Using Audio Visual Aids in Oral Presentation

January 10th, 2012

There are a few things that you should check when you are using an audio visual aid in your oral presentation. If you want your oral report without any glitches and troubles, you can follow these simple tips.

Your visual aids must be seen by everyone in the room. This means that the font size of your visual aid should be seen by your audience at the back of the room. If you are using Microsoft Word, it is recommended that you can use a font size of 16 pts and above.

You can use cartoons, sketches and drawings as visual aids. This is also a good idea to hold the interest of your audience. Sometimes these drawings and images interpret the report better than texts.

Slides can be used as prompts on your report. You can just supplement the heading instead of the whole sentence. You should be able to explain every word or heading of the slide as you continue reporting.

When using overhead transparencies, it is best if you use dark pen and only show the relevant section. Remember to turn off the overhead projector when you are not using it.

You should make arrangements well ahead of schedule. Sometimes you would have to borrow your audio visual equipments from the school library or other departments. You can come early before your presentation to check whether all the equipments are working perfectly.

 

Maintaining the Interest of Your Audience During Oral Presentation

January 8th, 2012

During an oral report or presentation in your school, it is always important that you maintain the interest of your audience towards you and what you are reporting. Most teachers and instructors award higher grades for those students who give a very engaging report and holds the interest of the rest of the class.

One of the things that will lose the interest of your audience quickly is if you read your entire report. Remember that this is an oral presentation, you can glance once in a while on your cue cards but never read it in front of your audience. Cue cards or scripts are helpful so that you won’t forget anything so use it only when you need to. Try to visualize listening to an oral report that is just being read for several minutes, it can be really boring and you would lose interest quickly.

Here are the techniques so that you can hold the interest of your audience when you are doing an oral report:

  • You should vary the tone of your voice when you are presenting or reporting. A monotone voice is not very good to listen to. Without any changes in tone and pitch or without any feelings in your voice, this can either bore your audience or put them to sleep.
  • You should avoid speaking too quickly. It is also important that the audience understands every word you are saying. Talking too fast will make it harder for the audience to understand you and they may lose interest. The audience and your instructor may also get the impression that you are nervous or you just want to finish your report quickly.
  • You should connect with your audience by maintaining eye contact with them all the time. This is also a good strategy to keep their attention and interest to you.
  • Do not forget to smile at your audience. A face with no expression or a glum face is not good to look at. Smiling at the audience will easily put you and the audience at ease.
  • It is okay if you can walk around and move while doing your presentation but not too much because this may indicate that you are too nervous. If you choose to stay stationary, you should not slouch or lean on the wall and table.
  • Do not do anything that would cause your audience to be distracted. One example is chewing a gum while talking since this may distract your audience.

Those are the ways or strategies that you can follow so that you will maintain the interest and attention of your audience. Remember them next time you are in front of the class doing your oral presentation.

What is in Your Dictionary?

January 6th, 2012

The dictionary contains an alphabetical list of words along with their meanings. You may think that this is the only use of the dictionary but there are still other uses for your dictionary. Here are the list of things that is found inside your dictionary.

  • Dictionaries should contain definitions and word meanings
  • Synonyms
  • English spelling
  • Pronunciation of words
  • Grammatical information
  • Origin of words
  • Plurals of nouns
  • Parts of speech
  • Prepositional rules
  • Word usage
  • Capitalisation

Your dictionary can also help you with a number of tasks. A dictionary can help you find words of similar meanings. A dictionary can also include maps, information about geographical places, famous people, pictures of state or national flags, listing of state capitals, illustrations and other lists of facts.

You can find a lot of information in the dictionary if you know how to use it properly.

Different Technology Used in Schools

January 4th, 2012

In the 80′s and early 90′s, technology was just playing a minor role in schools but we can see today that universities and schools use different kinds of technologies to aid in teaching their students and facilitate in learning. Technology has become an important and vital part of our culture and this means that our children must be taught properly how to use these technologies.

Students are required to learn basic computer skills such as typing, documenting and using the internet. Schools have computer laboratory rooms where they teach the students how to use the computer. Schools may allow students to bring their own laptops for taking notes.

Teachers may use DVDs and digital cameras to clearly show in visual form their lessons to their students. Digital cameras may also be used by students in certain projects to record their activities. Projectors may be used so that everyone can watch the presentation made by the teacher or the students themselves.

Schools will also provide educational software in different kinds of subjects such as math, science, art, literature, music and so on. These software may evaluate the strong and weak points of the students and this knowledge can help the teacher on what areas to concentrate when teaching the lesson to his or her students.

There are also technologies used in school which helps those students who have certain disabilities. There are voice recognition technology software which can help students who are blind use the computers in school.

These are just some of the technologies that are being used in the schools today and this is just the beginning. The development of technology will continue in the future and there is no sign of stopping. It is necessary for the coming generations to know how to use these technologies properly.

Different Reading Skills: Skimming and Scanning

January 1st, 2012

Skimming and scanning reading materials is a reading skill and technique which has its purpose. There are different reasons why you are reading a particular text or a paper, either you read it thoroughly or you just skim and scan it.

