Welcome to the 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 for exam 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?
For one of my classes I had to do a presentation on clothing regulation in England during 1500-1600. Overall the presentation went really well; my slides did not have too much information, but instead just had key point which I elaborated more during the presentation. Nothing went bad during the presentation, but just finding all the information and making sure there was enough content that I could talk about for the minimum time requirement was stressful. I like presenting because it's easier for me to speak what I've learned and researched versus writing it down. As an audience I like listening to the presentation and reading the slides. It's a lot better than reading a 10 page research paper.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a really interesting topic.
DeleteI have given several presentations in the past, but the one that sticks out to me the most was a 3-5 minute speech that was supposed to be about myself. I hate oral presentations or really anything having to do with being in front of a crowd. The weirdest thing about the speech was how hard it was to write, let along deliver. Talking about yourself should seem like a natural thing to do, but I had a much easier time writing about a topic I had very little knowledge on. I remember making an outline before sitting down to write it, and I think that really helped me gather my thoughts. I presented the speech without any major hiccups, and it seemed like it was well-received. I would chose writing ten papers over giving just one in-person presentation any day.
ReplyDeleteYes, I have the same feeling with you. I am afraid to do the presentation things and have public speech. For the oral presentation in front of lots of people, especially talking about a topic that I am not familiar with, I must prepare much more than just write a paper. As an international student, I think presentation is a serious problem I have to solve.
DeleteYeah, I'm used to public speaking by now, but I totally would've chosen a paper over a presentation in undergrad.
DeleteI would say I'm definitely not a fan of presentations. I feel like I over-analyze what I'm going to say and worry too much about what others will think of my presentation. I usually get nervous and talk too fast when I give presentations, or speak publicly in general. I'd much rather write a paper because I feel like I can put a lot of effort into a paper and have it pay off, but with a presentation I can practice all I want and still be nervous when I finally give it.
ReplyDeleteI also get nervous when I do the presentation. I think is a normal reaction because I am standing in front of lots of people and talking about a topic that I don't really familiar with. Comparing to the presentation, writing papers is much more easier.
DeleteFast talking is definitely a common nervous tic.
DeleteHave given many presentations in the past, perhaps the most memorable was a presentation on Tuskegee Airmen for AP World History. Since I spent most of my high school weekends working at an aviation museum, I had extensive knowledge along with some first hand information on some of the facts regarding the Tuskegee Airmen that was not available to many other sources. The presentation came out to be very informational and very interesting for many of my classmates. Being rather knowledgeable on the subject, I was also able to give the presentation in one fluid motion. The only flaw with that specific presentation was the graphics which I though was very exciting turned out to get in the way of the texts, making sentences hard to read.
ReplyDeleteLove the Tuskegee Airmen!
DeleteI personally prefer a presentation because a lot of times I can do a better job explaining something well talking than writing it down. It doesn't matter how many times I try writing things down it just always seems to sound better when I say it out loud because I can read the audience and adjust what I'm saying to convey my point better. When giving a speech I can't remember the last time I said even close to what was on the paper after a few words into each paragraph.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you're a natural!
DeleteI have given a lot of presentations before but majority of them are in Mandarin, but I guess the theme should still be the same. Depending on the presentation topic, I prefer to use SmartArt to present my ideas to get them well-structured in a logical way, and it turned out to be pretty effective. Though I never use either prezi or spark before, but I think they are amazing according to our video tutorials throughout this semester.
ReplyDeleteI would say I don't really have preference between paper and presentation because it all depends. Presentation would definitely attract people since we can use tons of primary source, but paper can make the statements to be more credible and convincing.
Hm, I've never used SmartArt. Might have to check that out.
DeleteI never really had to give presentations in school until last year when I took a public speaking course back home in California. Although I became more comfortable with speaking in public because of the course it was still uncomfortable and not something I enjoy doing. I much prefer to write a paper and not have to face a huge audience.
ReplyDeletei have already done some presentations, and one of them is impressive. The presentation is in my Edult 1020 class, and it is a teamwork. Our topic is about amazon, and we divide the work, everyone in the group was responsible for one part. After we finished our own job, we put them together and designed three sentences to connect our works, like" my parnter , Patrick will show you next part." Finally, we got 100 on this presentation assignment, and the most important reason is our connections with each others. The professor said it is a professional presentation.
