Presentations
In class, we saw some great presentations. Teams of 3 presented findings from our expedition to the Panhandle last week. The teams looked at:
- the Panhandle soundscape
- the Panhandle landscape
- the shared-use path (north side) and its users
- the pedestrian path (south side) and its users
- people in the Panhandle (interviews)
Discussion
We discussed a couple of key issues in public speaking, mainly focusing on the pros and cons of working in groups.
Practice
Following the system of Carl Kwan, we practiced transitions between speakers in a group presentation.
Areas for Improvement
A key area for future attention is the conclusion or ending of presentations. Conclusions are weird: it’s not a move we usually make in our everyday conversations. But to make an impact on an audience, a public speaker really needs to nail the conclusion.
This involves at least two aspects:
- bringing the energy back up for the closing moments, rather than tapering steadily toward a low-energy closure
- ending with a clear, strong statement of key ideas or “take-aways”