Yesterday, my class took our show on the road to present some practical legal guidance to senior citizens. These are senior law students providing education on aging issues to equip low-income seniors to advocate better for themselves.
At our debut in a rural senior center, **gasp**, I couldn’t get the projector and the laptop to exchange information with each other. The students had prepared power point to accompany their talks, but our brand-new, top-of-the-line, expensive, state-of-the-art equipment wouldn’t work. Of course, that was my fault.
After ten minutes of fighting with it in front of our expectant audience of 20 aged and friendly folks sitting around their domino games and brunch, I turned to the two students, “Be extemporaneous,” and walked to the back of the room. The first student took off, working the room, speaking with fewer notes. At his close, he got applause and hearty “Amens” from the folks. The second student had the crowd taking notes and speaking encouragement for all of his presenation on the legal implications of late-in-life marriage.
At our second installment, at a retirement community in the city, I had figured out the equipment. The first student was going again to this new audience, with his full blown presentation, behind a lecturn to an audience sittiing in rows.
He did well, but he did not get any Amens when he finished with the power point.
I am tempted next semester to make them prepare the power point in detail, then when we show up at the venues prohibit them from using the technology. Their shaken performance is much more genuine and serious, because they rely more on their brains.
Mike the Eyeguy
Oorah! That’s exactly what I’m talking about! What a great story.
JRB, who have both jostled an old memory deep within my aging grey matter and inspired me. Tomorrow, if God grants me the time, I will post a story of my old residency mentor who, in pre-PPT days, found himself facing a crowded lecture hall full of his peers after his “technology” failed him. Stay tuned.
JRB
Yesterday, my class took our show on the road to present some practical legal guidance to senior citizens. These are senior law students providing education on aging issues to equip low-income seniors to advocate better for themselves.
At our debut in a rural senior center, **gasp**, I couldn’t get the projector and the laptop to exchange information with each other. The students had prepared power point to accompany their talks, but our brand-new, top-of-the-line, expensive, state-of-the-art equipment wouldn’t work. Of course, that was my fault.
After ten minutes of fighting with it in front of our expectant audience of 20 aged and friendly folks sitting around their domino games and brunch, I turned to the two students, “Be extemporaneous,” and walked to the back of the room. The first student took off, working the room, speaking with fewer notes. At his close, he got applause and hearty “Amens” from the folks. The second student had the crowd taking notes and speaking encouragement for all of his presenation on the legal implications of late-in-life marriage.
At our second installment, at a retirement community in the city, I had figured out the equipment. The first student was going again to this new audience, with his full blown presentation, behind a lecturn to an audience sittiing in rows.
He did well, but he did not get any Amens when he finished with the power point.
I am tempted next semester to make them prepare the power point in detail, then when we show up at the venues prohibit them from using the technology. Their shaken performance is much more genuine and serious, because they rely more on their brains.
Mike the Eyeguy
Oorah! That’s exactly what I’m talking about! What a great story.
JRB, who have both jostled an old memory deep within my aging grey matter and inspired me. Tomorrow, if God grants me the time, I will post a story of my old residency mentor who, in pre-PPT days, found himself facing a crowded lecture hall full of his peers after his “technology” failed him. Stay tuned.
GREG
Just to give you a heads up, I’ll be incorporating this plugin soon so that I can use PPT exclusively for all my future posts…
Mike the Eyeguy
Great. Just great.
I’m cool with that as long as you don’t do anything too cheesy. 🙂