my own work. And having the reviews from my classmates has also been extremely helpful. These big projects take so much time and effort that it is easy to get stuck or not be able to "see the forest from the trees." You can get sucked into working on one aspect so much that another is completely invisible, even though to others it may be quite obvious. I read some of the other reviews and am impressed with how professional and courteous everyone has been with each other. They are polite but still point out the flaws and what might be done better. So overall this has been a very helpful, positive experience.
As for the project itself, I decided to go with PowerPoint because I use it often when I teach. In the readings we have done this semester, I feel like there has been so much to learn about how to use the program effectively that I wanted to improve my skills and really work at it. I did things like use much bigger font and less text, more compelling images, relevant transitions and motions, contrast, using only one consistent font, etc. Because we had a design script to write, it was easier for me to keep track of ideas along the way and while I was reading. I kept a log of ideas from the text that I could use and reference later, and it feels great to have actual, logical reasons to back up the work that I have done.
I know in one of the last posts I was very frustrated and having a hard time with the concept of the assignment, but I think it ended up working out well. I took the idea of Americans having extra (food, water, and medicine) and expanded on the idea of giving to the poor by sharing that we could not waste this extra and there would be more for others. I was surprised to learn that 12% of food that Americans buy is wasted. That means 3 out of every 25 shopping trips are for nothing. If someone went shopping every week of the year, 6 of those weeks would be wasted. Imagine if we would be more cautious about what we bought and could instead either send the money or food to other countries to prevent people from dying! I did not want the message to be too cliche, and I think it might have been a little bit, but I hope that I did take it in a little different direction than the norm.
In the past I have not been the biggest fan of peer reviews. Maybe it is because the experiences I have had with them have not been that useful or great. But with this assignment, and even the Instructional Message, I have taken away a lot more from the peer reviews. Doing them for other classmates helps me get a better grasp on the assignment and an eye for looking at how they could do things different, as well as examples of techniques I can use in my own work. And having the reviews from my classmates has also been extremely helpful. These big projects take so much time and effort that it is easy to get stuck or not be able to "see the forest from the trees." You can get sucked into working on one aspect so much that another is completely invisible, even though to others it may be quite obvious. I read some of the other reviews and am impressed with how professional and courteous everyone has been with each other. They are polite but still point out the flaws and what might be done better. So overall this has been a very helpful, positive experience.
As for the project itself, I decided to go with PowerPoint because I use it often when I teach. In the readings we have done this semester, I feel like there has been so much to learn about how to use the program effectively that I wanted to improve my skills and really work at it. I did things like use much bigger font and less text, more compelling images, relevant transitions and motions, contrast, using only one consistent font, etc. Because we had a design script to write, it was easier for me to keep track of ideas along the way and while I was reading. I kept a log of ideas from the text that I could use and reference later, and it feels great to have actual, logical reasons to back up the work that I have done.
I know in one of the last posts I was very frustrated and having a hard time with the concept of the assignment, but I think it ended up working out well. I took the idea of Americans having extra (food, water, and medicine) and expanded on the idea of giving to the poor by sharing that we could not waste this extra and there would be more for others. I was surprised to learn that 12% of food that Americans buy is wasted. That means 3 out of every 25 shopping trips are for nothing. If someone went shopping every week of the year, 6 of those weeks would be wasted. Imagine if we would be more cautious about what we bought and could instead either send the money or food to other countries to prevent people from dying! I did not want the message to be too cliche, and I think it might have been a little bit, but I hope that I did take it in a little different direction than the norm.
October 9, 2008
5130: More Slide:ology
I just finished the 2nd section of reading in Slide:ology, and while I thought there were some great ideas and still enjoyed the book, I am feeling a bit overwhelmed...maybe a lot overwhelmed. The concepts in the book seem so simple, but I have a tough time knowing where to start and how to change my presentations. I am mostly referring to our Presentation Prowess project for IT-5130. I have an idea of what I want to do and how I want to progress from Point A to Point B by getting people emotionally involved and leading them to have an attitude change. The problem is, I don't know if what I have put together so far is all that good or if it is just another boring presentation. I am trying to use the different concepts from the book and from what we have discussed in class. I just don't know if I am using them right or effectively. I spent a lot of time watching the example slideshows, and I think I was able to take a few ideas away (like using whitespace, different placement of font and font sizes for effect, different types of pictures and word/thought bubbles). I suppose I came here more to vent than to summarize what I have read. I think I'll head back to the drawing board and work up some more ideas. After all, Nancy Duarte says that it's important to come up with many many ideas and go from there. I just hope I can use all that I'm learning and make a great presentation.
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