1. Tools: Laser pointer
1.1. Don't use it
1.2. No eye contact
1.2.1. Can't use it without turning your head away
1.2.2. No engagement
1.2.3. "We could all leave and he wouldn't know"
1.3. Use Arrow instead
2. Tools: Slides
2.1. Slides: good for exposing ideas
2.2. Logan airport anecdote
2.2.1. "Are you Prof foo?" "Seems like it"
2.2.2. "Can you review my slides?"
2.2.2.1. Too many slides, too many words
2.3. Wordy slides
2.3.1. Remove background junk
2.3.2. Get rid of the logos
2.3.3. Use animation and your mouth instead of words
2.3.4. Use very little text
2.3.4.1. Remember: only one language processor
2.3.4.2. Can't read and listen at the same time
2.3.4.3. Don't read slides
2.3.4.3.1. Audience already knows how to read
2.3.4.4. Worst outcome: audience remembers slides
2.3.5. Font size: 40pt or 50pt is about right
2.4. Heavy presentations
2.4.1. Print and lay it out on the table
2.4.1.1. Too heavy, too much text, not much imagery
2.4.1.2. Counter-example: mostly pictures, people can read text
2.4.1.3. Complexity slide: use only once in a presentation
2.5. Speaker should be close to slide
2.5.1. Otherwise tennis
2.6. These crimes happen a lot
2.6.1. Hands in pockets
2.6.2. "Theater": not a good place
2.6.3. Note the reaction: that's the sponsor of the meeting
2.6.3.1. Speaker is far away from slides, using laser pointer
2.6.3.2. BTW it's 80th slide
2.6.3.2.1. 1st of 10 conclusion slides
3. In surveys, students say more chalk less powerpoint
3.1. Why?
3.1.1. Empathetic mirroring
3.1.1.1. When you see me writing, mirror neurons become activated
3.1.1.2. You can feel as if you were me
3.1.1.3. Can't do this with a slide
3.1.1.4. This is why chalk and props are better
4. Tools: Props
4.1. Manuscript going into the stove embers
4.2. Another example: rotating bicycle wheel
4.2.1. Rotate
4.2.2. Put some duct tape
4.2.3. Makes right-hand rule easy to remember
4.3. Conservation of energy
4.3.1. Let go of a heavy ball
4.3.1.1. Shouldn't push
4.3.2. "Many seconds to think this guy really believes in conservation of energy"
5. Tools: Board
5.1. Chalk: good when informing
5.1.1. Speed at which you write: speed at which people can absorb
5.2. Lets you keep your hands open
5.2.1. Hands in pockets insulting in some parts of the world
5.2.1.1. Concealing weapon!
5.3. Has graphic quality
5.4. Can be a target
5.4.1. You can point at the board
6. Heuristics
6.1. Cycle on the subject
6.1.1. Tell them
6.1.2. Tell them again
6.1.3. Tell them a third time
6.1.4. About 20% of the audience will be tuned out at any given time
6.1.4.1. To increase probability, say it 3 times
6.2. Build a fence around your idea
6.2.1. so as not to confuse with someone else's idea
6.3. Verbal punctuation
6.3.1. People will occasionally fog out
6.3.1.1. Provide some landmark for people to get back on
6.3.2. Enumerating, outline can help
6.3.3. Ask a question
6.3.3.1. 7 seconds is good
6.3.3.2. Question has to be carefully chosen
6.3.3.2.1. Users would be too embarrased if too easy
6.3.3.2.2. If too hard, nobody will answer
7. Rule: No laptops, cellphones during talk
7.1. Because humans have only one language processor
8. Special case: Inspiration
8.1. How do you inspire?
8.1.1. Person: Some high school teacher inspired it
8.1.2. Idea: Someone showed them a new way of doing it
8.1.3. Passion: Someone exhibited passion in what they were doing
8.2. How to teach people how to think?
8.2.1. Use stories: We are story telling animals
8.2.2. Map coloring program
8.2.2.1. Slight adjustment makes the program finish
8.2.2.2. Demo!
9. How to stop: Final words
9.1. Tell a joke, perhaps
9.1.1. Doug anecdote
9.1.1.1. "Doug, you're a fantastic speaker: what's your secret?"
