Practice in the Library
Practice your presentation with classmates or friends in our group study rooms! Use the button below to reserve a room, call 703-878-5733 or just walk in.
Read About Presentations
Books on giving presentations will be in these two areas:
♦ PN 4129.115 - Public Speaking
♦ HF 5718.22 - Presentations (PowerPoints & Visuals)
Here are some of our favorites at Woodbridge:
Stand and Deliver: How to Become a Masterful Communicator and Public SpeakerCall Number: PN4129.15 .S73 2011"Stand and Deliver "gives you everything you need to know to become a poised, polished, and masterful communicator. It reveals the techniques that have worked for countless great speakers throughout history. In this book you will learn how to prepare properly for a presentation, develop and project your own unique style, overcome stage fright, and win any audience in one minute.
Slide:ology: The Art and Science of Creating Great PresentationsCall Number: HF5718.22 .D83 2008This book will show you how to create more effective visual aides for your presentations. Millions of presentations and billions of slides have been produced -- and most of them miss the mark. Slide:ology will challenge your traditional approach to creating slides by teaching you how to be a visual thinker.
Your Perfect PresentationCall Number: PN4192.B87 H66 2014This book shows you proven tips, techniques, and exercises to amplify your effectiveness as a speaker and communicator. The author explains how the brain processes information, what people respond to, and how to hold the audience in the palm of your hand.
Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and DeliveryCall Number: HF5718.22 .R49 2012Presentations are generally poor because their creators have learned bad habits and lack awareness and knowledge about what makes for a great presentation (and what does not). This book aims to help people break out of the rut of making typical PowerPoint presentations.
Better PowerPoint: Quick Fixes Based on How Your Audience ThinksCall Number: HF5718.22 .K67 2011Cognitive neuroscientist Stephen M. Kosslyn shows how to make presentations work better based on how our brains work. If you have a PowerPoint presentation that is not giving you the results you want, take advantage of scientific research about what your audience is seeing and thinking.
Image Searching
- Britannica Image Quest This link opens in a new windowMore than two million rights-cleared images from over 50 of the best image collections in the world. (NVCC)
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| Cat Mummy | Force-Feeding Geese |
Try this source for images:
Oral Presentation Tips
Presentation Resources
- Presentations that Pop! from Tufts University Powerpoint and presentation skills from University Information Technology Training & Documentation Department at Tufts.
- PowerPoint and Presentation from Ellen FinkelsteinEllen Finkelstein is a recognized expert, speaker, trainer, and best-selling author on PowerPoint, presentation skills, and AutoCAD. Her articles have appeared in numerous magazines, newsletters, and blogs.
- Toastmasters International Toastmasters International is a non-profit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of meeting locations.
PowerPoint Presentation Tips: Building Your Slides
- Your presentation supports your speech. Don't let it take focus away from your ideas.
- Use bullet points, not complete sentences
- 4-6 points per page, one point at a time
- Only use images if they are relevant and are high quality
- Make graphs/diagrams as simple as possible
- Use consistent backgrounds and layouts for all slides
- Avoid bright backgrounds or cluttered layouts
- Use high contrast font; dark on light, or light on dark
- Use color to emphasize, but use with care
- Avoid extremely bright colors
- Avoid odd color combinations
- Use no more than two fonts types, nothing cursive or ornamental
- Minimum of 18 font, 20 or 24 is better
- Use animation sparingly
- Avoid distracting or annoying sound effects