Hosting Conversations about Questions that Matter
PowerPoint has a bad rep. Media critic Edward Tuffte has estimated that on any given day in America there are 70 million ppt presentations, and we know that most of them are lousy. Tuffte calls ppt 'evil.'
Having said all that, I'm attaching a ppt slideshow that I've used to help illustrate the conversation process on the first day of a new cafe. It moves quickly, and it introduces the WC process to the group.
Our regional cafes have been gatherings of people who have a vested interest in teaching about the Holocaust and who are potential agents of change: college and university professors, educational leaders of Holocaust-related organizations, representatives from state departments of education, and secondary-level educators who are well-versed in Holocaust history and pedagogy. Our goals are to 1) Get the players in the same room and facilitate a conversation, 2) Explore topics about which we are knowledgeable and passionate, and 3) Explore the possibilities of working collaboratively to ensure that the lessons of the Holocaust are taught responsibly in schools.
I'd like to know what you think of the intro and to offer it as a model to anyone who might find it useful.
Peter Fredlake
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Having said all that, I'm attaching a ppt slideshow that I've used to help illustrate the conversation process on the first day of a new cafe. It moves quickly, and it introduces the WC process to the group.
Our regional cafes have been gatherings of people who have a vested interest in teaching about the Holocaust and who are potential agents of change: college and university professors, educational leaders of Holocaust-related organizations, representatives from state departments of education, and secondary-level educators who are well-versed in Holocaust history and pedagogy. Our goals are to 1) Get the players in the same room and facilitate a conversation, 2) Explore topics about which we are knowledgeable and passionate, and 3) Explore the possibilities of working collaboratively to ensure that the lessons of the Holocaust are taught responsibly in schools.
I'd like to know what you think of the intro and to offer it as a model to anyone who might find it useful.
Peter Fredlake
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
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Replies to This Conversation
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Permalink Reply by bharris on -
Peter,
I love Tufte, and have heard him speak several times. Most of the time, I agree with his assessment of PPT (during his talk, he shows a PPT presentation of the Gettysbury address -- 8 slides for Lincoln's 200 words). When presenters use PPT as speaker notes, it gets in the way of dialogue.
Your presentation uses visuals to tell the story - and hopefully to engage and invite dialogue.
What I like best is that it effectively illustrates the cafe process. Thanks for the offer to "borrow." I'll take you up on it.
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Permalink Reply by Amy Lenzo on -
Lovely, Peter! This is indeed no ordinary PowerPoint! Thank you for sharing this helpful resource with the rest of the community.
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I think ppt has it's weakness in that:
1. the 'wizards' are used way too much to accommodate someone's speaking notes...
.... now moving on to slide 54 (don't you just love those blue wave backgrounds) ....
2. the slide and it's room wide reference disappear once the next slide appears and with it the specific lesson it taught
Your slide show Peter works well to set the mood and introduce the process and your theme - which is a wonderful way to use PowerPoint.
I would recommend one or more wall posters holding the key elements of the cafe process you want people to remind themselves of, during the conversation.
thanks for sharing
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Good morning, Peter!
Love it...thank you for sharing your ppt as well as the permission to 'borrow'. I think the pictures tell the story so much better than words!
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Permalink Reply by Tom Hurley on -
Peter,
Thanks! This is the most imaginative PP intro to the World Cafe I've ever seen. I'm curious - how have the folks with whom you've used it responded?
Warm regards
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Permalink Reply by Peter Fredlake on -
Their response to the presentation has been positive: they understand the cafe model and end up playing nicely with one another. We give them a usb drive with the ppt and other resources loaded onto it, and many have used a variation for their own cafes.
They're also blown away by what happens in a cafe. On the surface, it's just people talking, but they are always delighted when they discover some great insight that had been just out of sight below the surface.
More importantly, we have had some real educational impact as a result of our summits: Nebraska and Nevada, for example, have formed working groups to coordinate activities in their states around teaching about the Holocaust. Both have developed dynamic and sustainable Holocaust education networks. A professor from Missouri is developing a cafe around the question, "How will we teach about the Holocaust in 1,000 years?"
My inspiration for the presentation (a ppt is no more a presentation than is a blackboard) comes from several sources: Heath and Heath, Made to Stick; Reynolds, Presentation Zen (www.presentationzen.com); TED (www.ted.com); and Pink, A Whole New Mind. I encourage folks to check them out.
Peter
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Permalink Reply by Amy Lenzo on
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I LOVE Daniel Pink's A Whole New Mind, and have found the other two reference books very powerful resources in my own library as well. And of course TED is out in front in its influence on creative culture today. Thanks so much for sharing your own articulation of these ideas ... your artistry and command of multi-modal language is inspiring, and your generosity in sharing this resource is a lovely model of what a World Cafe Community of Practice is at its best.
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Permalink Reply by John Inman on -
I wish I were able to hear the voice behind the presentation. Compelling slides. Thank you.
John
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Thank you, Peter for the PPT presentation. I still find PPT decks pleasant and useful since I don't not come across too many in my life.
I have added your to my collection of TWC resources.
Cheers, e
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Permalink Reply by Maria de los Angeles Cinta on -
What an imaginative way of introducing 'guests' to what the World Cafe process is like! Thank you Peter for sharing your materials with the community. I was stroke by the visuals and the simple but powerful language you used to describe the process. Some of the visuals reminded me of Andy Warhol's art--it's so cool! Thank you again.
Maria de los Angeles
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Great images...I loved the guy on skates with the big round sail on his back!
What was missing was a credits page...and source links. I keep a "toolbox" of images and explanations of "process" and I'd love to add this one. When I share images via powerpoint I try to offer source credits in the notes section.
Thank you for sharing Peter.
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