PowerPoints that Teach Effectively

Here's an interesting article about the pedagogy (educational theory) behind effective PowerPoint presentations.  If you ever use PowerPoint in your teaching and learning, this might be helpful:-

Using cognitive load theory to improve slideshow presentations

It's by Andy Tharby, of Durrington Research School, West Sussex - part of the Research Schools Network.  It'll take 5-10 minutes to read, maximum, and will warn you off ever showing  large screeds of text on powerpoint!

During Independent Learning Week ...

Whilst our students enjoy some independent learning, the library staff are collectively being trained in the new library management system that we'll be implementing this summer. We have to get our heads round every aspect of what promises to be a much better system than the present one, so concentration is the name of the game!

We've recently shared lots of tips for 1st and 2nd year musicians with essays pending - see the blogposts we put together last week.  And today, for those of our students who have to give a presentation of some kind, we can offer this link:-

• http://tinyurl.com/Giving-Presentations

You might also like to watch some experts, so here's another idea:-
TED Talks | TED.com

20x20 - Have you Ever Done a Pecha Kucha?

Pecha Kucha

Pecha Kucha is a presentation format - you show 20 slides, for 20 seconds each, and tailor your voice-over to match that pattern exactly.  (It's fair to say that part of the charm of the format is the possibility of infinitesimal adjustments having to be made by the speaker!)

Sometimes our students or staff use the format.  (Sometimes librarian-musicologists do, too - click here )  Maybe visiting the Pecha Kucha website might be a good idea, to see how it looks when it all goes according to plan?!

On Twitter, the Pecha Kucha team can be found at @PechaKucha

Introduction to Music Psychology? We can help with that ...

Soothing Thoughts from the Library 

Students following the Introduction to Music Psychology option have to do a presentation later this month.  The Whittaker Liibrary can help find resources to get that presentation all polished and ready to go.

Music Psychology Books

If you need books on Music Psychology – we have materials in print and electronic format.   (Check “Refine your Search” down the left side of the screen) https://capitadiscovery.co.uk/rcs/items?query=music+psychology

Electronic Resources for Home and Away

Need more?  Or need online material to use from home?

• Click the e-books link and try Sage publications. There’s an online encyclopedia with lots of good stuff – Music in the Social and Behavioural Sciences. 
• Try our e-journals.Springer Journals are good for music psychology topics.

How to Access E-Resources

• Students and staff need "institutional access" to use these resources (Look for the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in the list, then use your normal RCS login) 
• Lastly - when searching, look out for boxes to check for “only items I have access to”, to avoid retrieving things that we don’t subscribe to!

Useful Resources for Music Undergraduate Presentations (at Your Fingertips!)

Music in History - Group Presentations

Are you an RCS student giving a group presentation in the next week or so? Or an RCS lecturer?  If you can log on to the internet, you can stream recordings from our Naxos or Classical Music Library subscriptions.  That might be useful if you're wanting to play examples of what you're talking about.

Come to think of it, our streamed recordings could be useful while you're preparing your presentation, too.  Want to compare recordings? Not a problem.

Visit the library website and look for the Electronic Resources page, here.  (https://www.rcs.ac.uk/about_us/libraryandit/databases/)

If you're on campus, just click the Naxos 'internal', or Classical Music Library link, and you'll get straight in. If you're using them at home, there's an external link for Naxos or use the single Classical Music Library link.  Either way, you'll need to login:-

• For Naxos - ask at the library desk for username and password.
• For Classical Music Library - use a process called 'Shibboleth' - find RCS from a list of institutions, click on it, then use your usual RCS login. 

Come and ask if you need more info, or use library chat from the catalogue homepage.  

We are the ever-helpful Whittaker Library, here to help our community of performing artists with their music, drama, ballet, film and technical production info requirements. 

Preparing your Kodaly Musicianship Written Assignment or Presentation?

Brush Up on Kodaly!

Some of our students are preparing assessments for the end of next week.  The Whittaker Library has a lot of useful materials in the library including an e-book (24:7 access on that one!).  

