Week 5 Reflection

February 10 - 16

Well, for it being such an "easy" week, I found this assignment to be quite challenging. I thought I was ahead of the game with yellow text on a blue or green background (chapter 1), but after reading in chapters 2-3 that we need to limit of use of text to a title and our name on the first page, I found that to be easier said than done! Here's what it comes down to: adding text to your slides is easier than adding images; adding any image to your slide is easier than adding good images; and finally, adding good images that are also labeled for reuse (with modification when necessary) is very challenging indeed!  I found Google's advanced search tools (under usage rights) to be very helpful in getting decent images legally, but not all were of the highest quality, which is why I'm beginning to search for other digital warehouses for images...I want high quality images that are current and I want to be able to modify them as I see fit (for noncommercial use). I'm going to continue to search and add these sites to my Digital Citizenship Pinterest board, but for now I found Pixabay to be very helpful.  

Challenges I see in living up to Burmark's expectations for creating better presentations.

- He called it, we don't all have the time, resources, or familiarity with the end product or topic to create presentations on par with Steve Jobs

- Don't attendees still have their attention divided when they are looking down at a handout (albeit a one page, two column, two-sided) while you're presenting? At least with a digital copy you provide them with up front, and built in links, their learning can be more self-directed...in other words they can ignore me when they know what I'm talking about and tune in when they don't. I realize this in and out of the presentation runs its risks, but so does having them "power down" during your conversation. It kind of runs counter to the differentiation he alludes to in chapter 3...it's a one-size fits all approach to the sequencing and pacing of the delivery method, even if you have attendees place stickers over their learning style as they come in and accomodate those to whatever degree you can (who has time to create and prepare that many variations of your presentation!), if you have all of them following along at the same pace you're assuming they all come in with the same prior knowledge, and that they all learn at the same pace.  Hmmm...not convinced yet.

- Why this fixation on a single page handout? I know he spent almost $500 at one point on a bunch of copies/handouts, but isn't there some grey area in between? I like all the suggestions about creating a handout that is separate from the presentation...that all makes sense...but I believe the handout might be a good place for some of the topics (dare I say bullet?!?!?) addressed in each slide, and depending on the length of the presentation, even with 2 columns and two sides, one page just might not do it.

All that being said, for the most part, I'm convinced he's right. The research is there...I guess I'll just have to see if people are able to learn/retain more without text on the slides...some people are just not that auditory! They need to see (and re-see) the points to sink in. Can't do that with audio only...you either heard it or you didn't.

The Teach It Forward is a great analogy for an idea I've liked for a long time...may run with that!