Presentation Project

Over the course of the last two weeks, I have learned more about the World Wide Web and multimedia presentations than I have ever learned at any other point in my life.  As the second project in my ISM 3004 class, the Presentation Project encompassed a multitude of multimedia and Web 2.0 tools.  If you follow the link below, you will find my completed presentation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifsNTeVoIDc

Though you are welcome to critique the project for yourself, I want to outline my own evaluation of how I think I did on this particular assignment.  Afterall, we humans tend to be our best critics, so a personal evaluation should prove to be very revealing.  First, I can honestly say that the flow of content in my presentation followed the sequence used in my guiding acronym "BMI."  Organization has always been very important to me, so I emphasized within the first few slides the overall agenda and sequence for my presentation.  I hope my viewers felt the same feeling of clarity and orderliness as I did after seeing my final product.  Looking back, though, I would like to be able to improve the verbal explanation of my outline by sharing the outline a little sooner in the presentation. 

Something else that I believe could also use some work was the beginning "attention grabber" I used in my first three slides.  I attempted to ignite my audience's curiosity and interest with one letter slides and the Superman Theme song.  I have always loved that song, but in hindsight, the song and slide design was not the dramatic attention grabber that my viewers may find intriguing.  During the course of the presentation, I asked a couple of questions to engage the viewers.  However, I realize that there was room for improvement in anticipating questions and answering them beforehand, especially in the video portion of the presentation.  In the inserted video, I claimed that being a Walgreens BMI allowed a person to also be a superhero in some respect.  I now feel that this claim should have been backed up with more validating evidence beyond the examples I provided.  Maybe I could have incorporated another intern's perspective to support my claim.

As for the more technical aspect of my presentation, I strived for perfection in not allowing any typos or inconsistencies.  I proofread my presentation several times, so if there is a technical mistake, I will forever consider myself blind as a bat.  Another area that I strived to be perfect in is the area of clutter.  I chose my graphics and text with the idea of making the presentation slides easy to read and simplistic for easy understanding.  I also used large text to ensure easy readability.  My biggest mistake in the presentation, however, was in sometimes reading my presentation slides instead of using visuals and audio to explain my topic.  From past experience, I would say that this area is my biggest weakness in presentations overall.

For my presentation project, I was also required to complete a peer review for one of my classmates in much the same way I evaluated my own project.  The peer review was one of the most helpful learning tools in helping me understand what makes a great, and not so great, presentation.  By evaluating another's presentation, I could more effectively judge my own performance and make some changes that I thought necessary. 

Overall, as I mentioned earlier, I thought the presentation project was very informative.  I learned to more effectively use Windows Movie Maker and PowerPoint 2007.  I now have accounts on several Web 2.0 sites such as SlideBoom and YouTube that I would likely never have visited before this project.  This project also taught me some very important principles for making an effective presentation, and the experience of creating the project also highlighted some of my presentation weaknesses that I hope to overcome in the future.  Now that I have an expanded base of knowledge and resources related to presentations, I know that my future adventures in the presentation filled world of business will be much more interesting and effective.  I am especially thankful for this project in that it gave me some of the tools I will need in my quest to enter the sector of nonprofit management.

Tutorial 2: Stress and Public Speaking



Photo #1: SM3 (see acknowledgements)



Can you agree to the following statement? 

~ I stress over public speaking. ~

If you agree, then don’t go anywhere because the following paragraphs explain how you can give an effective presentation by managing your stress level beforehand.  First, we will discuss the effects of stress and how stress can impact your presentation.  Next, I will outline a few basic techniques that can help you reduce your stress and send you on your way to a beautiful presentation.

For those of us who have stressed over a presentation, we know the effects that stress can have on our bodies and minds.  I remember my first speaking “engagement” like it was yesterday.  I was in my first few weeks of speech class at the community college, and the professor asked us to give a short speech about ourselves.  Pathetically, I needed notes to talk about a topic I should have known very well by that point in my life, but standing in front of that classroom, my mind went blank.  You laugh, but it’s true.  My heart rate increased dramatically as I stood there, and I began to perspire and tremble.  Do you know the feeling?  Stress can have these effects on our minds and bodies.  In public speaking, stress can leave us with the same speeding heart rate and jumbled mind that we would experience if confronted with a snake in our path.  It is because of stress that many people suffer from a poor stage presence and oftentimes, an ineffective presentation. 

