OVERVIEW
The essential skills for students taking Project Work in schools will include use of voice (enunciation, tonality, articulation and pacing), fluency and clarity of speech, awareness of audience, body language and ability to answer questions on the spot.  Students will be coached in small groups to craft their presentation from their Written Report. 

Objectives

For students to acquire through this highly intensive workshop and coaching session to improve their public speaking and presentation skills through use of a seven point template to prepare their own presentations, evaluate presentations, and coach their fellow students to improve their presentation skills.

Training Methodology
Workshop Outline:

Ice breaker: Tongue twisters : 

We will do a few tongue twisters as a group to loosen up, have fun, and become more aware of problems with pronunciation and diction. We will focus on sounds that are most problematic for Singaporeans, such as three/tree, thank/tank, and children/cheering

Delivering Powerful Presentations I : Your Performance

• Overcoming Stage Fright
• Understanding Your Audience
• Connecting With Your Audience
• Nonverbal Communication – Using Eye Contact, Facial Expression,
• Gestures, Posture, and Space
• Advanced Language Techniques of World-Class Speakers
• Painting Pictures with Stories
• Power Words
• Other Winning Language Techniques
• Distracting Behaviors
• When Things go Bad

Delivering Powerful Presentations II: Using the Tools of the Trade

• Using Graphics and Visual Aids Effectively
• PowerPoint vs. Flip Charts
• Props
• Your Appearance

Coaching Session
We will introduce a seven point template for evaluating presentations. Using this template, students will receive feedback on their videotaped presentations. Students will also learn to use the template as a checklist for preparing presentations in the future, and to give feedback to and coach their classmates. Major elements of the template include:

• Structure / Organization
• Content
• Language
• Voice quality
• Nonverbal communication
• Effectiveness
• Visuals

 

Workshop Synopsis

We will begin with a few minutes of tongue twisters. This will make students aware of certain problems with pronunciation and diction that they might have, and what they could sound like with a little practice. Students will walk away with a short drill they can use after the workshop to continue improving on their own.

Then we will quickly get down to business. We will cover some ideas for delivering powerful presentations (sections 2 and 3 above), using humorous examples to sustain interest. We will emphasize speaking and delivery skills rather than developing or crafting the message.

Most of our time will focus on giving feedback to students for their videotaped (Option 1) or live (Option 2) presentations. These presentations will provide many opportunities to see effective (and not so effective) presentation principles in action. The presentations will thus be a tool for teaching all the participants, not just the one doing a particular presentation.

Finally, we will introduce the seven point presentations template. Students can use this template as a checklist when preparing their own presentations, as well as a guideline for offering feedback to others.

Workshop Objectives and Philosophy:

Every student will be given a short manual (approx. 24 pages) with easy to read tips and techniques for delivering powerful presentations. We will introduce these ideas during the workshop, and students will be able to refer to the manual for more detail.

Students will learn the secrets of connecting with their audience – developing rapport, making effective eye contact, enthusiasm, and empathy. They will learn several language techniques to deliver their message clearly and with impact. We will also look at distracting behaviors to avoid, and learn ways to manage adverse conditions.

• In addition to delivery style, we will work with various techniques of conveying key points powerfully and persuasively. Many presenters use Powerpoint slides as a crutch – with disastrous results! Slides can be effective for certain purposes, but they are woefully passive and should not be the default mode – there are more powerful media available. We will learn when and how to use Powerpoint, flip charts, props, and other media to leave a lasting impression on an audience.

• Finally, we will introduce a checklist to make certain that key elements are not overlooked and golden opportunities are not missed. I developed this template as a member of Toastmasters International—an organization dedicated to public speaking—and I have used it to help people of all backgrounds and levels of ability to improve their presentation skills.

• Primary workshop objective:

• Students will learn how to use a seven point template to prepare their own presentations, evaluate presentations, and coach their fellow students

• Students will also learn how to:

• Understand the needs of their audience and tailor their presentation accordingly

• Build rapport to connect with and engage participants

• Develop a powerful stage presence using their voice and nonverbal communication techniques to deliver a clear and appropriate message

• Use various media effectively to maximize impact

Note: This is not a typical presentation skills workshop. Participants should expect to be challenged and to encounter new ideas.