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Course Details

Course Title: Successful Technical Speaking Register Now!
Duration: 5-8 hours
Overview: This is a five to eight hour class designed to review the basic skills needed to do short technical presentations at public events. This class is presented at no cost to anyone who wishes to attend and includes lunch.
Prerequisites: An interest in learning to present technical material and willing to give it a try in front of other students in the class.
Course Materials: None required
Outline: New Page 1

Module 1: Why You Should Learn to Speak and How to Get Started

  • Practical reasons to learn to do technical presentations
  • Starting small
  • Submitting an Abstract
  • How Large Events Work
  • Tricks of the trade

Module 2: Building a Presentation

  • Build an outline first based on format and time allotted
  • Rewrite using PowerPoint (and why you should use PowerPoint)
  • What goes on the slide and what doesn't?
  • Speaker notes
  • PowerPoint tips
  • Hand-on Lab: Building a PowerPoint deck

Module 3: Building Demos

  • When to demo a feature vs static image?
  • Demos must be short and sweet
  • Documenting your demo so you can repeat
  • Making your demo truly repeatable
  • Hands-on Lab: Building a Demo

Module 4: Practice and Final Preparations

  • Practice solo to verify flow and get your ad libs down
  • Practice with an audience of at least one to look for weak spots
  • Use the rehearsal feature in PowerPoint to check the timing
  • Final practice 1-2 days prior to main event
  • Steps to do the day before the presentation
  • Steps to do the hour before the presentation

Module 5: Presenting

  • What to do when it's time for you to set up
  • Using the microphone
  • How to handle waiting to start time
  • How to do a good introduction
  • Presenting mode - stationary or moving?
  • Handling questions
  • Managing your time
  • Closing out the session - final steps

Module 6: Post Presentation

  • Gather your stuff and move!
  • The strong finish with the attendees
  • Quick notes on bugs and typo's
  • Upload the final files
  • Learning from the evaluation results

Module 7: Public Speaking Skills

  • Least important, but still important
  • Eye Contact
  • Arm movement
  • Posture
  • Poise

Module 8: Bringing it Together

  • Hands-on Lab: Each student will do a short presentation that includes a demo and incorporates as much as possible all of the above elements
  • Hands-on Lab: Each student will evaluate all the other students presentation skills based using the End to End evaluation form

   




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