Final Day of Class: Oral Presentations

It's the final day of class! Hooray! You made! As you all know, today we will be giving the final oral presentations. With an extra time, we can do some holiday related activities. 

Presentation Rubric -> Here

Thanks for a great semester! I wish you all a happy holiday season and a wonderful start to 2015! с новым годом! 

Oral Presentation Skills Day 3: Rehearsal

Today we will spend the majority of class rehearsing for the final oral presentations next week and giving feedback to our classmates. An outline of today's class can be found below:

Oral Presentation Skills Day 3: Rehearsal

Objectives: Students will be able to...

1. Give a "first draft" rehearsal version of their final presentation
2. Give feedback to classmates about their presentations
3. Process/reflect on the feedback they've received 

I. Warm-Up
How are you? How are things? How was your weekend? How are your other classes? What plans do you have for the end of the semester? Any questions for me?

II. Comments on the IMRD Analysis
I want to take a couple of minutes to comment on the IMRD Analysis assignment.

III. Final Cumulative Vocabulary Quiz 
I hope you studied!

IV. Presentation Rehearsals
We will do this by employing the following procedure:

1. I will check your outlines/topic adaptations
2. I'll ask for volunteers/pick an order for the presentation
3. You will give your presentations 
4. Your classmates will give you feedback using this form

Your homework this week will be to reflect on this feedback.

V. Advice on Preparing Visual Aides
With the remaining class time, we will discuss how to prepare visual aides for your presentation using this presentation and this handout.

Homework
1). Prepare for the Final Presentation: We will spend our final class giving presentations and having a little holiday gathering. In order to prepare for you presentation, you should...

1. Preparing your visual aid
2. Completing the outline (if you haven't already) 
3. PRACTICING! 

2). Complete Your Rehearsal Reflection 
Using this prompt, write a 350-500 word reflection on the feedback you received on your rehearsal presentation. You will be asked to identify two areas for improvement. In addition to the visual aid and the way you adapted your topic for a general audience, these are the areas that I will be assessing you during the presentation. Good luck!

Oral Presentation Skills (Day 2: Practice & Planning)

Today we are going to continue our discussion on how to best prepare, practice and present oral presentations. We spent a lot of the last class just getting comfortable with speaking in front of others and analyzing the physical features of good presentations. Today we will be discussing how to effectively organize the information in our presentations and plan them for maximize efficacy. An outline of today's class can be found below.

Oral Presentation Skills Day 2: Practice and Planning

Objectives: Students will be able to...

1. Describe and emulate two helpful verbal techniques used by effective presenters
2. Describe and emulate two helpful non-verbal techniques used by effective presenters
3. Describe and explain the importance of planning an oral presentation
4. Describe and explain one outline pattern for planning their oral presentation
5. Begin planning the first draft of their oral presentation (for use during next week's rehearsal)

I. Warm-Up
How's it going? How are you? What's new? How was your weekend? How are your other classes going? How did the IMRD analysis go? Was it difficult? Fun? What was the biggest challenge?

II. Vocabulary Quiz
(Cue Chopin's "March Funébre")

III. Oral Presentation Practice
We will begin our discussion with some more practice activities. First, each person in class will be asked to read a tongue twister from the list. Then, we will review the presentation from last week. As we proceed through the presentation, we will stop and do a couple of short activities (appearance practice, voice practice).

IV. Planning Your Presentation
Now, we will move on to discuss how to plan for your presentation. PLANNING IS VITALLY IMPORTANT!  Hopefully by the end of today's class you will have a clear understanding as to why it is so important. We will take the following steps to analyze the importance of planning your presentation: 

1. Step One: Discussing these questions with a partner. 
2. Step Two: Examining a "tried and true" outline for effective presentations
3. Step Three: Examining key phrases and a completed outline 
4. Step Four: Considering ways to incorporate data visualizations 

This short video also offers a few practical tips for improving your presenting skills.

Homework for Tuesday, December 16th, 2014
1). Prepare for the Oral Presentation Rehearsal
Next Tuesday, everyone in class will give a practice version of their oral presentation without the visual aid. Classmate's will be asked to give feedback. In order to ensure that everyone prepares for this, you need to 1). sign-up for a topic (here) and 2). come to class with the following two documents completed: 

1. Content Outline
2. Adjusting Your Topic for a GENERAL Audience

If you do not come prepared to present, you will lost 20% off of your final presentation grade. Please let me know if you have any questions!

Oral Presentation Skills

Today we will begin the final portion of our class time together dedicated to discussing and practicing the skills necessary to give a good and effective oral presentation in English. No matter your field, communication is important and, more often than not, you will be asked to speak in front of other people from time to time. Through good preparation and practice, this can be a really enjoyable experience. We'll talk about how to do both of these things in class today. 

An outline for today's class can be found below:

Oral Presentation Skills: An Overview

Objectives: Students will be able to...

