Oral Presentation Guide

CONTENT

* Provided adequate technical background for understanding the issues.
* Topic relevant to goals.
* Engaging or controversial topic.
* Grabbed audience, gave them a reason to listen.
* Established credibility.
* Topic explored in sufficient depth.
* Reliable sources of information.
* Handouts submitted before presentation
* Competent and emphasizes main ideas.
* Clear explanations.
* Clear division among main points.


ORGANIZATION

* Stated objectives and why your topic is important or relevant.
* Stated the single major issue to be covered.
* Covers major arguments about that issue.
* Organized presentation in a logical sequence.
* Stayed within the time frame specified.
* Effectively accomplishes speech purpose: inform, persuade, entertain
* Provides closure/conclusion


STYLE

* Maintained audience interest.
* Appropriate movement, gesture, aplomb.
* Projected confidence and mastery of the material.
* Relaxed, natural and spontaneous.
* Spoke loud enough that everyone can hear.
* Good Posture, articulation, proper grammar, vivid language
* Maintained eye contact with the audience.
* Used creative presentation techniques, appropriate visual aids, humor, etc.
* Avoided reading from prepared notes.

Minutes October 17, 2008 by Megan

CLL 410: Writing for Environmental Professionals October 17, 2008
Taken by Megan Carpenter
Attendees Chris L, Megan T, Nicole, Yumie, Daniel, Chris D, Josh, Owen B, James M, Alyssa, Megan C, Ben P, Sarah

Notes from last class:

• We don’t want our kids addicted to drugs, but it’s the biggest thing we sell in the U.S!
• Illegal drugs are banned but pharmacy drugs are rammed down our throats.
• Hang over drug? Does it work?
• Pay attention to the salamander.
• Sail boat analogy (it never sails the same way.)
• Play around with abstracts
• Lighten up!

Finishing up with abstracts:

• Summary of entire paper or description
• Topic, discussion of results, recommendation

Tips to writing a conclusion:

• Restate introduction
• Relate to broader concern, or even general
• Summarize
• Use abstract in conclusion
• Key points
• Most memorable points
• Combine ideas
• Synthesize or replicate

Failure:

• We are all afraid of failure
• Talk about failure and ways to redo your research
• Conclusion can be a statement of research failure

For next class:

• Proposals due midnight Sunday night
• Abstract due midnight Sunday night
• Read section on progress reports

Minutes October 15, 2008 by Ben

CLL 410: Writing for Environmental Professionals October 13, 2008
Taken by Benjamin A. Porush
Attendees Chris L, Megan T, Nicole, Julie, Amanda, Yumie, Daniel, Chris D, Josh, Owen B, James M.

New York Times
“Scientist at Work”. By, James Henebaker.
- People who talk about traumatic experiences are healthier then people who don’t.
- He Tallies the number of words, pronouns, adjectives verbs etc. fear can be told by this. - The words you use can be analyzed to tell fear and attitudes
Ecopsychology
- What we do that’s insane, sane, healthy, mindsets.
- General view of nature and how people view it differently.
Insane things we do
- Eat bad things, over drink, extreme skiing, checking mail on Sunday, OCD, Drugs (Pot Mushroom, Acid, Ecstasy), not wearing a seatbelt, sleeping through class.
Eco-psychology of Forest
- Trees, opportunity, nature, salamander home, clean air, scenic
- Spirit is metaphysical stuff.
- Why do we think we are the best?
- Why don’t we listen to the salamander?
Metaphysics
- Philosophical notion
- Human beings separate themselves from natural world through culture and language.
- Philo= love, logy=thinking
- Air and water.
- Wolf is 30 million years old.
- Humans 1.5 million years
- They have been thinking 28.5 million years longer than humans

“DO NO HARM!” oath of a physician

- Examine your own insanity it’s a lifetime process
- Don still does stupid things.
Abstracts
- 3 diff. kinds of abstracts, descriptive, informative, executive summaries
- (Big 2 pages, medium 1 page, small ½ page)
- Descriptive= small 100-150 words
- Informative = medium 250-300
- Executive summaries = big 1000-2000
Write a descriptive abstract for your paper.
What is it and how is it different from an informative?
Why write one-
- Forecast what is coming
- Decide if reader wants to read or not.
- Key words, used for indexes.

Homework
Look up
- Ecopsychology
- Abstract.
- Send Proposal of your project via email by Sunday, Oct 19.

