I am just back from the IATEFL conference in Glasgow, where Spring was definitely in the air and over 2,000 EFLers gathered to share ideas, discuss and learn. And meet old friends - which for me is one of the best things about conferences like this.
I went to a number of fascinating presentations, but have been left with a very strong feeling about what makes an effective presentation. For me the best presentations were when speakers abandoned their notes, spoke from their hearts and told stories of real-life classroom situations from which we could all learn.
A plea to all presenters - please don't read your notes aloud, don't just read what's on your slides, tell us what you care about and illustrate your ideas with real-life stories - share your experiences. Consider what the listener is going to get out of your presentation - some practical ideas, an opportunity to see something differently, to learn something new. Or just send a link by email and we can read what you wrote ourselves.
I went to a number of fascinating presentations, but have been left with a very strong feeling about what makes an effective presentation. For me the best presentations were when speakers abandoned their notes, spoke from their hearts and told stories of real-life classroom situations from which we could all learn.
A plea to all presenters - please don't read your notes aloud, don't just read what's on your slides, tell us what you care about and illustrate your ideas with real-life stories - share your experiences. Consider what the listener is going to get out of your presentation - some practical ideas, an opportunity to see something differently, to learn something new. Or just send a link by email and we can read what you wrote ourselves.