As you make your final preparations for your group presentations, be sure to complete the steps below, which are also included on your assignment sheet.
- If your notes are written in complete sentences, rewrite them to include only words and short phrases for your key points. If your notes are too detailed, you will risk relying too heavily on them and making minimal eye contact with the audience. Plan to make as much eye contact as possible and be sure to make eye contact with people throughout the room rather than fixing your eyes on one or two people.
- Familiarize yourself with the presentation station. If you have not used the presentation station, I encourage you to devote a couple of minutes before the class period to familiarizing yourself with its setup.
- Practice good posture. As you deliver your presentation, your ears should be directly above your shoulders. If you tend to shift your weight from one foot to the other—a distracting habit that’s sometimes called rocking the boat—stand with your feet perpendicular to each other. If you do so, you will not be able to shift your weight from one foot to the other.
- Avoid filler words, such as uh, um, like, and you know. If you tend to use filler words, practice pausing at the points where you are likely to use fillers.
Time permitting, after the presentations, you will compose a reflection that addresses your group’s presentation as well as the presentation delivered by one of the other groups.
Next Up
Wednesday you will receive your asignment for your final essay and annotated bibliography, and you will begin planning and drafting. Bring your laptops to class.
Jane Lucas 