Effective Powerpoint

Microsoft PowerPoint is a great tool used for so many things: presenting a project at school, showing your employees your expectations or plans. You can put videos on, music, just about anything! It’s very fun, creative, and useful.

The most popular uses of power point presentations are in modern days learning, corporate training sessions, business and marketing meetings, and sales gatherings. It’s a way of attracting audience towards your views and arguments.

Some Guidelines to make a PowerPoint slide effective:

•  Your presentation should be to the point and focusing over actual purpose. 
• There should be a professional look deciding your organizations identity.
• There should be less text, and maximum possible graphics in presentations. 
• There should be uniform colors and font appearance throughout the presentation to avoid in-convenience.
• You need to practice properly before delivering a presentation in any seminars.
• Take care of your time, user’s positive responses, and their ease; don't make people bored with longer duration presentations.

"There's something in the air." With these five words, Steve Jobs opened the 2008 Macworld conference && his presentation was so appealing and now Apple is the top selling product.

Here’s an interesting video about Steve Jobs presentation.  

WHY STUDY DRAMA?

              

Drama by itself is a form of communication. It involves both verbal and non-verbal. Dramatic exploration can provide us with a passage for emotions, thoughts, and dreams that they might not otherwise have means to express.

                                            

Drama can be used to promote active learning in any subject--to give learners a kinesthetic and empathetic understanding as well as an intellectual understanding of a topic.

Kinesthetic is a learning style in which learning takes place by the student actually carrying out a physical activity, rather than listening to a lecture or merely watching a demonstration and Intellectual understanding is how you understand the topic and think logically.

Drama can also help to build responsible citizens. For example, an actor can play Hitler without becoming a Nazi. But he cannot play Hitler without understanding from his point of view; without empathy. In today's increasingly polarized and intolerant culture, the ability to understand others' motives and choices is critical. Thus, it helps to build responsible people.

Not just that, Drama actually helps in several other ways. It helps make a person positive, confident and also to a proper speaker. The fact that drama cannot be acted out only by one person, it also helps build team spirit as one has to cooperate with the rest of the cast.                                              

In conclusion, Drama is also a form of communication. It helps us to improve in our various communication skills. Can you think of any verbal or non-verbal communications that drama helps to improve?

                                           "Tell me and I will forget.

                                             Show me and I will remember.

                                            Involve me and I will understand."

                                                         Chinese Proverb

ONLINE RELATIONSHIP: REAL OR FANTASY?

Online dating is becoming a common sight in our society these days.

This phenomenon is not surprising at all; chat rooms and social networks have allowed many of us to talk and voice our opinions freely; simply because, these sites provide a sense of anonymity and disinhibition. People are more willing to self-disclose online—because more often than not, it is the people in our lives who are the ones causing our problems; also, we are afraid we would be judged by those around us. Friendships are then forged; and, relationships formed. Yet the question lies: Are online relationships real? Or are they simply based on fantasy?

While some people can argue that we should never “dismiss online relationships as fantasy”—because real feelings are involved, as seen from the example of Thomas Montgomery who became so jealous of his online partner being involved with his co-worker and shot him dead—I feel that online relationships are no more than a figment of our imagination of the ideal relationship.

Why so, you would ask?

Joseph Walther’s hyperpersonal theory would actually explain my point:

1)  Online senders often carefully emphasize those aspects of self which make them attractive to others; thus, increasing their appeals.  

2) They edit their messages before sending them, creating high-quality conversations.

By putting forth only the most ideal characteristics of one self to the other party, coupling with the lack of emphasis on physical presence—which promotes free and genuine conversation, this makes it such that there is no real or clear understanding of the person you are “dating”. So, is this still considered as dating when the most fundamental thing to have in a relationship is to understand and be real to each other?

Such relationships are most probably able to survive for a short while; yet in the long term they would start to feel the strain, especially when both parties want to get serious and move on to having a relationship in real life. This is because real life relationship is another whole new level of challenge to be faced such as dealing with immediate emotions. They might then realise that communication between them is not as easy as it seems online.

Below is a site that teaches you how to maintain an online relationship!

http://www.wikihow.com/Maintain-an-Online-Relationship

 

What do you think? Online relationships: effective, or not? (; 

It’s Time for New Words

As society and technology progresses into the future, it is apparent that new words are being officially accepted for use in the English language to accommodate its advancements. Below are some examples.

Word	Meaning	Origin
Google	Verb, search for information about (someone or something) on the Internet, typically using the search engine Google.	1990s: from Google, the proprietary name of a popular Internet search engine
Netizen	Noun, a user of the Internet, especially a habitual or keen one	1990s: blend of net and citizen
Widget	Noun, an application or a component of an interface that enables a user to perform a function or access a service.	1930s: perhaps an alteration of gadget
Emoticon	Noun, a representation of a facial expression such as a smile or frown, formed by various combinations of keyboard characters and used in electronic communications to convey the writer’s feelings or intended tone	1990s: blend of emotion and icon
Recessionista	Noun, a woman who seeks to remain fashionable or stylish despite financial difficulties or a limited budget	early 21st century: from recession and fashionista

Creation and introduction of new words is determined by symbolic representation and linguistic productivity.

Language is a tool used by humans to symbolically represent their ideas: to communicate individuals explore the different means to express the ideas that originate in their minds. A sign is the medium for this expression. It actually consists of two parts signified and signifier. Signified is the private idea located solely in the mind of the individual. Signifier is the form which the idea is expressed.