9.1.1.2. "I always end with a joke and people think they had fun the whole time"
9.2. Don't say "Thank you"
9.2.1. It's a weak move
9.2.2. Makes people feel weak
9.3. "Ite Missa Est"
9.3.1. "The mass is now over, you can go home"
9.4. Salute the audience
9.4.1. "It's been great fun being here" "I've been much stimulated and look forward to coming back"
10. How to stop: Final slide
10.1. Don't show a list of collaborators
10.1.1. That should have been at the beginning, not the end
10.2. "Questions?"
10.2.1. WORST possible way to end a talk
10.2.2. Can be up there for 20 min
10.2.3. Squanders real estate
10.2.4. Squanders opportunity to say who you are
10.3. For details see: <URL>
10.3.1. Wasted opportunity
10.4. "THE END", "THANK YOU"
10.4.1. Even worse
10.5. Conclusions
10.5.1. Might seem like a good one
10.6. Contributions
10.6.1. YES! This should be your last slide
10.6.2. Wait for people to read it
11. Special case: Becoming famous
11.1. Julia Child anecdote
11.1.1. "Miss Child is it fun to be famous?"
11.1.2. "You get used to it"
11.1.3. "You never get used to getting ignored" -PHW
11.1.4. Your ideas are like your children. You don't want them to go to rags.
11.2. How do you make your audience remember your ideas?
11.2.1. Have a symbol to associate with your work
11.2.2. Have a slogan to provide a handle
11.2.2.1. "One shot learning"
11.2.3. You need a surprise
11.2.4. A salient idea
11.2.4.1. Sticks out
11.2.4.2. Not necessarily "important"
11.2.4.3. Some theses have too many good ideas!
11.2.5. A near miss
11.2.6. Tell a story of how you did it, why it works, why it's important
11.2.6.1. Ensure your work is recognized
12. Special case: Job talks
12.1. Show vision
12.1.1. Problem that someone cares about
12.1.2. Something new in your approach
12.2. Show that you've done something
12.2.1. Constraints
12.2.2. List out steps you had to take
12.2.3. Enumerate your contributions
12.3. You have only 5 min to communicate!
13. Special case: Oral exams
13.1. Failure to situate
13.1.1. This has been going on for X years
13.1.2. This has been going on with Y people
13.2. Failure to practise
13.2.1. Your faculty supervisor is not a good person to practise your talk
13.2.1.1. Use a friend who has no idea about it
13.2.1.2. Tell him: "If you can't make me cry, I won't value you as a friend any more"
13.2.2. Examining committee of people with grey hair is what you want
13.2.2.1. Older people know their place in the world
13.2.2.2. Younger folks are too eager to prove themselves
14. Students shouldn't go out into life without ability to communicate
14.1. Army doesn't let soldiers go to a battle without weaponry
14.2. 1. Speak
14.3. 2. Write
14.4. 3. Quality of ideas
14.5. In that order
15. Quality of talk
15.1. integ(K, P, t)
15.1.1. Knowledge
15.1.1.1. Most important
15.1.2. Practice
15.1.2.1. Second
15.1.3. Talent
15.1.3.1. skiing example
15.1.3.2. Least important
15.2. Nonlinear process
16. How to start
16.1. Joke?
16.1.1. No, not recommended!
16.1.1.1. People are still putting things away
16.1.1.2. Becoming adjusted
16.1.1.3. Not ready for a joke!
16.2. Make an empowerment promise
16.2.1. What will the audience know at the end of hour
16.2.2. Compared to the beginning
17. Time and place
17.1. Good time to have a lecture?
17.1.1. 11am is a great time
17.1.2. Sleep, meals won't affect
17.2. Place must be well lit
17.2.1. If light goes down, we go to sleep
17.2.2. It's extremely hard to see slides from closed eyelids
17.3. Place must be cased
17.3.1. So that you can deal with weirdnesses
17.3.2. Imagine all seats were filled with disinterested farm animals
17.4. Must be reasonably populated
17.4.1. Get the right-sized place