Minutes for October 13, 2008 by Yumie

CLL 410: Writing for Environmental Professionals October 13, 2008
Taken by Yumie Kawasaki Attendants: Nicole, Alyssa, Don, Megan C., Chris F., Josh, Owen, Chris L., James, Julie, Amanda, Megan T., Benjamin, Bobby, Sarah, Yumie

Today’s Class:
-Johnny (Johannes) Kepler – father of Astronomy – check email (10/8/08) from Don
-Tommy (Thomas) Kuhn – The Structure of Scientific Revolutions
➢Paradigmatic shift
➢Knowledge of reality shift, revision of failed scientific theories

-Class Schedule
➢Week twelve: Fridays in Baker lab

-Proposal
➢Minimum two -- three pages
➢Able to see examples from online textbook
➢Including the following:
Background: the background of the project such as the problem or opportunity that has brought about this proposal
Proposal: brief statements what it is you are proposing to do
Benefit: benefits or advantages of doing the project
Feasibility: a likelihood of the full benefits of the project
Procedure (Methods): how you will go about the project, what concept or theory is involved.
Result: expected results of your project
Information Source: information sources to support your project
Graphical aids: a list of the graphics you will use in the proposed report (Photographs, graphs, charts, diagrams, maps, etc.)
Projected schedule: a schedule, timeline, or list of the project milestones
Qualifications: a list of your or your organization’s qualifications
Project expenses: costs for the proposed project (internet service cost, cell phone cost, etc.)
Tentative outline: major headings of your report (check Microsoft word outline feature)
Bibliography: a list of the information sources you will use (not only text books or books but also copy rights of songs)

Assignments:
-Send drafts of Methodology via email ASAP.
-Send Proposal of your project via email by Sunday, Oct 19.

For Next Class:
-Read “Abstract” and “Conclusion” from the Online Technical Writing textbook.

Minutes, October 8, 2008 by Nicole

CLL 410: Writing for Environmental Professionals

Taken by Nicole Papp
Attendants: Nicole, Daniel, Alyssa, Yumie, Don, Megan C., Chris F., Josh, Owen, Chris L., James, Jamie, Julie, Amanda, Megan T.

Today’s Class:
*Ate chicken noodle soup
*Explained differences between the terms imaginistic and imagistic:
-Imaginistic- fantasy/not real
-Imagistic- is real; process of communicating information via images
*Defined Research Methods:
-State procedures in Methods section
-Different types of Science labs: Zoology, Psychology, (Urban) Ecology, Botany, Chemistry, etc.
-Use Science methods:
1.) Follow Procedure (lab coat, tools)
2.) Observe→”the thing”
3.) Theorize/Hypothesize (is it valid? Is it real? If yes, is it trustworthy?)

-Theories about the way the world works (true or real, we don’t necessarily know!)
-Why is this procedure more trustworthy? It may be because it is repeatable
-We write about what we observed about “the thing” and then we ask questions about that “thing” we just observed (ex: squeeze a “thing” and it screams)
-Scientific methods differ from other methods
-Quantitative- the science around math
Methods:
1.) Observing
2.) Measuring data (ex: amount of Methane in cubic meters)
3.) Record
4.) Analyze
5.) Review
6.) Test
-Qualitative- the science around words (metaphors)
Methods:
1.) Listen
2.) Read
3.) Interview
4.) Questionnaires/surveys
5.) Analyze
-A lot of methodologies, historically, come from received views
-Some distinguished scientists:
-Kuhn
-Keplar -“Father of Math”
-Copernicus- came up with the heliocentric model of the solar system: the Earth and planets revolved around the Sun; modeled after the Trinity (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit)
-Galileo

-Much of the world in the 15th and 16th centuries was based around mystic/religious explanations
-These scientists came in and said all of it was B.S.
-They tried to bridge the gap between science and metaphors
-The populace shunned them
-They were called Heretics and were often killed for their beliefs
*Miscellaneous:
- “If you don’t know your history, you’re destined to repeat it.”
-Putting drops of virus onto a special slide will detect what virus is in your computer in minutes without the work of research for months/years.
-The instrumentation we use has an effect on what we are observing.
-When using Quantitative science methods: it’s necessary to be skeptical and to have criticism of the outcome
-When using Qualitative science methods: it’s best to try to capture the feelings you get and to try to convey them through images


Assignments:
-Shape and focus proposals ASAP and send drafts under “Methodology section” via email by midnight Saturday!!!
-Articulate your statement under your headings; describe methods (can be a bulleted list and then define them)
-Write down the possible outcome of your findings
-Look up who Keplar and Kuhn are
-You can come to class on Friday for a one-on-one with Don, or not come at all.