1. Describe a process approach to preparing for an oral presentation
2. Identify, describe and exemplify tactics for promoting an appropriate appearance during a presentation
3. Identify, describe and exemplify "best practices" for speaking during a presentation
4. Begin giving short, spontaneous presentations in front of classmates and the instructor
5. Recognize the importance of reflection as part of the presentation preparation process

I. Warm-Up 

How are you? How are things? How was your weekend? What's new? How are your other classes going? Do you have any questions about this class? 

II. Vocabulary Quiz

End of the line... I hope you studied! 

III. Reviewing the IMRD Critical Analysis Assignment

I want to spend a few minutes discussing the final writing assignment for class. Details can be found here. Remember, you are not writing your own article. You are analyzing the article from your field that you have chosen and answering the questions laid out in the prompt. This assignment is due by next Tuesday (December 9th, 2014) at 4:20pm. 

IV. An Overview of Presentation Skills

We will begin talking about presentations by viewing my favorite speech example of all time, Charlie Chaplin's final speech from the film, "The Great Dictator". We will then continue with a few discussion questions (found here). From there, we will discuss the "3 P" process (prepare, practice and present) using this sequencing activity. 

Then, we'll move on to a little practice. You will be given a topic from this list and asked to prepare a :30 - 1 min speech for or against the topic in question in front of the class. 

Finally, once we've had the chance to discuss you knowledge and describe the process, we'll take a look at the features of an effective presentation using this presentation as a guide. As part of the presentation, you will be asked to do three activities, which can be found below: 

1. Appearance Activity
2. Voice Activity One
3. Voice Activity Two

V. Audiences: General vs. Expert

Occasionally, you will be faced with the challenge of adapting the content of your speech to a general audience. This activity offers a few tips on how to do so as well as some practice on adapting the content for a use with a general audience.  

Homework for Next Tuesday (December 9th, 2014)

1). Finish your IMRD Critical Analysis. Email it to me (as a MS Word or PDF document) and name the file "IMRDAnalysis_YourName". If you have not sent me your article yet, I will need a copy of that, too. It is due by December 9th at 4:20pm.

2). Sign-up for a presentation topic here by this Friday (December 5th) at 11:55pm. The information for the presentation schedule can be found here. We will be doing a rehearsal without visuals on Tuesday, December 16th. The final presentations (with visuals) will be on Tuesday, December 23rd. We will have a small holiday gathering after. 

3). Start preparing your speech using this guide. 

4). Prepare for a short vocabulary quiz on these words. 

IMRD: Introductions and Literature Reviews

Today we will finish our discussion of the format of an IMRD paper by talking about literature reviews. These are complex and difficult to write but the process can be made easier by discussing a few different kinds of patterns and highlighting important and/or useful terms. An outline for today's class can be found below...

IMRD Structure: Writing Literature Reviews

Objectives: Students will be able to...

1. Discuss how literatures can differ in structure and organization
2. Analyze example literature reviews for variation in structure and organization
3. Understand and comment on the different linguistic conventions common in literature reviews

I. Warm-Up 

How are you? How are things going? How are your other classes going? Did you do anything fun over the weekend? Do you have any questions about this class? 

II. Vocabulary Quiz

I hope you studied! 

III. Returning Past Assignments

I have a variety of assignments from the past few weeks of class that I have review, graded and will return to you in class today. 

IV. Brief Review of IMRD Structure

We'll briefly review what's already been discussed of the structure using this presentation. To finish our examination of the "Discussion" section, we will do this short information sequencing example. 

V. Literature Reviews

Today we will spending the majority of our time talking about literature reviews (which are often part of the introduction section of an IMRD paper). I've included a few sample literature reviews below: 

1. Review Article (here)
2. Section of a Journal Article (here)
3. Integrated into a Journal Article (here)

These examples go to show that, once again, there is no "one size fits all" solution when writing a literature review.

NOTE: As with any academic writing, you have to be aware of the conventions of your field and the requirements of your department and/or the publication you are trying to get your work into! 

To begin, consider these questions with a partner: 

1. Why do we need to review the literature?
2. What is the difference between a “narrative” literature review and a “focused” literature review? In which types of papers might you use each one?
3. How might you organize the sources in a literature review? Think of at least two ways.
4. True or False: Your literature review should focus on very recent publications because they are likely the most relevant. Why?
5. True or False: Your literature review should be as long as possible in order to persuade your reader that you have read very widely. Why?
6. What process do you employ (or do you think you should employ) when approaching the task of writing a literature review?

VI. Steps to Writing a Literature Review

This handout goes over the steps for writing a literature review. This handout contains the same information with examples. 

Thesis Statement (main claim/argument)

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V

Introduction (background info, make the claim, overview of paper organization)

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V

Body (organization of source summaries (indicating importance)

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V

Conclusion (summary of main findings, provide closure, so what?)

VII. Review

Finally, we'll end our discussion with a short review activity. 

