TED Advice

After watching numerous TED Talks, creating my own, and observing others I have learned several important rules one should use when creating one. After presenting mine I thought of a million things I could have changed: Say this instead of that, use this joke, ask this question. So here is what I have developed.

1. Engage your audience!
Make it interesting for your audience.  If not they will daze off and fall asleep.  Nothing is worse then sitting through a presentation when you glaze off and can't help but yawn over and over.  Plus your meaning is lost and no one walks away wowed.  I suggest asking questions, playing a humorous video, or involving them in an activity.

2. Don't use to many charts and graphs!
Some people in your audience don't benefit from charts and graphs because they aren't numbers people.  I'm one of them.  If you need graphs keep them to a minimum or have them move.  The movement will keep even the none numbers people engaged.  Or try to make a graph using words.  I have an example of this earlier in my blog posts using Graph Jam.  Look it up -- give it a try.  ( I used this in a presentation for another class and it worked out GREAT! )

3. Be short and too the point.
Don't ramble on for hours and hours if your statement is clear.  No one likes to listen to someone who sounds like a broken record on repeat.  Vary it up, take different angles to achieve your point.  This can be used and achieved through simple variation of examples - Video, Picture, Graph, Effective Question. These different ways are engaging but don't come across the same even if they do have the same point.

4.  Be confident!
Remember that this is your presentation.  You know the material, no one else.  So if you stumble on something keep going.  No one else will know but you.  When your confident it shows and everyone else believes in you.  It will be portrayed in your presentation - be it slides or another kind - and the audience will be much more engaged.  They will feel like you truly know what you are talking about.

5. Practice, Practice, Practice
No one can ever practice too much before they present.  Many professionals, including Steve Jobs, practice over and over before a presentation.  This is how they learn what works and what doesn't works.  They also learn how to avoid bad pauses, ums, likes, or other safety words you may use when presenting.  This will also help your presentation move smoother and make it more effective. Nothing is more distracting then the presenter saying like every 5 seconds (once the class notices they will begin to count how many times - therefore your meaning is lost! )

TED Talk

Description:  Alexandria Zentner takes a closer look into the social media spectrum of Twitter in regards to professional athletes and owners.  Leading a prolific discussion on the good, the bad, and the downright ugly tweets over the past few years.  Ladies and gentlemen please sit back, relax, and enjoy the show of uncensored twittering.

Our blog this week is to post our slides for our presentation.  First, I will provide a link to a youtube video which I would like to show first, followed by the slides.  I would love to hear some feedback in regards to what you think, what you would like to see, and anything inbetween. :)

YOUTUBE:

Ted slides

View more presentations from azentner.

Thanksgiving can't come soon enough <3

Blog post: In your blog post this week highlight 3 TED Talks that you find really interesting and engaging. Describe 1) why is each talk interesting to you? 2) How is each talk engaging? (vivid slides? audience interaction?)

Benjamin Zander on Music and Passion:
Benjamin Zander was a name I had previously heard from the context of my Music History class I am currently taking, so when I saw he was a top rated I was sure to click this. Once his talk began it was clear that he was very engaging. He was constantly moving onto the stage and then down to the crowd, being very interactive. He also used the piano to demonstrate his purpose which goes as follows: Most people will say that classical music is a dying art, but this is not the case. Instead, everyone can find meaning and joy in classical music, you just have to listen.

Zander believes that no one is tone deaf because we all can pick up emotions on the other end of the phone. Instead you must try and relate it to your life. He does this by asking the crowd to envision someone who has passed away while listening to a piece of Chopin. Every single person seemed to be moved, therefore displaying that classical music is something everyone can enjoy.

Jonathan Harris: The Web's Secret Stories:

This TED talk by Jonathan Harris takes the concept of how expression has evolved onto the internet and displays how.  Some examples of this are diaries and editorials that are now posted online via newspaper websites and blogs.  He displays how people are constantly using different websites to post how they feel now via the We Feel Fine Study.  This study pulls any statement that starts with I feel/We feel and places them into a database, which increases by 15,000-20,000 per day, and places them by age, geographic location, weather, etc.  People are able to go to this website and read random status' from all over the world and have the ability to connect with the person.  It also is able to show data for those recent hours.  For example, right now: 2.2 times the normal level are feeling comfortable, whereas 1.3 times the normal level feel right.  IT is pretty awesome!!  He is able to engage with the audience by displaying what people are saying right at the exact moment and going through the different features (such as pictures, climate, age, etc.)  Some of the examples he uses are comical therefore engaging the audience.  Also, the display of what the most felt emotion at that moment was pretty interesting. 

The LXD: In the Internet Age, Dance Evolves:

This was by far the most interesting talk that I watched.  It began by dancers doing extreme dance moves including flips and spins.  Then the director, John Chu, a film maker discusses how after directing Step Up to the Streets he created this group "The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers."  He feels that the internet has helped develop and advanced dancers across the universe.  He uses the example of a dance that was posted onto YouTube, which kids in Japan develop even further, and then kids in the US develop into a new dance technique.  These examples are inspiration for others.  John Chu's speech was short and too the point and followed up by individuals doing dance moves such as MADD CHADD who is known for being a master of mechanical movement.  Then for the finale -- a big dance number is done full of more moves I could never do in a million years.

Everything but the Kitchen Sink.

When prompted to create a list of ten places at St. Joseph's University which I have never been before I was stumped besides one place: the rooftop of the Science Center.  I have always been advised that this is one of the top places to see before you graduate.  Therefore, when I heard we had to pick one and go see it I was all on board. I have always embrace the philosophy that unless you ask for something you won't receive it.

Upon entering the Science Center I went towards the elevator.  I heard a woman tapping away in her office so I popped my head in and got directed to the right office.  The head of the biology department was who worked with the green house.  Yet, I received the warning that its technically not open to the "public."  Since when are business students considered the public?  (I have always been baffled at the line drawn between the business and the arts and sciences) I was able to arrange an appointment for the next day to complete my adventure. Needless to say I was excited.

The time finally came and I was able to take the elevator all the way to the roof.  The biology teacher who took me up informed me of the construction that was taking place. Upon exiting the elevator I began walking on boards over towards the greenhouse.  The first thing I observed was the gorgeous Philadelphia skyline. Once inside the structure we learned about the turtle house.

In the turtle house are 5 different types of turtles -- even including albino turtles!  The professor then began to explain the filtration system for the ponds, which use sunlight and fresh water to create clean water.  The turtles are able to crawl from pond to pond which was very interesting!

Then we entered the greenhouse.  This glass structure is home to many different varieties of plants -- to be honest it reminded me a little of a jungle.  There wasn't much order for the positioning of plants, but the variety is amazing.  A palm tree, a lemon tree, cactus', ferns, even a coco plant.  The professor explained that the roof isn't open to the public because there is no railings along the side, yet they do hold a dinner on the roof once a year. My family is in the business of plants and shrubs -- Hopewell Nursery -- so I have grown up around different varieties.  The greenhouse resembles a smaller scale of the Holland Greenhouses we have on our farms.

Surprisingly, not all science students have access to the roof.  Most importantly students can only go up in small groups; therefore, an entire class can't benefit from a lecture from this location.  Uniquely, the greenhouse can maintain heat in the winter so that the plants won't die.  It absorbs water on one side and has a heater.  Who ever knew you could set the temperature in something like this?

Below is a slide show I put together using my mac's imovie.  It's a work in process, but it shows effectively my observations of the day.  Hope you enjoy!