[meteorite-list] Meteorite presentations (sorry if it's long!)
From: Walter Branch <branchw_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:07:00 2004 Message-ID: <003c01c270f9$f45b7fc0$14bc5341_at_cc516468a> This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0039_01C270D8.6CDC02C0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Hi Edward, You probably did better than you think. It would be fallicious thinking = to conclude that (a) everyone in the audience shares your enthusiasm = about meteorites and (b) that you can persuade those who initially don't = share your enthusiasm to be as enthusiastic as you by the time you leave = the room.=20 I enjoy giving presentations to schools and I can tell you, with kids = you have to lay off the details, bring plenty of samples, and be a very = visual and animated presenter. Remember, as a presenter, you know more about your topic than anyone = else in the room, therefore it helps to place yourself in the position = of your target audience, before your talk begins, to get a feel for how = much visual vs. verbal information your audience can process. I remember I was a nervous wreck when it came time to defend my doctoral = dissertation before my five member dissertation committee. I was sure = they were going to trip me up of some obscure thing I had not thought of = and planned for. A few days before the defense, my major professor gave = me sound advice. He reminded me that since I chose MY dissertation = topic and I did the literature review and ran the subjects and collected = and analyzed the data and wrote every word of the dissertation, I KNEW = the subject better than anyone else in the room (including my major = professor) and that I would be able to handle the defense "just fine." He was right. After the defense, we went out for lunch (I believe I had Shrimp Gumbo). = No big deal. Bob's advice about humor and simplification are points well taken. A = few years ago someone on the list posted a picture of an iron meteorite = (a gibeon or a campo, I believe) lying on top of a Barney doll and he = stated that he had conclusive proof that a large meteorite killed off = the dinosaurs. I really liked that I and think that would make a great = "icebreaker." Who did that and where is the image?! I do a lot to presentations to kids and they sometimes have trouble with = abstract concepts. Depending on the developmental level of the class, I = like to have kids represent planets by positioning them at relevent = positions across the room (with a gap for the asteroid belt, later = filled in by myself) then "set them in motion." It helps to exlpain, = through simplification and visual aids, basic orbital mechanics and how = meteorites could travel from the outer to inner solar system and from = the moon and Mars to the Earth. This procedure or technique might not = be suitable for all audiences but the point I, and Bob, am making is to = adapt your presentation using humor and simplification. I also bring along my magnet-on-a-stick (homemade, of course) and I = point out that the only thing I have found with it are nails, barbed = wire and rusty farm implements. It is another simple way to break the = ice and get the point across (that being that one usually just does not = walk into you back yard, stoop down, and pick up a meteorite. Unless your back yard happens to be called "Alan Hills"! Anway, thanks for sharing your experiences. I would really like to hear the techniques which others list members = have found to be useful in presenting meteorites. =20 Best wishes, -Walter ----------------------------------------------- Walter Branch, Ph.D. Branch Meteorites 322 Stephenson Ave., Suite B Savannah, GA 31405 USA www.branchmeteorites.com ----- Original Message -----=20 From: Edward R. Hodges=20 To: meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com ; = meteoritecollectorsassociation_at_yahoogroups.com=20 Sent: Thursday, October 10, 2002 11:29 PM Subject: [meteorite-list] Meteorite presentations (sorry if it's = long!) Hello list. It's very active today, I like that. Last night I gave a = meteorite presentation at the San Diego Lapidary Society. It most = certainly was not the first presentation I've ever given in front of = people, but it was the first one about meteorites. Their general = meeting was called to order at 7pm, and they went about their business. = You know, Robert Rules of order kind of stuff, and a raffle. It was = quite pleasant actually. Most of the membership is quite a bit older = than myself and my girlfriend. One kind older gentleman came over and = told me great stories about the meteorites he's found. Other members = came up to me with three different rocks and asked if they were = meteorites, unfortunately they were not and I had to be the one to break = the bad news. I finally got to speak around 8:15pm and was quite = nervous. I made up a packet of text that I wrote with graphics, images, = and other statistics and passed them out. I also brought about 50 = specimens to show around and some moldavites and tektites. I really was = geared up to give a really great talk, I had already visualized it in my = head. So I introduced myself, and quickly warned them that:" I have a = tendency to go off on tangents and never come back. Oh, and I'm = longwinded at times, so I'll be sticking to the script" So I was very = nervous all of a sudden and started to stammer and forget the words and = had to begin reading. I told them about the beginnings of the solar = system, accretion, asteroids, oxygen isotopes, fall statistics, = identifying meteorites, classification with actual samples of each = class, chemical make -up, Prospects for life elsewhere (alh84001, = murchison, Allende,etc.), then I told them about the new large object = that was just announced on Monday. Wow was I imparting the goods on = these people. Then I looked up and people were nodding off, the people = in the back had already snuck out. I had been talking for about 45 = minutes. I could feel that hollow pit in my stomach becoming an abysmal = void and I was getting sucked down. I could feel the beads of sweat = forming on my bald head, my