Here are some tips for your class presentations. 1. Remember to get the readings out AT LEAST 7 days (2 weeks is better) prior to your presentation. Although you can zerox articles and pass them out at least a week in advance, it is best to get them from JStor and send them to me as an attachment; I will post them on the class homepage for people. Or, you can send out URLs to the class list for people to read. 2. Include some "reading questions" or "discussion questions" or some way to structure readings for people. Nothing fancy, just a hint for the reader. 3. Make sure the presentations link the readings to your themes. The broad topics are intended to be broad. The goal is for you to tie the themes to main issues. Presentations can be "lecture," games, or anything else that gets material across and generates discussion and interaction. 4. Don't try to do to much in your presentations. Be substantive, concise, and clear. "Idea overload" confuses people, including the instructor. Don't assume that everybody understands the issues. Many of us might not have had the relevant courses or--more likely--we've forgotten what we've learned. 5. If there are complex issue, handouts are useful. While I don't like powerpoint, if that helps you, use it (but, handouts tend to be better). 6. Keep the class involved: Games, debates, groups, q&a, lots of ways to do this. The ratio of presentation-to-class involvement can vary dramatically, but try to make it (in a seminar) at least 80-20, but no more than 50-50. 7. The rule of thumb: Consider what you DO NOT like about the instructor's style, and do the opposite.
Page maintained by: Jim Thomas - jthomas@math.niu.edu