ReplyDeleteWhoa, you actually had a positive group project experience. Rare!
DeleteI've only done given presentation, which was in 1902 class. I think overall it went well because I basically told everything that I wanted to tell my classmates and instructor. However, because it's my first presentation and I was also presenting first, I felt super nervous so there were some details that went wrong. I did fix them immediately after I realized. I'm more like a paper writer than a fan of presentation because I'm quite easy to get nervous. Being an audience of a presentation is good because the presenter will outline important things and there might be some pictures to watch while learning and embracing new knowledge.
ReplyDeleteActually everyone would be nervous for the presentation, I think the best way to perform well on a presentation is to practice much more times before on the stage. This way can decrease the chance of making mistakes on the presentation.
DeleteAre you a fan of presentations or would you rather write a paper?
ReplyDeleteWhat do you enjoy in a presentation from the audience perspective?
I feel that as a whole, I like presentations better than papers, for a few reasons. I think presentations are more lenient and give way for more creativity to be put into the process, whereas a paper is more of a formulated straight shoot. However, I am not at all a fan of public speaking, so giving the presentation isn't enjoyable for me, but making it is bearable.
I definitely enjoy presentations more than papers. A paper is more structured and there is a right and wrong way to write one. A presentation on the other hand gives you a little more freedom. You have more options and can make it the way you please. There are still certain requirements and guidelines but overall a presentation is usually more lenient. I enjoy public speaking more than writing a paper so overall i would choose a presentation over a paper any day.
ReplyDeleteI do not have many chances to give a presentation in my class and it's usually once per semester. One of the formal presentations I gave in college was in my ESL 1902 that I talked about the PTSD and the treatments for it. It went very well. If I have a presentation, I will write down all the information I want to talk about on the note cards and remember well before the presentation. I am a shy person and easy to be nervous, but I can give a good presentation if I practice well.
ReplyDeleteYes, I also have few presentations before. I would be nervous when I talking to a lot of people in front of me. I always forget what I want to say as normally, the way I just want to suggest is to practice more facing to the mirror, taking it easy.
DeleteI'm usually a fan of writing papers because I can put all of my thoughts into the paper and I don't have to deal with stage fright. I feel like I will really enjoy the symposium presentation because it incorporates the best of both worlds. It is similar to a paper because I can compile all of my ideas beforehand and make sure that all ideas that I want covered are covered. It is similar to a presentation because it utilizes a lot of pictures to help convey ideas. Overall, I am really looking forward to the symposium presentation!
ReplyDeleteThe worst presentation I've ever given was for a Biology class. It was done with partners, but my partner was sick that day so I had to give the presentation by myself. I only knew half of the material for the presentation, because mt partner was suppose to cover the rest. Everything was going fine until I got to the parts that I didn't know. I froze up and started saying anything that sounded like it would make sense and belong to go with the topic. I'm not a fan of presentation, but i'm also not a fan of essays. If i had to choose, I wouldn't.
ReplyDeleteAh! That's such a nightmare!
DeleteI once gave a presentation on “The Regency Era” after reading Pride and Prejudice. I tend to be nervous when I speak in front of large groups of people and my legs will shake the whole time. I often feel that my voice is shaky and that I rush when I speak. My teacher and my friends reassured me that I did not do this when I presented. I handed out cookies with my presentation and got a lot of positive feedback from my peers. That is probably what went best with my presentation.
ReplyDelete- Sierra Vahalik
Ooh, sounds like a fun topic. Cookies were a smart move ;)
DeleteFrom the audience perspective. I really enjoy when a presenter rarely actually talks to me, rather than simply reading the slides. Furthermore, it is easy to tell when someone has passion for what they are talking about, and that passion is contagious. Best presentation I ever gave was about coaching gymnastics, because I am very passionate about that. It made the presentation smooth and easy when there is an underlying desire to have your knowledge shared.
ReplyDeleteI have given presentations several times in the past. I’ve done for my geology class and English class in college. I think they all went well because I was really fully prepared and I spent lots of time on doing PPT. I want my slides to look attracted but still relevant to my topic. Nothing went bad in my experience I think. I like presentation better because there is no problem for me to speak in front of audiences. Also, there is a closer connection between audience and writers. So I prefer presentation.