girlfriend was staring right at me. I = wrapped in up quickly, and asked if there were questions. The few people = who hadn't snuck out already had plenty of questions, and some were = quite tricky. One woman right up front told me about her grandfather = getting his haystack burnt down by a meteor. I didn't know what to say. = I blurted out "Really, how interesting!" It doesn't quite seem possible = to me, but I couldn't tell her that. I think it was well past there bed = time, because after I ended the talk they politely clapped and got the = hell out of there. I knew as soon as I sat down in the car what had gone = wrong. I'm very hard on myself, very critical. My girlfriend told me = what a great job I did, which is nice and I think she was trying to be = nice. If you are this far down into this diatribe you've probably = already got me pegged. I'm a nervous talker, and I'm longwinded. Strike = one. I hadn't pictured the right audience in my pre-visualization. = Strike two. I had mistaken a meteorite talk with a meteorite lecture. = Strike three. When I was falling asleep last night I couldn't help = thinking that I could know so much more on the topic. I now realize that = all that information is not the important thing. The important thing is = that you are entertaining the audience and creating an experience that = they will remember. If your lucky they will learn something. I'm going = to try and keep those things in mind next time. I'll try to be more show = and less tell. Hopefully others of you have had these types of = experiences and would share them. Maybe some of you can offer some tips, = or criticisms. Perhaps some of you will tell me to please not write long = emails and send them to this list. Anyway, I hope sharing was a good = idea.- Edward Edward R. Hodges www.meteoriteonline.com IMCA # 4173 ------=_NextPart_000_0039_01C270D8.6CDC02C0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; = charset=3Diso-8859-1"> <META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.2800.1106" name=3DGENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Hi Edward,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>You probably did better than you = think. It=20 would be fallicious thinking to conclude that (a) everyone in the = audience=20 shares your enthusiasm about meteorites and (b) that you can persuade = those who=20 initially don't share your enthusiasm to be as enthusiastic as you by = the time=20 you leave the room. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I enjoy giving presentations to schools = and I can=20 tell you, with kids you have to lay off the details, bring plenty of = samples,=20 and be a very visual and animated presenter.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Remember, as a presenter, you know more = about your=20 topic than anyone else in the room, therefore it helps to place yourself = in the=20 position of your target audience, before your talk begins, to get a feel = for how=20 much visual vs. verbal information your audience can = process.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I remember I was a nervous wreck when = it came time=20 to defend my doctoral dissertation before my five member dissertation=20 committee. I was sure they were going to trip me up of some = obscure thing=20 I had not thought of and planned for. A few days before the defense, my = major=20 professor gave me sound advice. He reminded me that since I=20 chose MY dissertation topic and I did the literature review and=20 ran the subjects and collected and analyzed the data and wrote = every=20 word of the dissertation, I KNEW the subject better than anyone else in = the room=20 (including my major professor) and that I would be able to handle the = defense=20 "just fine."</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>He was right.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>After the defense, we went out for = lunch (I believe=20 I had Shrimp Gumbo). No big deal.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Bob's advice about humor and = simplification=20 are points well taken. A few years ago someone on the=20 list posted a picture of an iron meteorite (a gibeon or a campo, I = believe)=20 lying on top of a Barney doll and he stated that he had conclusive proof = that a=20 large meteorite killed off the dinosaurs. I really liked that I and = think that=20 would make a great "icebreaker."</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Who did that and where is the = image?!</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I do a lot to presentations to kids and = they=20 sometimes have trouble with abstract concepts. Depending on the=20 developmental level of the class, I like to have kids represent planets = by=20 positioning them at relevent positions across the room (with a gap = for the=20 asteroid belt, later filled in by myself) then "set them in = motion." It=20 helps to exlpain, through simplification and visual aids, basic orbital=20 mechanics and how meteorites could travel from the outer to inner solar=20 system and from the moon and Mars to the Earth. = This procedure=20 or technique might not be suitable for all audiences but the point I, = and=20 Bob, am making is to adapt your presentation using humor and=20 simplification.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I also bring along my magnet-on-a-stick = (homemade,=20 of course) and I point out that the only thing I have found with it = are=20 nails, barbed wire and rusty farm implements. It is another simple = way to=20 break the ice and get the point across (that being = that one usually=20 just does not walk into you back yard, stoop down, and pick up a=20 meteorite.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Unless your back yard happens to = be called=20 "Alan Hills"!</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Anway, thanks for sharing your=20 experiences.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I would really like to hear the = techniques which=20 others list members have found to be useful in presenting=20 meteorites.