 |
 |
----------------------------Original message---------------------------- A growing concern--how to talk while using the computer in front of a group--how to talk and type at the same time; how to cover the seemingly endless, and unplanned for, delays waiting for a webpage to come up or to adlib when it doesn't. Iris Snyder University of Delaware On Mon, 2 Dec 1996, Sara J. MacDonald, UArts Library wrote: > ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- > Dear ARLIS colleagues, > > As those of you who have read the preliminary ARLIS/NA 1997 conference > schedule know, one of the workshops being offered on Saturday, April 5 is, > "Sharper and Clearer: Focusing Your Presentation Skills." A copy of the > workshop description is attached at the end of this message. The workshop > sponsors are the Reference and Information Services Section and the Art & > Design School Libraries Division. The workshop leader will be Dr. M. Erin > Porter from the Center for Teaching Effectiveness at the University of Texas a > Austin, where she is the Faculty Development Specialist. Dr. Porter's > background is communications; this spring she will be teaching a course to > graduate library school students at UT Austin on "Teaching How to Teach." > > In order to prepare for the workshop, we'd like to tell Dr. Porter what > librarians' concerns are related to the speaking and presentation skills > involved in bibliographic instruction (BI) or other oral presentations. While > the skills covered in the workshop are certainly not limited to BI, we do hope > to have some focus in that particular area. We have already sent a stack of > articles and essays to Dr. Porter, but she would like to know what potential > attendees' concerns are and what they would hope to get from the workshop. > > Some of our concerns with presentations for BI or other situations in which > verbal and non-verbal communication skills are important include the following > > 1. Having an hour or maybe only twenty minutes to cover material that we know > would be better done with more time. This is also known as "the one-shot > deal." > > 2. How to be engaging and interesting and seem like a nice approachable person > while trying to fit everything in to those twenty minutes. [I'm sure I must > seem awfully serious sometimes.--SM] > > 3. Getting reluctant students to participate when we ask questions. And do we > wake up the sleepers?? > > 4. Not being able to see or hear ourselves! Who evaluates the presenter? > For many classes, I have the students complete an evaluation form, but I know > I'd get a different type of evaluation from peers. Can't always bring them > along, though. > > 5. The reference interview: the student asks a question, and the librarian > asks the student ten questions in response. We need to do this in order to > determine the real question, but can it put the student off? > > 6. Effective use of audiovisual/electronic tools. > > 7. When I give a presentation, is it coherent? Does it flow? How is the > pacing? Am I trying to fit in too much? > > 8. Very basic skills such as speaking into a microphone. > > 9. I may be unaware of habitual movements, body postures, or phrases that > distract my listeners from the content of my presentation. How do I discern > these and deal with them? > > 10. How can I overcome "stage fright" before I begin a presentation? Are > there exercises or relaxation techniques that would help? > > 11. What should I do when I sense that I am losing the interest of my > audience? Should I speed up, speak louder, tell a joke, ask questions, or > simply quit? > > 12. What is the best way to deal with disruptions during my presentation, > whether they be from a person in the audience or an unexpected situation that > arises? > > We've included these issues just to get you started thinking. This is > probably a list-worthy topic, but you may reply to us directly (Laurie or Sara > if you prefer. > > Sara J. MacDonald, Greenfield Library, University of the Arts > e-mail: [log in to unmask] > > Laurie Whitehill, Rhode Island School of Design Library > e-mail: [log in to unmask] > > Workshop II. Sharper and clearer: focusing your presentation skills. > Enrollment limit: 15 > Price: $75 [this may change] > Whether giving a library tour, conducting a bibliographic instruction session, > engaging in a reference interview, training a new employee, or making an oral > presentation to the Board of Trustees, all librarians employ various forms of > verbal and non-verbal communication. Many of us, however, seldom have the > opportunity for guidance and feedback on our public speaking skills. The > purpose of this all-day workshop is to help librarians develop more effective > oral presentation skills. The format of the workshop will include a > lecture/demonstration, followed by a voluntary videotaping session and > evaluation. While the workshop will focus on presentation skills for referenc > or bibliographic instruction, the content of the lecture and the videotaping > experience will be relevant to all librarians. > > The day will be divided into a morning session with a lecture and > demonstration given by the workshop leader. Participants who have indicated > that they would like to be videotaped will then present (not read!) a prepared > three-minute talk on a topic of their choice to the group, in front of the > camera. Following a lunch break, workshop participants will view the > videotaped presentations. The workshop leader will offer comments and > suggestions for each presentation and solicity feedback and dialogue from the > group. Further discussion will re-emphasize essential skills and, if time > allows, a few participants may have the opportunity to re-do their > presentations. >