Essay on the Use of Students Presentation

For a presentation to be viewed as strong, it must be gripping, informative, and mentally engaging. These qualities do not come easily in all presentations, especially in the event where it is being done by a student in the context of a classroom. Hence, there are core considerations to be made by a student if they are to make a satisfactory presentation. More specifically, this paper attempts to analyze the standards and frameworks set for student learning with respect to a presentation in class, thereby bringing out the properties of that which is strong.

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The first rule of a good presentation is conformity to the learning objectives. According to Panasuk and Todd (2005), a student is supposed to be able to present in class per the goals of the curriculum and lesson plan on which the teacher is conducting the learning the process. Thus, it is correct to say that the first and most important characteristic that a good presentation is supposed to have is the adherence to the learning objectives. As a student makes his or her presentation, knowledge verbs, skills verbs, and attitudinal verbs are supposed to manifest in the way they communicate and engage the rest of the class. On the same note, a close look at the California Academic Content Standards reveals that lesson plans should focus on helping the students to learn actively. Therefore, for a student to make a substantial presentation in class, he or she needs to stay within the learning objectives, that is, to be able to present in accordance to what the teacher instructed and reflect the lessons gained in class.

Moreover, the use of technology in learning is necessary for the 21st century. Therefore, a good presentation is supposed to have a number of technological aspects incorporated into it because these components help both the presenter and the rest of the learners to understand clearly and deeply what is being shared and also to retain it better and longer after the session is over (Rodriguez, Haya, & Earl, 2014). It is in full consideration of this fact that the International Society for Technology in Education makes a point of setting rules and regulations for the use of technology in the classroom. Thus, a good and strong presentation will have key technological components, such as Prezi and PowerPoint, instead of the traditional speaking and point cards that have been used in presentations in traditional teaching and learning. The convenience and flexibility that comes with technology in classroom presentations allow the presenter to retrieve and organize their material better, ultimately contributing to a stronger one (Rodriguez, Haya, & Earl, 2014).

In addition, a strong presentation will characteristically be organized into an introduction, middle, and end, with each of these sections allowing the rest of the class to take part in the presentation through an active invitation of additional points and questions. Kelly (2017) notes that all lesson plans should allow the teacher to engage the learners and also permit the students to take leadership roles in the learning process occasionally. Panasuk and Sullivan (1998) echo this point, remarking that a good lesson plan will not only allow students to engage the teacher but also give the students a means to present their ideas, that is, provide them with the ability to do what the teacher does with the class. In that respect, a strong presentation will be two-way, such that the presenter will make points, claims, assertions, and present arguments while allowing the class to pose questions, objections, and contribute to it. Only in this fashion can both the presenter and the rest of the learners gain from a presentation.

It must also be noted that a good presentation should never lack visual aids to explain the concepts being presented (Craig, 2008). In essence, for a presenter to keep the audience visually engaged, he or she should try to get visual aids such as diagrams and charts that simplify the understanding of the concepts being explained. It is important also to understand that the idea of visual aids corresponds with the use of technology in a presentation. Visual elements are best displayed through technological utilities like Prezi.

In conclusion, a strong presentation is highly dependent on the direct and indirect involvement of the class in it. For the class to be brought into the presentation, it is necessary that the presenter focuses on material that is within the curriculum and, more so, in the lesson plan of the teacher. The incorporation of technology into the presentation makes it more comprehensive, particularly when visual aids are used to reduce the drone of speech, while the engagement of the audience through inviting objections and contributions makes for an active session. These four aspects are guaranteed to make a strong presentation for a learner in any class.

References

Craig, T. (2008). How to... make great presentations. Personnel Today, 8(7), 31. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/229954144?accountid=45049

Kelly, M. (2017). How to Write Effective Lesson Plans. About.com Education. Retrieved 25 January 2017, from http://712educators.about.com/od/lessonplans/ht/lessonplans.htm

Panasuk, R. M., & Todd, J. (2005). Effectiveness of lesson planning: Factor analysis. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 32(3), 215. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/openview/223cd4a7ec141fa43273ef88912d3d3b/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=2029838Panasuk,

R. M., Sullivan, M. (1998) Need for lesson analysis in effective lesson planning. Education, 118 (3), 330345. Retrieved from http://eds.a.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=3&sid=6a5ab51d-6be9-401f-97d3-8e31e8a18d7a%40sessionmgr4009&hid=4105Rodriguez,

M., Haya, A., & Earl, H. (2014). Using technology to engage and improve millennial students presentation performance. Atlantic Marketing Journal, 3(2), 1632. Retrieved from http://eds.a.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=10&sid=6a5ab51d-6be9-401f-97d3-8e31e8a18d7a%40sessionmgr4009&hid=4105