Homework

1. Prepare for a short vocabulary quiz on these words
2. Start working on the IMRD paper. Instructions can be found here. It is a critical analysis of your IMRD article. You will have two weeks to submit the paper. It will be between 1200 and 1600 words. Please review the instructions carefully. If you have questions, ask me SOONER rather than LATER :) This paper constitutes a major part of your grade, so it needs to be complete and you need to submit it on time. Also, in order to help you write your paper, you may want to consult the following resources: 

• IMRD Overview Presentation
• Strategies for Organizing the Literature Review
• MRD Information

Please let me know if you have any questions! 

IMRD: The "Results" and "Discussion" Sections and Summary Skills

Today we will continue our discussion of the IMRD format for research articles with an overview of the "Results" section. An outline can be found below. 

The "Results" Section and Summary Skills 

I. Warm-Up

How are you? How are things? What's new? How are your other classes? Do you have any questions about this class? 

II. Vocabulary Quiz

Any questions? No? "Speak now... or forever hold your peace!" 

III. IMRD: Review of "Methods" and Intro to "Results" 

Let's take a look at this presentation. It reviews the information we discussed last week and advances our dialogic analysis of the IMRD structure. The presentation covers: 

1. An overview of IMRD structure
2. An brief explanation of the purpose of each component of the IMRD article structure
3. An introduction and overview of the "Methods" section
4. An introduction and overview of the "Results" section

After our discussion, we will practice the following activities designed to increase your awareness about the features of and language used within the "Results" section: 

1. Finding Information within the "Results" Section
2. Understanding the Role of Comments Within the "Results" Section

IV. Summary Skills

Finally, let's take a look at a formula for summarizing an IMRD article. The formula can be found here. 

Once you've accessed the plan/formula, take a few minutes to read through the material. We will be using this strategy to try and summarize an academic article of your choosing for homework. 

Homework for Next Tuesday (11/25/2014)

1). Bring your IMRD article to class (you won't be given credit for attending class without the article)

2). Summarize your article before class using the strategy found in Part IV above. Send me your summary for feedback by Sunday (11/23/2014) at 11:55pm. Title your work: "IMRDSummary_YourName"

3). Prepare for the next vocabulary quiz on these words. 

An Introduction to IMRD Research Paper Format

Today we are going to begin a four-week long discussion of the IMRD format for scientific articles. We will be discussing this format because it is considered the most prominent format for the publication of original research. We will be adhering to the following schedule: 

1. Day One (11/11): Overview and Methods
2. Day Two (11/18): Results & Discussion
3. Day Three (11/25): Introductions
4. Day Four (12/3): Literature Review

An outline for today's class can be found below:

Introduction to IMRD Format: Overview & Methods

Objectives: Students will be able to....

1. Identify and define the primary components of the general, IMRD format
2. Identify and explain ways in which IMRD format varies between disciplines 
3. Demonstrate understanding of how different tenses are used within an IMRD research paper
4. Identify and define the characteristics of the "Methods" section of a general, IMRD research paper
5. Analyze a sample IMRD article

I. Icebreaker

How was your weekend? How was the holiday break? How are your other classes? Any questions about this class? 

II. Vocabulary Quiz

Time to "face the music". I hope you studied!

III. An Introduction to IMRD Format

Let's begin with what you know. With a partner, answer the following questions: 

• What are the basic parts/sections of a journal article? 
• What purpose does each part/section serve? 
• Is there variation between different scientific fields? How do you know? Can you give an example? 

After the discussion, we will look at this overview of the format. It is a general overview, intended for use with many different fields of study. To find out the requirements you will need within your field, we will have to do some genre analysis. 

For more information about this format, click here

IV. Identifying the Sections
There are usually hints that tell you which section of an IMRD you are in. These hints include things like: verb tense, the presence of author commentary and/or the (extensive) use of citation. Let's practice getting acquainted with these tenses using this activity.

1. Present Tense: This study is part of our research on....
2. Past Tense: We conducted this study as part of our research on....
3. Passive Voice (subject + finite form of to be + 3rd person past participle): The study was conducted....

V. The Methods Section

Now, let's look at the characteristics of the 'Methods' section. To do this, first read this article and answer the comprehension questions. Once you have finished, compare your answers with a class mate. 

After we discuss the answers as a class, we will do this activity to practice identifying the information that should be included in the 'Methods' section. 

Homework for Next Tuesday (11/18/2014)

1. Prepare for another vocabulary quiz on new words
2. Work through this brief overview of articles in English
3. Find an scientific article from your field of study written in English. The article should match the following criteria:

• Be between five and 10 pages long
• Pertain to your field (materials science, engineering, etc.)
• Contain each of the four components of the IMRD structure (it can contain more than that, too)

Once you have your article, email it to me (as a link or an attachment) so I can check it. Once I have told you it is 'ok', then print out the article. Bring this article with you for every class until we finish the unit! 

Finally, write a 300-500 word summary of the articles main points.