Everything that has a beginning… My workshop ‘Presentation Makeover for Educators’ began from a request for a Powerpoint workshop for School Secretaries. It was a request from Puan Hajar Zituakmar Mohd Fauzi, then an Assistant Registrar at School of Pharmaceutical Sciences.
Initially I was quite surprised to get such request. Why would secretaries for Deans and Deputy Deans need a workshop on Powerpoint? Often, it’s a lecturer in a School or Institute who would design slides for a Dean/Director’s presentation. Puan Hajar explained that the secretaries needed to sit for exams on certain Microsoft apps – Powerpoint is one of them.
Err… I’m not a Powerpoint user, I told Puan Hajar but I can help you.
So I studied the basic features of Powerpoint and combined them with many simple examples that explain the four principles in visual design.
Took about 1.5 months to come up with the entire workshop materials. But I was happy of how things turned out. The workshop went well; received comments from the workshop participants, some are as follows:
I remember years earlier, when my teaching slides were featured in the classic presentation book, Presentation Zen by Garr Reynolds, I approached some key people at the university’s training department (HR).
Next to it is the workshop module on Powerpoint for Secretaries.
I wanted to offer workshops for educators and staff, but it was declined. The top officer took a look at my slides in the book and said, “(slides) like these… you can ask your son or daughter to do it. I don’t see the need to offer training on Powerpoint.”
There is time and place for everything, I consoled myself and kept the dream alive.
In 2014, thanks to Prof. Abd Karim Alias, CDAE Director, provided me the space and ample opportunities for further sharing with educators.
Presentation Makeover for Educators grew from there on.
Check out this Sway: https://sway.office.com/NB5kwbgxVRyCAVZP
The workshop was offered twice a year. The materials from the Powerpoint workshop for secretaries are further fine-tuned to suit educators. The first workshop was called ‘Designing Effective Presentation’; later after a series of such workshop, I felt a more apt name is Presentation Makeover for Educators.
Unlike any other presentation workshop, participants in this workshop would share what they’ve learned by re-designing their old slides. When old slides get a makeover, the way they present will also change. The workshop participants also would receive feedback from fellow participants and me.
They become more aware of the elements essential to bring about clarity and beauty to a presentation. To their audience.
One persistent challenge I learn is from educators in disciplines, e.g. laws, engineering, maths, chemistry. Many are grappling with presenting massive amount of information and knowledge (and formulae). How does one solve this problem?
By doing more with less.
It’s an art. And science. That an educator would acquire through the willingness to take risks (however silly it seems), keep experimenting and learning with students. And it’s more about learning and sharing.
And less about teaching.
When everything has a beginning,
The beginning has an end… And the end is
the beginning of a new chapter in Life.