Minutes, October 6, 2008 by Dan

Writing for Environmental Professionals

Taken by Daniel Joseph Fabian
Attendants: Chris D., Josh, Daniel, Amanda, Yumie, Bobby, Megan T., Don, Benjamin, Chris L., James, Megan C., Owen, Jamie K., Nicole P., Alyssa T., and Julie S.

Today’s Class:

-How was your weekend?
-Bad economy
-Intellectual coherents faculty is being reassessed (result of economy)
-It is hard to lose a friend
-Vibes for Ben’s friend
-50% of class not feeling well, possible weather change?
-Turkey soup next class!

-Introductions
-Global Warming: Imagistic representation that captures our
perspective on global warming
-Propaganda by media, Do you ever really know?
-Different perspectives
-Perspectives from human, Nazi, Russian, polar bear
-Day of the Dead
-Different cultures celebrate it differently
-Day to celebrate death (go plant flowers at grave)
-Day to scare people (dress up in costumes)
-Key words, always a good place to start when brainstorming
-Sidewalks are the responsibility of both the government and
property owner
-Conservation v. Preservation from a non-biased perspective
-let the reader choose
-Methane Digester, 3 types
-Most basic, hole in ground with tarp over it
-Most effective/efficient, complete mix digester with tank
sealed by concrete

Due on Wednesday
-Contributions to Turkey Soup, examples would be bread, crackers, beverages etc.
-Introductions up to date

Minutes, October 1, 2008 by Owen

Writing for Environmental Professionals
October 1, 2008
Taken by Owen Barbour
Attendants: Chris D., Josh, Daniel, Amanda, Yumie, Bobby, Megan T., Sarah, Don, Benjamin, Chris L., James, Megan C., Owen

Today’s class:
• Bumper stickers due
o Condensed meaning of your topic idea
o Quick way of focusing your topic
o Drive meaning into and out of text
o If your topic changes rethink everything
• New bumper sticker, new proposal idea.
o Cognitive exercise,
• body of info into a phrase
• rhetorical meaning
• Using humor, visual(images), or Rhyming
• Students bumper stickers
o James- conservation vs. preservation both require smart participation
o Owen- Conservation over Preservation
o Chris- Trap the Wind
o Josh- Risk. How much can you handle?
o Daniel- Stay in School
o Bobby- Ethanol Sucks!
o Megan T.- Give Green a Foothold
o Sarah- CoExist, Respect your Mother
• Repetition
o You learn faster
o Monkeys learn by observing older monkeys
o Humans learn to smile by watching adults smile
• Yumie is researching student interests at ESF
o Methodologies
• Survey
• Interview
• Group interviews (focus groups)
• Ethnographic methods
• Observations
• Participant observations
• Role playing
• Literature review
• Observe behavior
• From Don
o “An image is worth a thousand words. An image plus a word is worth a thousand and one.”
o A guy loses his keys in the backyard and is looking for them under a street light.
• Go back to where you lost it.
• Think Thematically
• GAIA Principle
o Theory viewing the entire earth as one ecosystem
o Everything is connected, there is always a consequence
o Balance is key
o Full cost accounting, cradle to cradle
• Abstracts
o Some people read
• 5 abstracts to create 1 paper
• 20 titles to create 1 paper
o Research around “key terms”
• Key terms are important
• Resumes
• job descriptions
• cover letters
• Formal Proposal
o What do they do?
• Solicit a response by asking a question
• State intention
• State plan
• State costs
• State commitments
• Example Wedding proposal
o Start with topic/subject
• Introduction
• 1 paragraph
• Define topic
• Describe topic (meaning)
• Describe purpose and audience
• Use background lit. review (info that already exists)

Due next class:
• Begin writing Introduction paragraph of Proposal
o 1 page
o Why should the proposal be accepted as a project for class?
• If you haven’t yet sent Don your bumper sticker do so before class on Friday

Minutes, September 29, 2008 by Josh

Writing for Environmental Professionals
September 29, 2008
Taken by Josh Foster

Attendants: Josh, Owen,(Jamie), Julie, Amanda G, Daniel F., Yumie K, Nicole P, Megan T, Bobby P, Sarah K, Don, Chris L, James M, Chris D, and (Bobby P) parentheses denote the people that missed class Friday

Proposal Topics
o Need specific topic proposal in less than 250 words emailed to don by next class
o If the topic is for another class provide a name ,and description for the class
o Purpose, space, and time also required for the topic proposal

