We are ready for the first first installment of Tech News & Perspective based on the August 24 podcast. Each team was assigned a news item from TechMinded.co. In OAKS, I will place the news topic and date for each group's presentation.
Keep in mind that you will expound on your assigned story rather than simply summarizing it. Expect to put in some research and perhaps find similar stories to support it. Also, instead of merely citing the current events, your group will provide background, analysis and commentary on the news. Examples of analyses and commentary might include: How it affects the technology industry, impact on general business & competition, your general opinion, impact on computer users, your future projections, ethical and societal issues, related news, trade-offs of the technology, winners and losers, etc.
**Special note concerning background
The background information is highly important to your audience. As an introductory computer class, some of the terminology will be unfamiliar to fellow students. For instance in a headline such as “Silicon Valley's top threat…” some students may not be familiar with the fact that Silicon Valley is not just a place but also an idea. Therefore, in order for your presentation to be interesting and effective, your team would decide on how much background information to give on the topic. Try not to bore the audience by simply reading definitions. Even with background information, you want to capture or keep our attention.
Aim at a time length of about 8-10 minutes for presentation and Q&A, but no more than 15. Your team will sit or stand at the front of the class and report the news without reading word for word, although it's okay to use notes. As stated above, include summary, background, analysis and commentary as you see fit. Also, do not rely too much on slide shows and YouTube. For the most part, your team should be TALKING TO US, not reading lines from PowerPoint, and not showing long YouTube videos aimed at consuming time.
Please engage the audience in a 2-way discussion. There are many ways to do this. For instance, you can ask questions, invite opinions, ask rhetorical questions, survey in GoogleDocs, give a handout, gamify some aspect of the presentation, etc. Be creative!
Finally, in an OAKS Discussion called "Tech News #1", one member will submit the following: