From complexity to clarity?

Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler. -  Einstein

 

Like many of us going to ALA and NECC this coming week, I am working on the presentations and workshops I'll be giving. While I take pride in all learning events in which I participate, these two summer conferences are ones for which I really take special care. The creme de la creme of the library and educational technology fields will be in Anaheim and San Antonio. Stanards and expectations are high. I don't really want to come off as a big doofus. And that takes work!

 

Following the wisdom of Presentation Zen master, Garr Reynolds, I've been working to de-wordify [my term] my slides and find visual images that will make a bigger impact. I don't know that I've reached presentation nirvana yet, but I'm getting better.

 

I've recently added my thoughts about the difference between entertainment and engagement to one of my workshops. And I've noticed a path along how these ideas evolve.

 

A workshop comment, reading or news item triggers some reflection which spurs a blog entry.

 

The blog entry becomes a column.

 

The idea becomes a bad slide. (Too bad that this is the final step for too many presenters.)

 

The slide gets better: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally the slide gets a visual designed to create an emotional connection and a "catch phrase" hook:

 

As slides become more visual, less textual, they have less value without the oral commentary that accompanies them. I've never been one to readily share my slides anyway, preferring good handouts, and now giving them to others makes even less sense.

 

Oh, and like my writing, I find endless amusement in tweaking presentation slides. Does this mean I need to get a life?

 

What are your rules for creating a great presentation slide?  

A second go at Second Life

I had a second opportunity to use Second Life as a presentation medium last Monday night. You can read Lisa Perez's (SL name Elaine Tulip) write up here. About 40 avatars attended "No U Turn Syndrome: A New Approach to Teaching and Enforcing Copyright Compliance." The presentation was a part of AASL's National Library Week's activities in collaboration with the Chicago Public Schools Dept of Libraries. Rob Darrow also had a very nice blog entry on California Dreamin'. Rob, I truly appreciate the kind words. Ernie Cox also wrote up the event in his blog. Thanks as well, Ernie.

First, let me say a big thanks (again) to Lisa Perez. She is a comforting soul who knows her way around Second Life better than anyone else I know and manages to make anyone presenting in Second Life look more competent than they actually are. I am not sure what all her contributions have been to the physical aspects of ALA/AASL's island, but it is a beautiful, interesting and useful place. Go visit.

The newest SL client is its user-friendliest yet. And the in-world voice system make presenting much easier (and I feel more effective) than the chat/IM-based mode of just a few months ago. I feel like I still have a lot to learn about being an avatar/presenter, including:

• How can I do a better job of gesturing, moving, maintaining "eye contact." etc. with my audience? This still feels far too much one-way, rather than two-way communications.
  
• How do I know if the sound is working well? (Thankfully, I had one attendee tell me a couple times when I was too loud.)
• How does one better facilitate discussion at such an event? I always feel like I am being hit by several channels of conversation at one time.

Still, I had great fun and I just need to say a huge thanks to those brave avatars who attended and participated in "my" learning experience.

A common concern that people email me about is that they feel uncomfortable and ignorant about much of Second Life. Attending an ISTE Social and connecting with an experienced Second Lifer  is the best way of overcoming. Here is a recent invitation:

Are you an educator new to Second Life or ISTE in SL?  Come out to the ISTE Discussion Skypark on Thursday, April 17, at 5:30 PM SLT (8:30 PM EDT)  to connect with avatars who can answer your questions about Second Life and ISTE. 

Connectors needed!  Are you interested in mentoring a new avatar at this week's social?  IM Corinne Fleury <corinnefleury (at) gmail.com> for details.

SLURL: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ISTE%20Island/132/124/349

 Blue Skunk readers, any tips or observations about better Second Life experiences are welcome!

Cite your sources, presenters!

79.48% of all statistics are made up on the spot. - John A. Paulos

Last week, a librarian came up to me during a break in a workshop I was giving for the Nassau (Long Island) BOCES and asked a disturbing question. I had been giving my "Technology? Skills Everyone Needs" talk, reeling off a number of statistics about the changing job market, economy, workforce skill set etc.. Sort of my version of "Did You Know"* that I've given for about 10 years. (Yes, it DOES get updated!)

Anyway, the librarian asked me why I did not cite the sources of my factoids on each of my slides. I quipped that I didn't because I made all the numbers up. But he certainly made me think. If we ask our students to cite and defend the reliability of their research sources, why should we ask any less of our workshop presenters, our "experts?"

I've resolved to so for any startling info-bits I use to persuade others that kids need to "know how to use information and technology in order to solve problems and answer question" from now on. But I need some help...

I can track down where I found most of my information, but here are a few "facts" I can't seem to find the source for:

• 90% of what we know about the human brain has been discovered in the past 10 years.
• Auto mechanics in 1960 needed to master the equivalent of 600 pages of technical information. Today they need to know the equivalent of 600,000 pages of information.
• Only 2% of people are fired because of a lack of skills. The other 98% are fired for "personality conflicts."
• Kids get a chance to answer a question in school only once every 6 hours.
• Kids' TV watching is declining, but their "screen time" is going up.
  

OK, those are some of the major factoids I love, but just can't quite remember where I saw them documented. Any help out there? I am not using any numbers in my talks until I can cite the source - even if I have to make it up as well!

I'm giving the talk again on Wednesday. Hurry!

* One of the things I admire most about Fische and McLeod's "Did You Know" video is that they have a source for all their information. Way to go, guys!