Zen and the Art of Powerpoint Dr. Angela Peery Senior Professional Development Associate, The Leadership & Learning Center
May 06, 2015
Zen and the Art of Powerpoint
Dr. Angela PeerySenior Professional Development Associate,
The Leadership & Learning Center
Many thanks to Garr Reynolds and Nancy Duarte…
and many colleagues!
Find better image on morguefile.com or IStock
Our learning environment today…
Our Learning Objectives• Understand key principles of the
Zen/Slideology approach to designing presentations• Apply these key principles to an
upcoming presentation
Like the Japanese bento box, a presentation should be “beautifully efficient.”
What is considered “normal” today with Powerpoint is out of sync with how humans learn and communicate.
We need to ignore more and forget more of what’s available in the software.
“Almost every Powerpoint presentation sucks rotten eggs.”
Seth Godin
Some Zen principles…
restraintsimplicitynaturalness
AND…(as inspired by Suze Orman)
People first
Then the message
Then technology
Time to process…
Activity: Think-Write-Pair Share
• THINK about a session you have attended at this conference
• WRITE about its specific intended audience and its one “big idea” or primary message
• After about 3 minutes of writing, you will be given directions about sharing aloud
Who is your audience?
Put your butt in
the seat!
Audience mapping
What are they like?Why are they here?What keeps them up at night?How can you solve their problem?What do you want them to do?How might they resist?How can you best reach them?
Audience Mapping Activity1. Think about an upcoming presentation.2. Who will be in your audience? List who these people are with
as much detail as possible.3. Why are they coming to see you? Is attendance voluntary? Jot
notes about the presentation situation.4. What keeps them up at night – a major fear or concern?5. How will you make their lives better? In other words, how will
you address their fears and concerns?6. Who cares? So what? What is the action you want them to
take?7. What are your ideas for best reaching them?8. How might they resist? What would keep them from enacting
your ideas? How can you address these potential roadblocks?
Good presenters aren’t it for themselves; they’re in it for others. Nancy Duarte
Is your computer like a bicycle for your mind?
If your audience remembers only one thing, what do you want it to be?
Can you pass the “elevator test”?
3
Thinking Ahead…• What will you personally bring to the
presentation? How will you address the audience’s most pressing needs?
• What must be included in the visual presentation?
• What must be included in the handout?
Examples ofImproved Designs
Insert wordy slide about collaboration here
Sources of Influence on Professional Practices of Teachers
Open Ended Responses
Students12%
Personal Reading15%
Professional De-velopment
24%Leader
5%
Family7%
Personal Experience20%
Curriculum3%
Colleagues14%
Influences on a Teacher’s PracticeStudents
12%
Personal Reading15%
Professional Development
24%Leader
5%
Family7%
Personal Ex-perience
20%
Curriculum3%
Colleagues14%
The New Model – From Coverage to Focus
State Standards
Potential Curriculum and Test Objectives
FOCUSED Curriculum and
Assessments
Power Standards
Compelling Question
• What are effective schools doing to achieve dramatic results in student learning?
Think dissection
Where do we go from here?
authenticity
Powerpoint is not a tool for document creation.
Ultimately, the healthiest relationship to have with your slides is one of interdependence.