ReplyDeleteWe are always more harder on ourselves when it comes to scrutiny. You are absolutely correct in saying it is a better connection with your audience when you are presenting. You are able to ask questions and get feedback
DeleteBack in high school I would have definitely preferred a paper to write over any presentation. Once I got to college I have become more confident in my public speaking and prefer a presentation to any lengthy written assignment. I do not have extensive experience with public speaking but have given my fair share of presentations and taken a public speaking course as well.
ReplyDeleteSam Tufts
I remember taking speech class as a freshman in high school and giving a presentation on the Bengal tiger. I was so nervous being a freshman in a class of seniors and juniors while giving my first high school presentation. Some of the things that went well was me being very prepared for the presentation because of how nervous I was, I found myself being able to say the information off of the top of my head instead of having to read off of the slides like most others. The bad part of that however is I didnt take my time from reading the slides, I was speaking 2 times faster than I normally do. From an audience perspective I love being able to learn from good speakers and what kind of strategies they use in their presentations.
ReplyDeleteHa, yep, I've seen many a student fall prey to fast talking nerves.
DeleteI like presentations rather than papers. Ive never been the best at writing, I have always been more of a math and science guy. With that being said, Im also very talkative so standing up in front of a class or audience to present never bothered me and I usually thrived. Giving a presentation allows you more freedom to directly address you audience and explain your point in person rather than on paper.
ReplyDeleteI have done a lot presentations in high school. I do not like doing presentation at all. One particular reason is that I really do not like public speech. I do not think presentation is a effective way to transfer information from one to another. By reading a short article, I can grab the key point of a certain thing and when I get confused I can go back and reread it. Additionally, the presenter's emotion would potentially affect my judge of the thing. Reading a article does not have this kind of issues. I prefer reading or writing to demonstrate a thing instead of doing a presentation.
ReplyDeleteIf I had to choose between a presentation and a paper, I would choose the presentation. I find presentations easier to complete because they allow freedom of idea and fluidity of conversation between creator and audience whereas papers can be very one sided. Also during a presentation questions can be asked allowing for more information to be added and to be understood by a larger audience. The main reason why I would choose a presentation over a paper is because I don't feel as much pressure making a presentation as I feel writing a paper.
ReplyDeleteI️ find it so interesting that you feel more pressure when it comes to writing a paper. I️ feel the pressure when I️ have to speak ok public
DeleteOh, I'm with Mana on this one. Preparing for a presentation and the anticipation of public speaking is SO stressful.
DeleteFor me personally, choosing between a presentation and a paper, I would choose writing a paper. I think through a paper, I am able to concentrate on the words that I am trying to show to the audience. I am better at writing something and trying to convince someone rather than a visual presentation.
ReplyDeleteBut it's funny because when I am on the opposite side of the scenario, I learn better through presentation. I don't know why my brain works like this, but what I do know is that to retain information, I am more comfortable through visual representation.
Actually, I have given several presentations since in my high school. To be honest, I cannot do well in talking in front of others or even show my personal perspective to the audience. However, it is undeniable that there are pretty good chances to improve myself, and even can increase the ability communicating with others. I prefer to write my thoughts and points as a paper to illustrate clearly.
ReplyDeleteI’d much rather write a paper as well. My public speaking skills have improved but I️ still struggle with feeling comfortable with talking in public.
DeleteI wish that I was a bigger fan of presentations, but sadly I am not. I have done several presentations for high school but I always feel uncomfortable. For me, I get pretty nervous talking in front of people in a formal format like a presentation. I could talk all day in class but when it comes to presentations, I stress about it all day long. Additionally, I feel like writing a paper is one of my strengths. When I am writing a paper, I can sit down, collect my thoughts and start typing whenever I feel like it, with no stress. Therefore, I would rather write a paper rather than give a presentation.
ReplyDeleteI gave a presentation in writing course of last semester. I was very nervous since I was shy to show my perspectives in public. Also, I forgot to have conversations with audiences to shorten distance with them. But I was success to have an eye' s contact. In addition, I prefer to presentations because I want to challenge myself. And it has a lot of fun to make presentations.
