Don't look at the screen when you're giving a presentation

I was at an awards ceremony the other night. At that time, several people were making presentations, using PowerPoint. The screen was directly behind the presenter, and the slides were being controlled by another person, sitting behind the presenter. Therefore, each presenter would frequently turn his or her head, look at the screen and slide, then continue the presentation.

While it's good to be sure of the slide you're on, turning the head and talking to the screen is an ineffective way to communicate. You run the risk of losing your audience when you do so. People give presentations this way because they have no other way of knowing that's on the screen.

Here are two alternatives for you, when you are the presenter. First, control the computer yourself. Keep it in front of you, so that you see exactly what the audience sees. That way, you can look BRIEFLY at the screen while still seeing the audience, and thus can avoid turning your head.

If you can't arrange to have the computer screen in front, then have in front of you instead a printed copy of the slides. Make sure, though, that the printed copy and the "soft" electronic copy are the same.

Almost time to leave Beijing

I can't believe how quickly time flies. It seems like only yesterday I arrived in Beijing, to study and teach at Tsinghua University. I will be leaving on December 31, with many fond memories and experiences.

Here's an article I wrote on living in Beijing, with tips and things to watch out for. Since that time, I've added a few more.

http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/10things/?p=449