Welcome to the Thunderdom...I mean, Symposium!
So the Symposium Presentation seems to (needlessly) stress
students out. Maybe it’s because the assignment is in a different format than a
traditional essay, but let me tell you, the Symposium Presentation is
incredibly doable and can be a lot of fun. Take a deep breath with me.
Iiiinnnnn. Oooouuutttt. See? We’re all good here.
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| Feel free to use this during Finals Week |
The Symposium Presentation is similar to a PowerPoint
presentation or Prezi. (Although we’ll be using Adobe Spark this semester for
the first time. Prepare for a learning curve, but we’ll make it!) The two major
components of the Symposium Presentation are:
- Your Images+Citations
- and Your Text, both related to your specific Class in America Today research angle that you’ve been working with on your ARP.
You’ve already been collecting images throughout the
semester for this presentation. You’ll end up with 15 images—no more, no less—with
citations for those images included at the end of the presentation.
Along with your images, you will have 50-65 words of text—no
more, no less—accompanying each image. Try to not make the text just a list of
facts. You want to engage the audience and show how all your images help create
the larger picture of your Class in America Today Topic.
Some of you maybe choose to record your narration, so when a classmates views your Symposium Presentation, they’ll hear your recorded voice accompanying the images. Some of you may choose to load your text onto the presentation, so it will look more like a web page and there will be no sound. Whichever you choose is a-okay!
There will be more details on how to use Adobe Spark (I’m
learning the new program along with you, but ask questions if you have them,
and I can always forward them to our English Dept. tech guru if it’s beyond my
expertise).
A lot of students end up getting a lot out of the Symposium
Presentation because you are able to view and present feedback in a totally
different format. Sometimes it helps you see gaps or connections you would’ve
otherwise missed in the plain old written format.
Comment below answering one of these questions OR responding to two classmates.
Tell a short story about a presentation you've given. What went well? What went not so well?
Are you a fan of presentations or would you rather write a paper?
What do you enjoy in a presentation from the audience perspective?
Tell a short story about a presentation you've given. What went well? What went not so well?
Are you a fan of presentations or would you rather write a paper?
What do you enjoy in a presentation from the audience perspective?
I have given a few presentations in my schooling career. Some things that went well were the slides helped me through presenting and the information was all there. I think my biggest problem with presentations is anxiety. Even if I am prepared my voice still quivers sometimes and I talk very fast. I am a fan of presentations over papers even with all the personal downfalls.
ReplyDeleteI have had to give 10-15 presentation throughout my school years. When I first started doing them I was terriable all I basically did was read what was on the slides and it made for a very boring presentation that no one cared about. As I did them I realized it was better instead of putting many if any words on a slide is to just have interesting pictures then have a notecard with points you want to talk about for each slide. I felt like these then gave made my presentation more interesting as I never was just reading a written script.
ReplyDeleteI actually hate presentations and I would much rather write a paper. I just don't like talking in front of big groups. But, I will say that the aspect of preparing for a presentation vs writing an actual paper is a lot easier.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree with you. I was super nervous when standing in front of the whole class for every presentation I’ve done. The process to grab essential information for presentation is pretty enjoyable.
DeleteFrom the Audience Perspective one thing i enjoy about presentations is the interaction you get to have with other people. When you are reading over a paper it can make me sometimes become bored or feel as if I am just independently reading. When in the audience for a presentation you are still able to review the work just like you would a paper but you also feel like you are interacting more with the person giving the presentation which at least for me keeps me much more interested in the point someone is trying to get across.
ReplyDeleteI am a massive fan of presentations, which I think is pretty abnormal. Most of the people I talk to would rather write a few paragraphs than organize their information into a nice, visually pleasing presentation. I think that using a visual presentation allows one to convey their thoughts on the topic more clearly and better engage with the audience. The medium itself contains the most important details, making the purpose of each section clear to the viewers. Also, narrating over a visual presentation allows one to, in their own voice, very meticulously convey one's thoughts on the subject. Let's not forget that most presentations end with a Q&A Session which allows the audience to be active participants and inquire further into the topic.
ReplyDeleteI used to present my course topic at English 1902 class at the end of last semester. I was pretty nervous at that time, so I forget some points that I prepared before the presentation. What is fortune is that I finished in the limited time and teacher minus a point because of fluency and some pronunciation errors. Since I am not a native English speaker, the expression way might become the biggest problem. Accordingly, I prefer to write a paper instead of presentation.
ReplyDeleteOhh same experience as yours. I believe this digital presentation would be much better and we can prepare it well.
DeleteI like presentations as opposed to papers in the sense that there is a lot of creative freedom. You can get your point across in a lot more logical way, because you can talk it out and explain. I enjoy being able to connect with my listeners and explain in person, as opposed to trying to explain within an essay. Presentations are hard though because you must think on your feet and be confident otherwise the entire point could be missed. I'm a little nervous for this type of presentation because I don't exactly understand the ground rules. An example would be nice.