ReplyDeleteI’ve been given a lot of presentations in the past. I gave out just one symposium presentation last year. It was a whole new experience to me. I always spend a lot of time editing the PowerPoint and get nervous before the presentation. Actually I’m not a big fan of presentation but I really enjoy being an audience and see what other people got in there presentation.
ReplyDeleteI usually really enjoy presentations because I do very well in them. I especially enjoy using time and influx in voice to demonstrate important parts of presentations to the audience. My least favorite part is memorizing the presentation or speech, however, that will not be an issue with this particular assignment.
ReplyDeleteThat is amazing that you are so comfortable with presenting Catie. I'm completely opposite. Remembering some info is not that difficult for me. I tend to.have index cards as notes.
DeleteTo be honest, choosing writing or presentation depends on what language I am using. If I use English, I would like to choose presentation because I am not native speaker. I can not write a good sentences which can attract readers. However, presentation is just speaking out what you are thinking and does not strict with grammar. When I give a presentation, the audience is caring about my confidence, my power and my main point even if I have some grammar mistakes. Thus, I will feel more comfortable to give a presentation by English. On the other hand, if I use my native language, I would like to choose writing because I believe I can write down some good sentences to attract the readers. I gave several presentations before. Once in high school and once in OSU speech course. I find that when you are giving a speech, confidence is an important factor which determine your qualify of presentation. Therefore, in my point of view, being confident is my favorite part in presentation.
ReplyDeleteI can say that I am not a presentation fan. I feel like crawling into a box and hiding when it comes to presentations. They nervous anxious and being scrutinized on my work always has me on edge. It's been a couple times where I will get into the groove and not even pay attention to the audience and just presenting my material. Even if I practice over and over again I'm still overwhelmed with nerves and sweating.
ReplyDeleteWell, hopefully recording your presentation (or choosing the all text option) will help with your nerves. I get really nervous, too.
DeleteAlthough I have done previous presentations, most of them relied on making slides using Microsoft PowerPoint. However, my latest presentation used Adobe Spark whereby I created a Spark Page. Here is a link to my work:
ReplyDeletehttps://spark.adobe.com/sp/design/page/430cfb75-33db-4a6f-94a9-a1f095906d76
This presentation covers economic effect of motherhood on teenagers which is an area in our course theme. During making of this presentation, everything went well although I experienced challenges findings a total of 15 images related to my topic. Am a fan of presentations because they are shorter and interesting to read than a paper. With the images, one can easily understand what I am communicating using a presentation than writing a paper. From the audience perspective, what I enjoy in a presentation is the ease of understanding the content. Only short and clear points are captured in a presentation which can be easily understood.
I did rare presentation in my high school. I do not really like do presentation in class. Because it is not easy for me to talk in front of a large group of people. I am an introvert person. However, presentation skill is really important for people. To have a good presentation can felicitate student's academic and career development.
ReplyDeleteI'm choose to write a paper, because i 'm not good at speaking. I always nervous when i do presentation. But if I am a audience, i would more enjoy presentation than writing. Audiences can feel your emotion from speaking.
ReplyDeleteI like oral presentations more than writing papers or pictures. In middle school I participated in my school's drama club. It helped my public speaking skills beyond belief (and helped with memorization). It helped so much that I love speaking in front of people now and am not afraid whatsoever to do that.
ReplyDeletei like writing papers or do pictures because that what i feel most confident in. I did some presentations in high school and it was fine but i felt nervous and the feeling of everyone watching you. But if you are the one watching i think it would be better to listen then read.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, I am usually a fan of writing papers instead of giving presentations. It is not that I am necessarily bad at presentations, it's just that there are so many factors that you can't control that go into grading. For instance, a naturally quiet person may have a hard time giving the presentation just because they are not used to projecting their voice. I feel like it judges your ability to publicly speak instead of the validity of the research done.
ReplyDeleteThe most recent presentation that I gave was for my internship this past summer. I presented what I had worked on that summer as well as what I had gained out of the internship in front of my coworkers and managers. As a whole, the presentation went very well. I came across as confident and only messed up a couple times. On the inside I was super nervous about the whole ordeal but I managed to keep my cool until I finished. I would prefer to give a presentation over a lengthy paper. From an audience perspective, I do not enjoy a presentation unless I am invested in it in some way whether it be knowing the person giving the presentation or an interest in the subject.
ReplyDeleteSam Tufts