English IOP

[Starkid4918]

Just got assigned to start English IOP

Okay, so in my English III class, we just got assigned to start researching for our IOP's in two weeks. I think I have a pretty good topic. I chose to research the use of Unreliable Narrators in the Great Gatsby and In Cold Blood. I was just wondering if you had any tips on how to present and keep the audience engaged and also how to organize information in a way that fills up the presentation to around 12 min? I'm really nervous about public speaking.

[Poly]

Tips on how to present:

• Know what you are talking about (Do not read off of your page-but still have a rough outline to look off of)
• Engage the audience (show your enthusiasm)
• Be Creative (Walk around the classroom while talking, Give eye contact to your audience, maybe create a monologue)
• Use a lot of quotes to back up your claims, and if you are using a powerpoint you may want to add some visuals
• Stand up straight and do not talk monotone! You want them to listen to you and be engaged as much as they can.
• Relax!! Imagine you are talking to your friends, but in a concise way. Many of the people you are presenting in front of are going through the same thing so just relax! Its your ideas and opinions

Tips on how to organize

• Have a thesis...The IOP is like an essay
• Find interesting ways to present (Powerpoint, Prezi, Video, Monologue)

Good Luck

[Sandwich]

Organise it like you would an essay is definitely a good tip. Introduction, point with examples and explanation for both novels, another point, another point... however many points you have... then conclude. A conclusion in a presentation might be slightly more powerful than one you'd stick at the end of an essay.

Time yourself to make sure it's roughly 12 minutes before you finish, is my advice. It's very easy to make these things too long!

And if you are interested in your topic, that helps a lot because you'll give it across to the audience. As the person above said, varying the tone of your voice, making eye contact etc. can be helpful. Also making it seem relevant to you and the audience on a personal level is a good move. "I thought this was particularly interesting because..."/"This is surprising because, as we all read in the books, usually so-and-so does X..."/"My initial reaction was...".

Obviously you still want to keep the tone professional, but stuff like this can help people stay paying attention to you because you're involving them both directly and also by alluding to your own thoughts and feelings about something. It really helps if you have genuinely picked a topic you find interesting - all this becomes much easier to do when you're not pretending so much of it!

[michigangurl]

I had my IOP a few months ago and I was really nervous! Here are a few things I did-

1. I tried to make a few jokes/ keep it light.

2. DON'T READ FROM A PAPER. Some kids did that and I fell asleep.

3. One of my friends made cue cards that said stuff like 'applause!' It kept the audience really entertained.

4. When quoting from the text, a lot of my classmates imitated how they thought the character spoke. This was really entertaining .

Good luck

[Blackcurrant]

Well, looks like there is little more left to say. All the good stuff has gone.

But you got me thinking. And that invites a little ramble. "How to be interesting..." is asked time and again, year after year and the answers - all good, of course - mostly the old chestnuts, the "tricks of the trade", which when pulled off can produce a workmanlike or even satisfactory to good presentation, are given out again and again. If that is all you want, then fine.

But I have also seen too many classmates put this good advice into practice and come out with presentations which are eminently forgettable. Hollow. Entertaining but superficial. Something essential is missing.

If you really want to engage your classmates heart and soul, then I suspect it won't be from gimmicks (We are all entertained to death, already, as it is, aren't we?) or stock-in-trade, but from your own, deep, interest for your topic. The thoroughly researched. well-thought-out, and a result of genuine care and conviction.

So what's it look like? It's worth watching the all-time TED favourite Sir Ken Robinson "Do schools kill creativity". This is not the "just giving more info. presentation" but the genuinely educational (engaging). So he uses all those chestunuts: jokes, yes, uses humor, addresses the audience directly, ---but don't think that any of these chestnuts count for anything without his passion, intelligence, and dedicated research. That's the difference between information-sharing and education-inspiring.

He is not short on conviction and personality, right?

So, here's a little test for you: Can you recall in any detail the content of presentations you've seen in class? If not, ask yourself why. You've seen tons of presentations. Why can't you recall much or anything of them?

If you DO recall some in detail, then great! Ask yourself "why" in that case too.

Now think of the "good presentations," Do you remember them for the content or because you were entertained...

OK. Now I am hearing that voice "ARE YOU NOT BEING ENTERTAINED ?! AM I NOT ENTERTAINING YOU?! "...which is the cue for me sign off while there is still time. Gnite.

Edited April 6, 2014 by Blackcurrant

[asphoria]

• One of my classmates actually dressed like the character he was discussing and spoke the way the character did and it was really interesting and kept everyone's attention.
• He also used cue cards not simply for his notes but also for an audience reaction which was really refreshing.
• Keeping eye contact is important as long as it's not for too long and walking around a little helps you relax and also keeps the audience's attention on you.
• Keeping your powerpoint (if you use one) minimalistic also helps because it draws more attention on you and your reactions to what your saying also play a key role in keeping your audience awake (unless you have an anxiety or something similar and would prefer not to have too much attention on you)
• Tone and pronunciation is also important since the clearer your words are the more lively you sound the more attention they'll pay.

• Organizing the presentation wise we all used a lot of pictures or quotes because it gave us more to analyse
• The presentation itself shouldn't be overly detailed since then it takes away a lot of attention from what you're saying meaning don't have way too much text on just one slide keep the important stuff where it should be and try to speak the minor links, etc.
• Make sure you link what you say to your topic/question as well as what you've said before because this not only wastes a little time in a good way but also reminds the audience of the important things you were saying

I know 12 minutes seems like a lot but when you actually present you may find that you wish you had more time!

My class mates and I followed almost all of the above and each one of us got a high six or a seven so I really recommend just staying calm and doing something that is well planned out and entertaining as well as educational for the audience Good Luck!