ReplyDelete- ava giambona
DeleteI too feel that you get a lot more freedom in creating a presentation over a paper. And I agree with the “talking it out and explaining it” comment. There’s been plenty of times when I write where I feel like it would be ,much easier to just talk instead of type.
DeleteI prefer to give presentations rather than write a paper, because I enjoy talking and being able to add emotion and emphasis to the things that would be more difficult to do in a paper. My favorite presentation that I gave took place my sophomore year of high school when I talked about how important mental and physical health is. I enjoyed the reaction I got from the audience while also being able to relay my own thoughts on the matter over to my peers, and hopefully was able to leave an impression on the subject. From the audience perspective, I enjoy hearing how well the author can relay the topic over and what they have to say about it.
ReplyDeleteI generally prefer to write papers over giving a presentation, as I think I am a bit more skilled at writing then speaking. If I know a lot about a topic or enjoy it enough I am more willing to give a presentation, but for topics I am less passionate about I prefer to write papers.
ReplyDeleteI personally would rather write a paper. I found that making a presentation and creating a script for it is much more stressful than actually writing a paper. I also do not enjoy presenting in front of people.
ReplyDelete- Ronak Tripathy
I'm a much bigger fan of presentations than papers. I don't mind writing papers but presentations allow me to deliver my thoughts more directly because I actually get to speak and show visuals to my audience. Presentations also allow me to work on my communication and presentation skills.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I would rather write a paper than present in front of people because I get really stressed when I have to talk in front of a big group of strangers and this makes me appear less confident during the presentation. I do like watching other people present though.
ReplyDeleteI too feel that same. A presentation kind of adds a whole other thing to an assignment to worry about. You have to actually find the data, write/organize a paper or presentation, but with the presentation you now have to worry about how you are gonna do while standing in front of people and actually talking about your topic.
DeleteTo be honest, i would choose to write a paper instead of a presentation. I used to have a presentation in English 1902 and i was so nervous. Even though i had practiced many times, my mind tuned blank when the presentation started. All i replied on was the slides and my tongue got twisted. I admit that I have little stage fright and it is hard to overcome.
ReplyDeleteTypically I enjoy presenting more than writing because I feel pretty comfortable speaking in front of a class. If the presentation is over something I am passionate about it makes it a lot easier and it is easier to express things. If it is a topic that I am not so fond of then it’s probably better for me to write a paper because I if I don’t have interest in the topic it might get boring.
ReplyDeleteI do not usually enjoy doing presentations for classes so most of the time I would rather write a paper. While a paper might take me a little longer then making a presentation I feel it is almost less stressful for me to do because I do not have to worry about the actual presenting part of a presentation.
ReplyDeleteI prefer presentation than writing research paper. presentation is an interaction between the audience and speaker. Presentation makes the argument and evidence easier for audience to understand. The speaker won't read the text in the power point, instead he or she will illustrate the concepts in her/his own words. Images and video are available for power point. This makes presentation more interesting.
ReplyDeleteI have done quite a few presentations during my high school days and I find it quite easy to prepare for it and make the slides, but once I get up at the front of the class, I tend to become quite nervous while presenting in front of everyone. I definitely have a preference for a paper over a presentation, but they’re almost very equal and I wouldn’t mind doing either or.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI have mixed feelings on if I would rather write a paper or do a presentation. I have always had so much anxiety when I would give a presentation. I would stumble on my words and forget some important parts. Writing a paper is much easier and I don’t have that anxiety. However, I don’t think I am the best writer so my papers don’t always turn out how I would want them to. So to answer the question, I would much rather write a paper than give a presentation.
ReplyDeleteI am a much bigger fan of writing papers than doing presentations. In presentations I feel like I am just trying to get through it instead of focusing on teaching the class about my topic, which is the whole point. I like being able to re-read a paper several times and ensuring everything is perfect before submitting it. In a presentation, I could prepare for weeks and still fumble through it when I get in front of a crowd.
ReplyDeleteThe most recently presentation I did was in the last semester. My topic was about pollution and global warming. It was really cool, even though I was so nervous when I doing the presentation before the whole class. Actually, I more likely to write papers rather than doing the presentations. However, I enjoy listening to others’ presentations.
ReplyDeleteI don’t mind presenting in front of an audience if I have ample time to prepare. I like to have the confidence that can be gained from being fully prepared. I have had to speak in front of a large audience several times without much preparation and that was not fun. I haven’t had a chance to do many multimedia presentations, but I look forward to doing more. I do agree with many others in this blog that the multimedia type of presentations are a great way to “sell” your audience on your claims and ideas. Really, my preference is still writing over public speaking but I think multimedia presentations are the most enjoyable over a long, traditional paper. From the audience perspective I like multimedia presentations the best. I think that images are very important to draw the audience in. This can make even a long presentation seem like no time at all.
