Using TED Talks

One of my favorite sites, is TED Talks.  Here you can watch well-produced videos of presentations given by professionals from varied fields and with varied backgrounds.   They are excellent sources of information, as well as great examples for your noticing practice.  There is so much you can take away from just one presentation.  Here are a few things to “notice”:

·         How does the presenter start the presentation?  How do they draw your attention in and get you interested in listening?

·         Does the presenter preview the topics that will be discussed in the presentation?  Why might that be important for the listener?

·         How does the presenter use visual aids?  How are the visual aids organized? Notice the language used when the presenter refers to the visuals.

·         How does the presenter move his/her body, hands, head and eyes during the presentation?

·         Where does the presenter pause when speaking?  How long are the pauses?  Are there some shorter pauses and some longer pauses?  What effect do these pauses have on the listener?

·         Where and why does the presenter’s voice rise? Where and why does the presenter’s voice fall?

·         What emotion is the presenter transmitting with his/her language, posture, facial expressions and intonation?

·         Does the presenter use more formal or less formal language?  What effect does that have on the listener?  (Listen to a few speakers and compare formality levels.)

I would love to hear about the kinds of things you listen for when you practice noticing. Please share your comments so we can all learn from each other!