Skimming is what you use when you just want to get a general impression of a reading material. An example of skimming is when you are looking at a book and you look at the cover, the back cover, the title of the book, the contents page, the chapter headings, the first and last sentence of the paragraph for each chapters and the sub headings. You just skim over the book so you will have some idea on what the book is all about. You don’t actually need to read through the whole book just to get an overall impression, you skim through it in a matter of seconds or minutes.

For scanning, this is the technique you use when you are trying to find an answer to your questions. An example of scanning is when you are trying to find a name on a phone book. You do not read the names one by one, instead you scan the page down quickly until you see the name you are looking for.

Skimming and scanning is often used when you are trying to get an answer quickly from the reading material or the book. If you read through the whole paper or article, you are wasting a lot of time instead of just getting the answers quickly by scanning or skimming.

Public Library Services

December 31st, 2011

With the advancement in systems and technology, public libraries today are not just a place to read books, research and study but they are also considered as electronic information centers. Libraries today offer different kinds of services and programs which can be beneficial to students and the public.

If you want to know the different services being offered by your public library, you can go online and visit the website of your public library. You will find the range of services that the library is offering to the public and the policies that go with it.

To avail of the services of the library, you should have a library card. If you don’t have one, then you should probably apply for one today. You need a photo ID and a proof of current address to bring to the library.

You can also look at your community calendar for events, training sessions and community activities being offered by your public library. There may be some enrollment procedures but most only require you to become a member without any fees.

Public libraries may also offer trainings for computer programs which can be beneficial if you want to hone your computer skills. This is also great for students who want to have additional knowledge on different computer programs.

You can also reserve a reading room of your own in a public library. Meeting rooms can also be reserved if you are going to hold a meeting or an event. There are terms and conditions to be followed so that you can use these private rooms.

Public libraries does not only house books but they also have an extensive collection of audio and video materials. You can borrow educational DVDs and LPs from your public library.

Using SQ3R Reading for a More Detailed Understanding

December 25th, 2011

If you want a more detailed understanding of what you are reading, you can choose the SQ3R method or technique.The SQ3R stands for Survey, Question, Read, Recite and Review. Those are the five steps that you would have to follow for effective reading.

The first step is the Survey. This means you have to look over the whole text. Check out how the format is laid out and its heading.

The second step is the Questions. You can ask yourself some questions regarding the text such as: Why you are reading the text? What do you need to find out from the text? Is it useful to your homework or assignment?

Step three is Read. While reading the text, you can take some notes. This can help keep your focus on the task at hand.

The fourth step is Recite. You can stop once in a while to recite what you have just read.

The fifth and final step is Review. After finishing the notes or the book, you can review it and try to recall the main ideas and important points of the notes.

Importance of Extra-Curricular Activities for Students

December 24th, 2011

Extra-curricular activities are also important in both physical and emotional development of the student. Schools encourage students to participate and join different clubs, sports and extra-curricular activities.

Students with extra-curricular activities can mention their accomplishments on their college applications. Some college counselors look for leadership qualities from students and most often this can be found in extra-curricular activities. If a student excels in any school activity, he or she can be awarded with a scholarship.

By joining extra-curricular activities, the school is encouraging the students to develop hobbies . These extra-curricular activities decreases stress and school violence.

Social skills can also be developed when students are a part of any extra-curricular activity. Different roles may be given to the students and some of them are leadership roles. Students will learn to communicate with other people and make new friends.

A study has been made and it was found that students who participate in extra-curricular activities perform better in school. They have higher grade average than students who are not a member or did not join any clubs or sports activities.

 

Learning to Relax Before Final Exams

December 18th, 2011

It is normal for students to feel a bit nervous and tense before final exams. It is much better if you know how to relax and control yourself. The nervousness and tension may just give you additional stress and prevent you from thinking clearly during your exam.

Starting your study schedule a week or two before exams can help you to just relax more effectively. The final hour before the exam should be spent relaxing instead of cramming.

To reduce anxiety and stress before your final exam, you can breathe deeply. You can close your eyes and breathe in slowly through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Remember to keep your body relaxed when doing this and repeat the process until you feel calm. You can also do this when you are studying.

It also helps to visualize yourself in control and calm just before the exam. This visualization technique can help you reduce any anxiety and tension you feel as well as prepare you for the exam.

You have to get a full night’s sleep before the exam. You do not want to feel drowsy on the day of your exam. Make sure you are well rested so that you can arrive early the next morning.

Types of Disability Grants in College

December 16th, 2011

Students with specific disabilities can get different types of college grants. These grants will provide the student with additional money and services. Nonprofit organizations can also give out scholarships and disability grants for those students who applied for it. If you have a disability and you want to apply for a scholarship or a grant, you can contact the university directly. There are application deadlines for these grants so you have to be aware of this.

The first type of disability grant is for students who have mental and neurological disabilities. Students with autism, narcolepsy and depression can apply for this grant. There are scholarship programs that provide money grants for those students affected with autism.

Students with physical disability is also a candidate for scholarship grants. Some organization base the grant on both disability and financial need. Non-profit organizations and foundations provide financial support for the student’s college expenses.

Another type of disability that can be applied for grants is blindness and deafness. Scholarship grants are given for students who are deaf and blind. There are various organizations that help people with sensory disability and provide money and cash grants for their education.

If you are applying for a disability grant, you have to read and understand the requirements first. Some programs may require signature of physicians and doctors regarding the disability of the person. Complete the requirements and submit it on time.