Proposal Topics

• Megan wants to write a letter to the Mayor about the poor condition of the sidewalk on Erie Blvd. between Seeley, and Thompson Roads.
o May relate to Campus Commuter Initiative
• James writing about conservation versus preservation
o Define conservation and preservation before writing paper
o Localize the variety of topics into just one
• Jamie is researching the energy efficiency of different feed stocks used in an anaerobic digester
o May work with a person on campus named Johnson whose working with a digester
o Some farms already using digesters right now
• Bobbie is writing a grant proposal for process based research on the Energy Return on Investment for ethanol versus diesel
• Chris L interested in creating a blog about green politics
o The Post-Standard issued a Green section written Kris Dodson which offers a lot of information about environmental issues in Syracuse
o Contacting Howie Hawkins may be a good idea to gather more information about CNY Green Politics
• Chris D wants to write about white paper policy review and possibly a feasibility study

For Next Class

• Condense topic down to bumper sticker and email it to Don before next class
• Read Section on proposals in the online text book
• If not done already email Don the topic proposal before next class

Minutes, September 24th, 2008 by Yumi

Writing for Environmental Professionals
September 24th, 2008
Taken by Yumie Kawasaki

Attendants: Don, Nicole, Amanda, Julie, Owen, Josh, Chris D., Benjamin P., Bobby P., Sarah K., James M., Megan C., Daniel, Chris L., Megan T., Jamie

Today's Class:
Evaluations of Cover letter

Class Discussion:
New York Times Science Article
-Soda effects on children’s health.
-The amount of Soda in Mexico is three times larger than in the U.S.
-The causes of the blind are given by too much intake of sugar in childhood.
-Younger people get more the amount of dopamine with rewards from gamble.
Reification
- A girl asked her mother why the corner of the Easter hum was cut off. Her mother said her asking for her grandmother, and her grandmother said her asking her grand-grandmother because they did not know the reason. However, grand-grandmother told the girl she had not cut off when she was making.
-Purposeless tradition might be made by like that.
Cover letter
-The cover letter was exchanged and evaluated by partners.
- To improve your cover letter, you should look after following the list.
-First paragraph: includes what position you apply to, who you are, and when and where you found the position.
-Balance of black and white: should be 50%-50% (To easy for reading).

-Salutation: uses colon for punctuation after salutation.

-Closing paragraph: includes information about contacting, such as phone numbers, dates, time, and email addresses.
-Professional Design
-Organization
-Detail or Concise: concerns about balance of black and white.


For Next Class:
- Look up “selective mutism.”
- Exchange cover letters if you did not.
- Pick up pizza!

Minutes, September 26th 2008 by Chris

Writing for Environmental Professionals
September 26th 2008
Taken by: Chris De Francesco

Attendance:

Class Discussion:

Class started with pizza it was half pepperoni half peppers and mushrooms.

• What is selective mutism ?
o Most of the class raised their hand to say that they believed they had the disorder.
o The question was asked if most people experience selective mutism in academic or social settings.
o Why is it a disorder and not a conscious choice?
o Possible causes of selective mutism:
• Fear of breaking away from the norm
• Fear of Public speaking
• Laziness
o Tactics to combat selective mutism
• Smaller class sizes
• 8-10 people is ideal

We reviewed what needs to be in a cover letter, focusing on the format of the letter. Letters can either be block or semi-block. Block format is when the entire letter is left justified. The semi-block moves the return address to the right side of the page, center justified, with the closing to the right. We should use the block format because it is more formal looking.

We finished going over the cover letter evaluations, and it was determined that the terminology used can be helpful in indicating that you are experienced and familiar with the field. You must balance the white space in your letter so it does not look empty or cluttered. You can break away from the rules if you are successful in doing so.

We need to hand in a hard copy of our job description, cover letter, resume, and cover letter evaluation sheet.

As a class we discussed the types of assignments that we want to do for the second half of the semester. Ultimately each student is to write a proposal.

Ideas included:
• Creative essays
o Memoir
o Editorials / Articles
o Persuasive writing
• Drafting business proposals
o For a new company
o Feasibility report
• Research Proposal
o Process and methods
o Grant proposal
• Interview Process
o Eye contact
o Relaxing
• Breathing techniques – in through the nose out through the mouth
• Transferring energy to other parts of your body
• Meditating to relax
o White paper
• Short research paper for a company
• Feasibility assessments ex. Technology ideas
o Papers for other classes
o Presentations
o Cartoons
o Graduate School Applications
• Personnel statements
• Scholarship applications

What do for next class:
• Read proposals section on the blog
• Think of a topic you would like to write about