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2> </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Best wishes,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial=20 size=3D2>-Walter</FONT><BR>----------------------------------------------= -<BR>Walter=20 Branch, Ph.D.<BR>Branch Meteorites<BR>322 Stephenson Ave., Suite = B<BR>Savannah,=20 GA 31405 USA<BR><A=20 href=3D"http://www.branchmeteorites.com">www.branchmeteorites.com</A></DI= V> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=3Dltr=20 style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV=20 style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black"><B>From:</B>=20 <A title=3Dedwardrhodges1_at_san.rr.com=20 href=3D"mailto:edwardrhodges1_at_san.rr.com">Edward R. Hodges</A> </DIV> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A=20 title=3Dmeteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com=20 = href=3D"mailto:meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com">meteorite-list@meteor= itecentral.com</A>=20 ; <A title=3Dmeteoritecollectorsassociation_at_yahoogroups.com=20 = href=3D"mailto:meteoritecollectorsassociation_at_yahoogroups.com">meteoritec= ollectorsassociation_at_yahoogroups.com</A>=20 </DIV> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, October 10, = 2002 11:29=20 PM</DIV> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [meteorite-list] = Meteorite=20 presentations (sorry if it's long!)</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3D"Arial Black">Hello list. It's very active today, I = like that.=20 Last night I gave a meteorite presentation at the San Diego Lapidary = Society.=20 It most certainly was not the first presentation I've ever given in = front of=20 people, but it was the first one about meteorites. Their general = meeting=20 was called to order at 7pm, and they went about their business. You = know,=20 Robert Rules of order kind of stuff, and a raffle. It was quite = pleasant=20 actually. Most of the membership is quite a bit older than myself and = my=20 girlfriend. One kind older gentleman came over and told me great = stories about=20 the meteorites he's found. Other members came up to me with three = different=20 rocks and asked if they were meteorites, unfortunately they were not = and I had=20 to be the one to break the bad news. I finally got to speak around = 8:15pm and=20 was quite nervous. I made up a packet of text that I wrote with = graphics,=20 images, and other statistics and passed them out. I also brought about = 50=20 specimens to show around and some moldavites and tektites. I = really=20 was geared up to give a really great talk, I had already visualized it = in my=20 head. So I introduced myself, and quickly warned them that:" I have a = tendency=20 to go off on tangents and never come back. Oh, and I'm longwinded at = times, so=20 I'll be sticking to the script" So I was very nervous all of a sudden = and=20 started to stammer and forget the words and had to begin reading. I = told them=20 about the beginnings of the solar system, accretion, asteroids, oxygen = isotopes, fall statistics, identifying meteorites, classification with = actual=20 samples of each class, chemical make -up, Prospects for life elsewhere = (alh84001, murchison, Allende,etc.), then I told them about the new = large=20 object that was just announced on Monday. Wow was I imparting the = goods on=20 these people. Then I looked up and people were nodding off, the people = in the=20 back had already snuck out. I had been talking for about 45 minutes. I = could=20 feel that hollow pit in my stomach becoming an abysmal void and I was = getting=20 sucked down. I could feel the beads of sweat forming on my bald head, = my=20 girlfriend was staring right at me. I wrapped in up quickly, and asked = if=20 there were questions. The few people who hadn't snuck out already had = plenty=20 of questions, and some were quite tricky. One woman right up front = told me=20 about her grandfather getting his haystack burnt down by a meteor. I = didn't=20 know what to say. I blurted out "Really, how interesting!" It doesn't = quite=20 seem possible to me, but I couldn't tell her that. I think it was well = past=20 there bed time, because after I ended the talk they politely clapped = and got=20 the hell out of there. I knew as soon as I sat down in the car what = had gone=20 wrong. I'm very hard on myself, very critical. My girlfriend told me = what a=20 great job I did, which is nice and I think she was trying to be nice. = If you=20 are this far down into this diatribe you've probably already got me = pegged.=20 I'm a nervous talker, and I'm longwinded. Strike one. I hadn't = pictured the=20 right audience in my pre-visualization. Strike two. I had mistaken a = meteorite=20 talk with a meteorite lecture. Strike three. When I was falling asleep = last=20 night I couldn't help thinking that I could know so much more on the = topic. I=20 now realize that all that information is not the important thing. = The=20 important thing is that you are entertaining the audience and = creating an=20 experience that they will remember. If your lucky they will learn = something.=20 I'm going to try and keep those things in mind next time. I'll try to = be=20 more show and less tell. Hopefully others of you have had these = types of=20 experiences and would share them. Maybe some of you can offer some = tips, or=20 criticisms. Perhaps some of you will tell me to please not write long = emails=20 and send them to this list. Anyway, I hope sharing was a good idea.-=20 Edward</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3D"Arial Black"></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3D"Arial Black">Edward R. Hodges</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3D"Arial Black"><A=20 = href=3D"http://www.meteoriteonline.com">www.meteoriteonline.com</A></FONT= ></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3D"Arial Black">IMCA # 4173</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3D"Arial = Black"></FONT> </DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML> ------=_NextPart_000_0039_01C270D8.6CDC02C0-- Received on Fri 11 Oct 2002 03:43:56 AM PDT |
 StumbleUpon del.icio.us reddit Yahoo MyWeb
|