• All our Kodaly textbooks are HERE. 
• The Houlahan ebook and a couple of other useful weblinks are HERE.  (The e-book will need students to login using Shibboleth, where you identify the RCS in a list of institutions, then use YOUR usual RCS login). 
• And all our Kodaly printed music IS HERE.

Do drop into the library if you need any help finding resources!

The Library's Shut! How Will You Manage?

Staff and students at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland will know that the building's closed until next Monday, 5th January.  

Assignments or presentations pending? What will you do?!

The Whittaker Library subscribes to loads of online information via the web. Visit our Library and IT website, or you'll find everything via Moodle and Mahara, if you prefer that route.  Any of the resources we subscribe to will require you to login first.  That usually means picking Royal Conservatoire of Scotland from a list of universities and colleges,then entering your usual RCS login.  (Naxos is different - you'll have been given the login details.)

Whittaker Library and IT website - click HERE.  Scroll down and pick Electronic Resources, or E-Journals.

We also have E-books - they're in the catalogue like any other book.  Here's the RCS Catalogue link:- 

http://capitadiscovery.co.uk/rcs/

We look forward to seeing our students and colleagues in the New Year.  Happy Hogmanay, everyone!

Of Course, You Love Giving Presentations?! Try This ...

Everyone knows of PowerPoint.  Good old dependable PowerPoint, with a reasonable array of different formats and applications.  But have you ever wished you could try using something different?

Perhaps you've already turned to Prezi?  Many people love it.  Used well, it's great.  Used badly, the audience can end up feeling dizzy as you whizz across the screen, in and out of bubbles, generally mimicking a mosquito on speed.  It's not for everyone!

Our professional association, CILIP, featured a new kid on the block, recently: PowToon. Karen explored it briefly last week, and decided it might make a useful alternative for presentations that aren't trying too hard to be serious and scholarly.  This is just a first impression, and maybe a little unfair, since she didn't look at all the templates PowToon had to offer.  Still, it was easy enough to use, and you can share your finished presentation by hyperlink or email.  We haven't yet tried to see if a PowToon presentation can also be saved to USB stick, so that's something we'll need to find out about and report back on.

Why not visit the website and experiment with the free basic sign-up?

Reflective Practice and Learning Journals: If you Do what you've always Done, you'll Get what you've always Got!

Group or Seminar Presentation Coming Up?

Many staff and students at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland have embraced the concept of  reflective practice - reflecting upon your creative practice, and allowing your reflections to inform future practice.  If you have to do a group presentation or seminar about a particular project or placement, maybe it's time for a bit of reflection and inner contemplation before you work out what to say?


If you check the Whittaker Library catalogue, you'll find various books and examples of learning journals.  Here are some useful keywords to search under!  (Don't miss our Learning Journals e-book, perfect for home study over the Christmas break when you tire of turkey and chocolates!!)

You could also try our Ingenta Connect database, to find useful articles that other people have written about reflective practice journals.

Here's the link:- Ingenta Connect - and you might start by searching Reflective Journal as your keywords.  Feel free to experiment!  (NB if you're off-campus, you'll need to login.  Find the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland - RCS staff and students can login once you've clicked on the Conservatoire's link.)

"If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always got!" - it's one of Karen's favourite quotes.  So go on - reflect!

Truly Fabulous - British Library Photostream on Flickr - Lovely Old Images

The British Library has uploaded lots of historic pictures which might be very useful indeed for stage and costume designers, or indeed as a source of images for a PowerPoint or Prezi presentation on a historical subject.

These are breathtaking - take a few moments to sample what's on offer:-

http://www.flickr.com/photos/britishlibrary

Entrepreneur Website offers Tips for Speakers

Whittaker knows that our actors already speak with authority, and our musicians perform with practised composure. 

 

Ten Body Language Tips Every Speaker Must Know

However, in the world of business and entrepreneurship, sometimes you need to present ideas, not words and music.  Maybe this posting on Entrepreneur might be useful in such situations!

This and That: Conferences and Study Groups

Some useful websites that 'Whittaker' has gleaned over the past few days:-

• 5 Killer Ways to Open Up Your Next Presentation (Slideshare)
• The Royal Musical Association (RMA) Annual Conference this September
• A series of London seminars on book-collecting (I hope they do one on music-collecting one day!)