ReplyDeleteIn my high school engineering classes we made presentations all the time. Our teacher showed us how presentations could be fun and engaging. We made presentations for everything and anything. My favorite presentation and one of the first we did was known as the persuasive infomercial project. The product I got to sell was the banana fan. It’s always nerve racking to give a presentation, but once you get going the nerves go away. The start of the presentation was a little nerve racking, but everything went well otherwise.
ReplyDeleteComing from an audience's perspective, I love when presenters are charismatic, knowledgeable, and, most importantly, passionate about the subject at hand. When you can learn obscure, interesting facts about a relevant topic is when presentations are the best, in my opinion. Otherwise, someone could just look up easy-to-access information and bypass the need for an entire presentation in its entirety.
ReplyDeleteI am somewhat indifferent to doing presentations. While I have a lot more experience writing papers, I am not necessarily afraid of diving into this symposium. With papers, the author has a lot more freedom to justify certain points. They aren't as restricted when writing an analysis, and they are able to explore their writing more. Strong presentations depend on more than just words, and require a variety of different expressions to be effective.
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid I'll choose to write a paper. In my 1902 course last semester, I had a final presentation, but I didn't think the effect was ideal. Because English is not my native language, I think preparing for the presentation will also bring me more pressure, so I think writing a paper is a better choice, whether it is to show the research topic or to arrange the review time at the end of the term.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I prefer to give presentations. I feel like presentations make it easier to engage the audience. Seeing the audience eye to eye also helps if it is an in-person presentation. With papers, I feel that the content can seem much more cumbersome because there can be a lot of data. I am stronger at verbal presentations because it feels more natural to me than writing, but there is no denying the effectiveness of a good paper.
ReplyDelete-Logan Brust
I have given 2 presentations in my Edutl1902 course last semester. The first one was not so good. I was a little bit nervous that I can't do it well and it influenced my performance. But the final presentation was much better than the first one because I did a good preparation and I got over the tense.
ReplyDeleteXinghang Ma
I once gave a presentation. I'm not very good at giving a speech. In that presentation, I was so nervous that I just retold the PowerPoint without adding anything valuable. It was a bad experience. So I'd rather write an essay than give a presentation.
ReplyDeleteThe most recent presentation that I have involved was in my English 1902 course. Our professor asked us to make a PowerPoint to represent our final paper. That was the first time that I give a speech among my classmates with a second language which make me too nervous to speak slow. That turned out that half of my classmates barely hear what was I talked about. Anyway, i still like do presentation as it can help us be more confidence!
ReplyDeleteFrom the one experience and only one that I had in the past , I can say that it was awful . I prepared the presentation prior , and when its my turn to start , I was trembling and I couldn't concentrate , I don't know , may be it was my first experience , and it can happen to everyone .
ReplyDeleteI prefer write a paper instead , because its classical way to interact with the audience individually .
I am personally not a fan of presentations whatsoever. Public speeches are one of my biggest fears. I would much rather write a ten page paper and do a big project, rather than give a two minute presentation. It's that bad.
ReplyDeleteI prefer to write paper. Some people might think writing paper is more difficult for you have to look up lots of materials and treat every word in your paper carefully, while presentation can give more freedom and space. But for me, preparing for a presentation is more difficult. Besides doing what I would do when writing, I also have to pay attention to my visual materials like what images I should put in my slides. Giving presentation really makes me anxious and nervous.
ReplyDeleteI would rather present to be honest. It can be nerve wracking at times, but I feel like its more rewarding than simply writing a paper. Writing a paper can become very monotonous, and drag at times. I feel that presentations keep things interesting, as long as you make them interesting.
ReplyDeleteMy high school english teacher "forced" us to do the presentation at the beginning of every classes. Although I think it was a good experience and I did well, I am still a big fan of writting rather than presentation. I feel so nervous everytime even talking with a stranger, doing a presentation is just a so hard mission for me.
ReplyDeleteThis past summer I took communications and had to give multiple presentations. I generally hate presentations because I used to get really nervous talking in front of people and even just making the powerpoints made me nervous because I knew what was to come. By the third presentation in this class though I gained confidence and realized that they really are not bad. This year I have also have to talk in front of people at my job a lot and I actually sort of enjoy it now.
ReplyDeleteI would rather write an essay than present. I like to see the hard work the person put in and how they are presenting in front of class because i know it could be really hard.
ReplyDeleteAs much as I absolutely love written formats for communication because it allows editing, I am particularly fond of presentations as a means of communicating arguments or human ideas. Presentations allow easier conveyance of emotion and give the audience a chance to connect with the information in a personal way. Also, as an auditory learner, I find that presentations allow me to better gauge how well I am informing my audience because I am engaging them with material in my best setting.
ReplyDelete