Giving presentations is hard. Many of us are extremely uncomfortable speaking in front of an audience. It takes practice and skill. Here are some helpful tips. Excerpts from: https://hbr.org/2013/06/how-to-give-a-killer-presentation
Frame your story
We all know that humans are wired to listen to stories, and metaphors abound for the narrative structures that work best to engage people. When I think about compelling presentations, I think about taking an audience on a journey. A successful talk is a little miracle—people see the world differently afterward.
There are three main ways to deliver a talk. You can read it directly off a script or a teleprompter. You can develop a set of bullet points that map out what you’re going to say in each section rather than scripting the whole thing word for word. Or you can memorize your talk, which entails rehearsing it to the point where you internalize every word—verbatim.
Develop Stage Presence
The biggest mistake we see in early rehearsals is that people move their bodies too much. They sway from side to side, or shift their weight from one leg to the other. People do this naturally when they’re nervous, but it’s distracting and makes the speaker seem weak. Simply getting a person to keep his or her lower body motionless can dramatically improve stage presence.
Keep it simple; don’t use a slide deck as a substitute for notes (by, say, listing the bullet points you’ll discuss—those are best put on note cards); and don’t repeat out loud words that are on the slide. Not only is reciting slides a variation of the teleprompter problem—“Oh, no, she’s reading to us, too!”—but information is interesting only once, and hearing and seeing the same words feels repetitive.
Watch the following video and write a short paragraph (3-5 sentences) opinion about Richard's story. What about it moved you in particular.
Richard's story was extremely motivating. A boy about my age found a solution to a major problem of his community. I would never imagine inventing and finding solutions to problems like this. Richard is extremely intelligent. The fact that his idea was able to help his neighbors and many others in Kenya moved me the most. It goes to show you that even kids are responsible for major innovations.
ReplyDeleteRichards story is very inspiring to me and it proves that no matter how old you are you can make a difference in your community. He was able to create a way to protect the prey and predators of two different national parks and the cows in his community through experimentation. He tried with fire, a scarecrow, and finally realized by carrying a torch in his cow shed that lions are afraid of moving light. He was able to create an invention that scared the lions away without hurting them, unlike the "warriors" in his community who just killed the lions. It is amazing that such a young boy was able to solve a problem more efficiently than the adults in his community. I believe that Richard's story is a strong example of how the youth today including myself are very innovative and are capable of changing the world.
ReplyDeleteRichard's story is very moving for many kids our age. He created a genius way to prevent lions from attacking his animals. He had tried fire, a scarecrow, and then realized moving lights scared the lions away. I think the most inspirational part of his story is that even though his first and second attempts didn't work he continued to keep trying. He wasn't defeated by discourage when his first ideas didn't work. His determination was inspiring and reminds us to keep trying despite the obstacles.
ReplyDeleteRichard's idea was genius! He didn't want to kill the lions, but he also didn't want the lions to hurt the cows. His determination is something to aspire toward. I was moved by his love for the cows, and how he didn't want to hurt lions. I think he deserved his scholarship.
ReplyDeleteRichard's story was very interesting. I loved how he saw a problem and tried to fix it through trial and error. and when he finally found the solution he put it into action. When I do anything I usually fail but Richard is definitely a great inspiration. This story definitely moved because life in Africa is hard especially when lions are killing your livestock. The fact that he did not want to the lions to kid killed is especially moving.
ReplyDeleteFailure is the first step towards success.
DeleteRichard's story is very motivational for kids our age. He created something that helped a major problem in where he lived. And it's amazing how determined he was and how he never gave up when obstacles were in his way. Knowing that someone our age that can create and do that is so inspiring. It goes to show that no matter how old you are or where you live, it shouldn't stop you from doing something great.
ReplyDeleteRichard's story really moved me because he had to figure out a major problem like this at such a tender age. It serves to prove the poverty in some parts of the world and that we should not take the luxuries we have for granted. Also seeing him create a solution using the limited resources he had serves to prove that anyone can do anything if they put their mind to it.
ReplyDeleteRichard's story is very unique. His story demonstrated how one person can be very helpful to a community. Richard's story also suggested that instead of killing the enemy, perhaps you should look at the situation from a different point of view. So Richard not only saved his cows, but the lions and protected neighboring farms which is amazing.
ReplyDeleteRichard's story is very interesting and motivating. Richard was able to make a difference and give back to his community despite a few hardships. One way Richard gives back is by using fire and a scarecrow to create a moving illusion to scare off the lions. Richard also has a motivating personality. He enjoys learning and exploring things that approach him. For example, Richard takes apart his moms radio. Richard is determined to solve this problem with the animals.
ReplyDeleteRichard's story is extremely interesting. He was able to find a middle ground in a situation which seemed to be impossible to solve peacefully, which is very motivating. People should learn to think like Richard, and know that you should always find a middle ground between two decisions. Richard is an inspiration.
ReplyDeleteRichard gave us a story to be remembered. He showed us how killing animals is not the answer to saving animals. He, in a poverty stricken community, did a better job at keeping peace than most people in a wealthy country. He showed how even if you're only one person, you can create a wave of change.
ReplyDeleteRichard gave us a story to be remembered. He showed us how killing animals is not the answer to saving animals. He, in a poverty stricken community, did a better job at keeping peace than most people in a wealthy country. He showed how even if you're only one person, you can create a wave of change.
ReplyDeleteRichard's presentation really drew me in. One way he kept his presentation interesting is by using the method of framing your story, he gave us the whole background of his project and what caused him to create his invention. Not only that but he also used the method of planning your multimedia. He had nice pictures in the slide, with elaborated images that help you pay attention to his presentation for example the graphic picture of the bull that got attacked by the lion. He also doesn't much, just a few hand jesters and he also cracked jokes with the crowd which boosted the chemistry with the crowd. What moves me particularly is Richard's motivation, ambitiousness and smartness. He put all his energy into this project and at the end he had an amazing result.
ReplyDeleteRichard kept me very interested during his whole presentation. He told his story and background which was facsinating. He kept me interested by having a slide show with good pictures. The way he talkd and how he wa comfortable on stage. He shwoed how much he cared and shwoed us how one person could make a difference. He had a very god and entertaining presentation
ReplyDeleteRichard's presentation was very interesting. It was great the way he was making people aware of what was going on through his experiences. The slide show made it feel even more important rather than him just talking we saw what was happening to the livestock. The presentation was very good and informational especially since he was scared to talk about his experience.
ReplyDeleteRichards story was very motivating. It was also inspiring in the way that he showed me that you are never too little/young to make a great impact in your community. Even though the lions were killing the farm animals, he found it cruel that warriors in his village were killing the lions. This motivated him to come up with different ideas that would keep the lions away and protect the cows. Though 2 previous ideas did not work out, he did not give up and came with a third one that was very effective in keeping the lions away from his cattle. I would say that the fact that someone around my age could come up with such a bright idea moved me a lot and let me know that even at a young age i can accomplish something great.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteRichard's story moved me because its amazing how someone so young could protect his village, but decided to do it in a non-violent way. It shows how you don't need an Ivy League education to turn ideas into inventions and how anyone can contribute to society. Also it was cool how he had the courage to come to another country and talk in a foreign language about his experience. He is a hard-working and smart, and I was happy he got into that really good school.
ReplyDeleteRichard's story was very inspiring because it shows that young people can make a difference. Richard never stopped trying to protect his village, even after his attempts had failed two times. Richard found a way to keep lions out of his village without being violent. Richard's persistence and intelligence is very inspiring to me.
ReplyDelete