EnglishClub Tips on how to be more creative by John Cleese Assembling talking points, lists, and tedious outlines is a rather drab exercise that neither challenges your creative abilities or leads to a rewarding experience for you or your audience. But if you are going to do something different, if you are going to craft a talk that engages, illuminates, and even inspires, then the preparation is going to take creativity. This is especially true for the creation of a short-form presentation such as a TED/TEDx talk, or an Ignite or Pecha Kucha presentation, etc. Can you learn to be more creative? Open & closedCleese says that we can describe the way people function at work in terms of two basic modes: open and closed — and creativity is not possible in the closed mode. Conditions needed to become more creativeCleese elaborates on five factors that may lead to the open mode and thus at least improve conditions for creativity to flourish. (1) Space. (2) Time. (3) Time. (4) Confidence. (5) Humor.
Books - Essay: The Cognitive Style of Powerpoint In corporate and government bureaucracies, the standard method for making a presentation is to talk about a list of points organized onto slides projected up on the wall. For many years, overhead projectors lit up transparencies, and slide projectors showed high-resolution 35mm slides. Now "slideware" computer programs for presentations are nearly everywhere. Alas, slideware often reduces the analytical quality of presentations. 32 pages, full color. For more about PowerPoint, here's a sample from the essay: PowerPoint Does Rocket Science--and Better Techniques for Technical Reports
KitzKikz: Home Stock Photography: Search Royalty Free Images & Photos iStock now has 20,730,000 royalty-free stock files.Browse recent. Search for photos, illustrations, video & audio Welcome Presentation Zen Readers iStockphoto is the world’s leading provider of royalty-free stock media and design elements. We have millions of affordable and safe stock photos, illustrations, video footage, audio tracks and Flash media. Choose 10 Free Images & 20% Discount Get a first purchase 20% discount on 50 credit bundles or more when you enter the coupon code PREZ5EN on purchase. Join
PowerPoint and Presentation Tips If I was a betting man, I’d bet PowerPoint is going to turn mankind into zombies. Why are we so addicted to using PowerPoint (or anything showing slide after slide of bulleted information) when our initial gut reactions to viewing one is dread? Maybe it’s because PowerPoint is our only real experience with information presentation—introduced first in school and then reinforced at work. Presentation Zen - Presentation Zen contains a wealth of information on creating professional presentations. Powerful Pointers for Presenters - A great list of articles and sites related to improving presentations. Beyond Bullets - People Communicating with People - Beyond Bullets talks a lot on how we can use PowerPoint to be more than bland bullet point presentations. Really Bad Powerpoint - This pdf by Seth Godin talks about Powerpoint mistakes and how to fix them. The “Change Up†in Lectures - Don’t worry, you’re not the only person dying of boredom in those long lectures.
Learn English for Free with elllo! What is good PowerPoint design? Occasionally, I'm asked by colleagues or clients to send samples of "great slides" or "good PowerPoint." I usually hesitate to send examples of slides since my answer to the question, "what does a great PowerPoint slide look like?" is "...it depends." In a world which often thinks in terms of absolutes — this is good, that is bad — "it depends" is not the most popular answer. Context mattersHowever, as far as design is concerned, it is useful not to think (judge) in terms of right or wrong, but rather in terms of what is appropriate or inappropriate. That is, is it appropriate or inappropriate for a particular context? Simple but not simplisticIf there is one important precept worth following, it is the idea of simplicity. Simplicity is often used as a means to greater clarity. (Click for larger view of this slide) "No one can define them or draw up a system around them. BEFORE. The slide on the right (above) was an effort to display the same information in a pie chart. Before After
Presentation Zen Listen A Minute: Easier English Listening and Activities What is your intention? In the world of presentation visuals, I often have new students in university or clients in the business world who are very eager to come to me to show off their "visual masterpieces." These cluttered and distracting multimedia creations, filled with the superfluous and the nonessential, incorporating seemingly every special effect, color, and font the software had to offer, end up assaulting the brains of anyone who dares to look in the general direction of the screen. When they ask me what I think, I usually begin by asking them what there intention was. "What's your intent?" Today, I am happy to point you to a simple and evocative TED presentation by award-winning journalist John Hockenberry that touches on the issue of design and intent. Related links• Design with intent blog• Article: Design with intent
Garr Reynolds/Presentations 1. Show your passion If I had only one tip to give, it would be to be passionate about your topic and let that enthusiasm come out. Yes, you need great content. Yes, you need professional, well designed visuals. But it is all for naught if you do not have a deep, heartfelt belief in your topic. 2. You’ve heard it before: First impressions are powerful. 3. Humans have short attention spans when it comes to passively sitting and listening to a speaker. 4. Get closer to your audience by moving away from or in front of the podium. 5. To advance your slides and builds, use a small, handheld remote. 6. If you press the “B” key while your PowerPoint or Keynote slide is showing, the screen will go blank. 7. Try looking at individuals rather than scanning the group. 8. If you are speaking in a meeting room or a classroom, the temptation is to turn the lights off so that the slides look better. 9. 10.
ESL Resources for Teachers: Printable Worksheets, Games, Lesson Plans, and More!