Nobody Wants To Hear Your Academic Gobbledygook

Reminders about your oral presentation:

* Reduce amount of “academic gobbledygook.”

* If you use a quote, immediately follow it with putting it in your own words.

* Every real-life example, claim, counter claim, and discussion of linking questions MUST have a story/example connected to it (beginning/middle/end). See the second half of The Best Digital Storytelling Resources to learn about how to tell stories and their importance. Your stories should be a mix of personal ones and ones you’ve learned from texts, movies, history, etc. IMPORTANT: When you tell the stories, be sure to connect them back to the knowledge issue!

* Don’t only expand on TOK textbook ideas and concepts (and concepts we’ve explored through classroom materials and discussions) — also provide explicit connections to what you have learned from textbook and class. However, come up with your own examples to illustrate these concepts – don’t just repeat what’s in the textbook. Show original thought!

* Minimize sharing your opinion until the conclusion.

* Be sure to practice with your partner (s) at least three times prior to making your presentation. Make sure that one of those times is very shortly prior to your presentation.

* Please dress nicely the day of your presentation.

* Remember basic presentation skills – posture, projecting voice, no gum-chewing

* Give me your outline form and expanded outline prior to giving your presentation