The ability to understand and decode unusual sentences and words is called linguistic productivity. It exemplifies how learning language is more than trial and error. It is through these processes we learn the guidelines and rules that allow the generation of meanings.

It explains the reason for constant creation of words. In order to accommodate technological advancements and revolutionary situations or events, new terms are being coined constantly. With the presence of Internet, these words easily become conventional symbols because of the acceptance and social agreement of the words. For instance, the verb Google, it is globally accepted as a verb because it is popularized by the search engine Google.

With revolutionary events and achievements of humans through time, new words would always be introduced for usage. Can you think of words that are recently coined and accepted in the formal use of English?

According to human behaviorist Desmond Morris,'' it is impossible to wear clothes without transmitting social signals. Every costume tells a story, often a very subtle one, about its wearer.''

The way you dress is actually a form of non-verbal communication. People's first impression of you is formed from the way you dress. Thus it is important that we dress the right way in the appropriate situations such as dressing in formal wear during a job interview. For maximum impression especially during events like fashion shows or going to clubs, dress extravagantly to impress!

If one does not dress appropriately in a particular situation or event, one could get ostracised or even punishments. Think about those horrible detentions you get in secondary school when your skirt is too short or when you wear tapered pants to school.

If you wear such casual attire  to a job interview:

chances are you won't get accepted. Jeans are definitely a no-no for job interviews as they are considered to be too casual. Interviewers would feel that you are not serious in getting this job.

and if teachers were to dress like this:

students would think that such teachers are not credible enough to teach them.

Students would be punished or given warnings if they wear short skirts like this:

After all, students go to school to study and not to go for fashion shows or to look for partners.

Fashion wise, I personally think that it is not restricted to any form of clothing like it is the norm to wear a certain type of blouse, skirt or print. I believe it is up to one's creativity to create their own form of fashion style as a way to express our own personality or mood. Of course, there are those who would say that dressing fashionably also follows strict rules like following the current season's trends. But ultimately, as long as one look good overall who would really care about whether it is the current season trend?

 For example, take a look at these cool Japanese people rocking such funky clothes(they are not even following any season trends yet they are still able to look great)! Such dressing styles just show how innovative they can be! This is how they express themselves in their country by dressing up uniquely.

 In Singapore, our attire culture is t-shirt, shorts and slippers. We don't usually dress to express ourselves, so when people dress really extravagantly like the Japanese on the streets, people would stare and some might even approach you for photos or comment on how gorgeous you look. If you want to catch people's attention on the streets or 'tell' people that you're different from the rest, power your outfit by dressing like that and I'm sure people would take a second look at you~

Ever wondered how you can tell someone something but you are afraid it might appear a little
strident or bellicose?

Well most of us might have already mastered the art of language of defense strategies. We
usually use euphemisms (without realizing it) to appear less offensive when we are talking
about sensitive issues.

When a phrase is used as a euphemism, it often becomes a metaphor whose literal meaning
is dropped. Euphemisms are often used to hide unpleasant or disturbing ideas, even when the
literal term for them is not necessarily offensive. This type of euphemism is used in public
relations and politics, where it is sometimes called doublespeak. There are also superstitious
euphemisms, based (consciously or unconsciously) on the idea that words have the power to
bring bad fortune (for example, not speaking the word "cancer”) and religious euphemisms,
based on the idea that some words are sacred, or that some words are spiritually imperiling.

Euphemisms can come in these categories:

• Terms of foreign origin (derriere, copulation, perspire, urinate)

• Abbreviations (btw for "by the way")

• Abstractions (it, the situation, go)

• Indirections (behind, unmentionables)

• Mispronunciation (goldarnit, freakin)

• Plays on abbreviations ("Sugar Honey Iced Tea")

When we alter the pronunciation or spelling of a taboo word (such as a swear word) to form
a euphemism, it is known as a taboo deformation. I am sure most of us have found several
ways to say the infamous four-letter word!

Here’s some interesting euphemisms for you! Try to guess their actual meaning!

Let’s start with the easy ones…

1.Put him out of his misery
2.Restroom
3.Making love to
4.Sanitation worker
5.Mixologist

Let the challenge begin..

1.Headcount Adjustment or RIF
2.Outsource
3.Differently Able
4.Wet Work
5.Physical Persuasion
6. Ethnic Cleansing
7. Internment Facility
8. Comfort Women
9. Illegal Alien
10. Customer Service Representative

AIDA

AIDA is a simple acronym that was devised a long time ago as a reminder of four stages of the sales process. AIDA stands for Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action. It’s a tool managers consider when designing their marketing strategies.  It is hugely important if you want to have an impact on your audience.

First get their attention. Without attention, you can hardly persuade people of anything. You can get attention in many ways. Attention should be brief and simple.

Once you have their attention, sustain it. Show them why they might need it and how it can help them.

You have grabbed the attention and hooked their interest, now you need to create a desire.

Finally when they take action on their desires and actually buy the product or agree to your proposals.

You can use AIDA for various purposes to. For example, when you are writing a story you have to use the AIDA method. First get the attention, grasp your audience than link them to their interest and know their desires finally the conclusion. This helps students when we are writing composition and when giving a speech or presentation.

AIDA methods helps during job interviews too.

                           

For example if you see the YouTube video the guy explains the method. It’s the basic four steps to reach the people.

Make sure your creative is "on brief" and it gets your target audience’s attention, interest, and desire... leading them to action!