Every so often, the greater Milwaukee American Meteorological Society (AMS) chapter meets to discuss different topics. During our most recent meeting, we went over how to give a compelling Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) presentation.
Are you a teacher or presenter that wants to find new ways to share information? You may find the tips below helpful.
When presenting to a group of students, or even just out in the community, remember these six things:
- Sharing personal background
- Storytelling about individuals associated with your topic
- Utilization of physical props
- Use humor
- Emphasis on fluency in topic
- Audience involvement
Bart Adrian is a great storyteller, and his energy and enthusiasm naturally grab the audience's attention. And it's important to use your strengths and personality to elevate your presentation.
Let's break down the six points a little further.
By sharing your personal/career background right off the bat, it gains trust from your audience by giving yourself credibility toward the topic.
No matter what the topic may be, giving real-life scenarios makes it more relatable. For instance, if I was talking about qualities of my job, I could bring up Al Roker or Ginger Zee. Bringing up well-known names helps the audience better understand, grasp or relate to what you're talking about.
Whenever I visit a class to talk about weather and my job, the biggest hit with the students may be the green screen. It gives them an opportunity to practice what I do daily. It always gets some laughs and helps people realize it may be a little trickier than what one may think.
The humor component depends on how comfortable you are using it and how you incorporate it into your speech. For me, since I'm not a comedian, I like to use fun elements in my presentations.
For instance, if I'm talking to a group of high school students, I'll have them break up into groups and create a TikTok that you would make on a sunny day.
But sometimes, just giving your background isn't enough for people to trust you. That's why you sometimes have to take it a step further and show them what you do behind-the-scenes.
For example, most people just assume TV meteorologists get in front a camera and point at a screen for about three minutes. In reality, we do a lot more before even stepping in front of the camera.
So I walk them through all the tasks I have to complete, but especially the science that goes into creating a forecast. When showing them data from the models, that's when the audience understands how much I know about meteorology.
Finally, and most importantly in my opinion, involve the audience in some way. Sure, it's nice to ask if they have questions, but try to incorporate another point of audience engagement.
Whether it's choosing one or two students to solve a math problem or having the class create their own tornado in a bottle, this will likely be the main thing people remember from your presentation.
Hopefully these tips were helpful and will guide you through creating your next presentation.
If you'd like to attend a Greater Milwaukee AMS chapter meeting, feel free to reach out to Bart at adrianb@uwm.edu.
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