Using media to present ideas . . .From Reading to Writing Heroes come in many forms, from the housewife in “A Chip of Glass Ruby” to the unnamed rescuer in “The Man in the Water.” Some heroes do their good deeds in the public eye, while others act quietly behind the scenes.

Using media to present ideas . . .However, even quiet deeds can make for an inspiring story, especially when shared in an effective presentation. One way to inspire or inform others is with a multimedia presentation, which combines sounds, visuals, and text.

Using media to present ideas . . .Politicians and businesspeople often use multimedia presentations to convey their messages at rallies, trade shows, and meetings of all kinds.

B a s i c s i n a B o x

GUIDELINES & STANDARDS Multimedia Presentations

A successful multimedia presentation should

• capture the audience’s attention with a strong beginning

• clearly, directly, and logically present information

• use media appropriate to the content

• end by stating the importance of the topic, summarizing the points made, or drawing a conclusion about the topic

Content

A successful presenter should

• have good posture and maintain eye contact with the audience

• vary his or her pacing as well as the pitch, tone, and volume of his or her voice

• use gestures and body language to enhance the presentation

• smoothly incorporate the media components into the presentation

Delivery

Creating Your Multimedia Presentation1 Planning Your Presentation

To find a topic for your presentation, try

brainstorming with your classmates about

people whose work you admire. You might

also talk with your family about relatives who

have done something heroic. After you have

chosen your topic, follow these steps:

Steps for Planning Your Multimedia Presentation

1. Gather information about your hero. What heroic act did the person perform? What was his or her motivation? What were the effects of his or her actions? Conduct research or interviews to collect answers to these and other questions you generate.

2. Think about your audience. What do they already know about the person? What do you want them to know? What background information will you need to provide?

3. Evaluate your information. Although your presentation may make an emotional appeal, be sure your facts are accurate. If necessary, use additional sources.

Steps for Planning Your Multimedia Presentation

4. Organize your information. What type of

resources are available? Which will help you get

your point across most effectively? Here are some

options to consider:

Audiotapes and CD’s allow you to present

sound effects, including music and voices.

Flipcharts, posters, photos, slides, charts,

and graphs allow you to present visuals in a

variety of formats and don’t necessarily require

the use of a computer.

Steps for Planning Your Multimedia Presentation

Videos allow you to present both sound and

visual materials.

Computer presentation software allows you to

incorporate sound and visuals and to produce

graphs, charts, and drawings; you can even

project a slide show from a computer.

Creating Your Multimedia Presentation2 Developing Your Presentation

Once your have gathered the information you

want to include in your multimedia

presentation, you can begin organizing it and

creating the text and multimedia components.

Steps for Developing Your Multimedia Presentation

1. Create an outline of the points you will make. If you wish, you can write out your script word for word. Be sure to indicate where you will include your media elements. Remember that you may need to introduce and explain the audio and visual material you present.

2. Create a strong introduction and conclusion. Use a question, an anecdote, a startling fact, or a powerful quotation to grab your audience’s interest right away. End with a clear, powerful statement to leave a memorable impression.

Steps for Developing Your Multimedia Presentation

3. Gather and create your media components. Make sure that all images and text in your visuals are large enough to be seen at the back of the presentation area. Check audio materials to ensure that the sound can be clearly heard.

4. Evaluate your materials. Look critically at your materials to see whether you have used various media—including your oral delivery of the text—as effectively as possible.

Creating Your Multimedia Presentation3 Practicing and Presenting

Practice your presentation several times

to become comfortable with speaking

from your script or outline and handling

your media elements. Keep the following

points in mind as you rehearse:

Creating Your Multimedia Presentation3 Practicing and Presenting

Use your voice effectively. Speak

loudly enough to be heard, but vary

the tone and pitch of your voice to

keep your audience’s attention. Use

changes in volume and pace to

emphasize particular points.

Creating Your Multimedia Presentation3 Practicing and Presenting

Maintain eye contact and use

appropriate gestures and facial

expressions. Keep your audience with

you by looking directly at them and

using gestures and expressions to

maintain their interest and emphasize

your points.

Creating Your Multimedia Presentation3 Practicing and Presenting

Weave the media elements

smoothly into your presentation.

Make sure you know how to operate

the equipment you will be using.

Become completely familiar with the

content of your visuals and audio

materials so that you can talk about

them knowledgeably.

Creating Your Multimedia Presentation3 Practicing and Presenting

When you feel confident in your work,

you might want to invite several friends or

family members over to review your

presentation. If necessary, modify your

presentation on the basis of their

feedback.

Creating Your Multimedia Presentation4 Refining Your Presentation

TARGET SKILL

VARYING YOUR MATERIAL

To maintain your audience’s interest in your

presentation, vary the types and structures of

your sentences. For instance, asking a

question can get your listeners’ attention, but

asking several questions may confuse or bore

your audience.

Creating Your Multimedia Presentation53

Editing and Proofreading

TARGET SKILL

CONSISTENT FORM

Because visuals frequently present a great

deal of information in a small space, it is

important that they be clear and easy to

read. Using correct and consistent

capitalization can help you get your

message across effectively.