  

Photo #2: Katie (created with Clip Art)



Now that I have hopefully affirmed in you the negative impacts of stress, I would like to point out that stress is not all bad.  A little bit of well managed stress can have some useful effects on public speaking.  A little stress pushes us to practice harder and prepare more.  Many students experience the positive aspects of stress in the days leading up to an exam.  As they study for their test, stress prompts them to study more intensely.  Thus, some stress can help you prepare more effectively.

The list below features some of the most common and practical techniques for managing stress, especially for public speaking.  Please, note that this is by no means a perfect, complete list of the available stress reducers.  For more information on reducing stress, I would recommend reading Comprehensive Stress Management by Jerrold S. Greenberg.

·         Practice like crazy before the presentation, but avoid trying to memorize your speech.  Practice is probably the most effective means of managing your stress before public speaking.

·         Seek social support from family and friends.  The people around you can be a significant source of comfort, encouragement, and stress relief.


 

·         Take deep breaths and try spending a few minutes exercising progressive relaxation.  The progressive relaxation technique requires that you find a quiet place where you can sit and relax.  The technique involves constricting and releasing individual muscles in your body one by one.  This will help you to relax and relieve the stress induced tension in your body before going on stage.



Photo #3: Katie (my photo)



·         Finally, take some time before the presentation to sit and listen to white noise.  Examples of white noise include the ocean, the wind in the trees, and falling rain.  These natural sounds can be very calming.  I would suggest downloading some of nature’s stress relievers and spending a few minutes in peaceful listening. 



Obviously, individuals deal with stress in different ways, so it is important to try a variety of stress reducers to determine which one works best for you.  One of my personal favorite stress techniques from the list above is listening to white noise.  Listing to the ocean is particularly soothing; therefore, you’ll find a YouTube link below that will take you to about ten minutes of relaxation.  Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awH_oqctSXQ

For a quick review of our time together, let’s have a short Q&A session.  The following questions and answers cover the main take away points for this tutorial, so you can test your knowledge.  Have fun!

Q: What are some of the negative effects of stress on the mind and body?

A: Increased heart rate, perspiration, the shakes, and an unfocused mind

Q: What are some of the positive effects of stress?

A: Increased push to practice and prepare harder

Q: What are two techniques for managing stress?

A: Practice, social support, progressive relaxation, and white noise

Q: Which technique is likely the most effective at relieving stress before a presentation?

A: Practice! Practice! Practice!

For further information on how to prepare for an effective presentation, please visit the link below for some helpful tips.

http://www.smcubedconsulting.com/2011/01/nail-your-presentation-18-tips/

Acknowledgments:

The stress techniques presented in this tutorial (with the exception of the first technique) were inspired by Jerrold Greenberg from his book Comprehensive Stress Management.

Photo #1: Retrieved from http://www.smcubedconsulting.com/2011/01/nail-your-presentation-18-tips/

Photos 2 & 3 were created by me using my own digital photos and Microsoft clip art.

Excel Project

News Flash: Excel is a valuable business tool.  Actually, this is probably not news to the vast majority of the business world, but the statement is definitely true.  Ever since high school, I have learned to use Excel to perform important tasks, many of which have not been related to business at all.  The Excel Project I recently completed for my ISM 3004 course has renewed my interest and appreciation for the helpful computer program that is Excel.  The Project instructions presented a specific scenario.  In this scenario, I was required to analyze and manipulate an Excel worksheet full of data that the owner of a fitness center had constructed to investigate a workout routine at the center.  The owner's instructions were clear and particular about how to format and manipulate the data for easier interpretation.  Because of the very precise nature of the owner's specifications, the Excel Project required a thorough analysis and format, which helped me learn to use Excel in a detail-oriented manner.

In the Excel Project, I applied a lot of the knowledge I obtained through watching the course lectures on Excel and completing the complementary Excel Scavenger Hunt assignment.  The Project required that I use formulas, functions, worksheet formatting tools, pivot tables, and the Excel Help feature.  A few examples of the formulas and functions I used include multiplication, absolute cell addresses, the =IF() function, and many more.  I also used my knowledge of worksheet formatting to resize and add columns, rename worksheet titles, adjust print page setups, and freeze panes.  To aid my progress in the Excel Project, I often used the Excel Help feature, which I found to be an easy and convenient tool.  Additionally, I enjoyed the convenience of several keyboard shortcuts that I recently learned from watching the course lectures.  In the end, the knowledge I have gained from the Excel Project, lectures, and Scavenger Hunt have greatly enhanced my ability to use Excel for future endeavors both in and outside of the business environment.  Thank you Microsoft and ISM 3004.

(This screen capture depicts the average percent increase pivot table from my Excel Project, and the image was created by me using the Snipping Tool in Window's Vista.)