The Exceptional Presenter

New Milford student recognized for academic research

One of the five students is Joselida Mercado of New Milford , who was recognized for "Sowing Wild Oates: Sex, Fairy Tales and Rock and Roll." Mercado's mentor was Professor James Zorn.

Mercado won the Outstanding Presenter Award in her category, Literature (Short Stories).

The students presented their papers at the conference at Lehigh Carbon Community College in Schnecksville, Pa. last month.

Held every year since 1993 on the first Friday in June, the Beacon Conference for Student Scholars at two-year colleges recognizes and celebrates the achievements of outstanding college students in academic research and writing. Students selected for the top three papers in each category present their papers at the annual conference, where judges weigh originality and quality of research, written work, and oral presentation.

"The conference also creates an opportunity for faculty to mentor students as they begin their higher education," said Professor Kathleen W. Williams, co-director of Bergen's the Judith K. Winn School of Honors.

“The Exceptional Presenter Goes Virtual” (Book Review ...

This was the first book I’ve read by Timothy Koegel and I happened upon it by accident. When I saw that Koegel’s book had a title similar to the name of my business, my curiosity was piqued instantaneously. I flipped through the book and decided it might be worth a read. That turned out to be an understatement.

Koegel’s work is nothing short of brilliant. The book combines practical “how to” advice with sound reasoning to back up his recommendations. He addresses a variety of types of virtual presentations including webinars, webcasts and video conferencing. He preaches “keep it relevant, keep it engaging, keep it moving” for those who present in the virtual sphere. He leads by example in his own work. The book itself is highly relevant and useful for anyone involved with webinars, e-learning, video conferencing, webcasting or virtual presentations of any kind.

This book is chock-a-block full of solid information from the first page through to the last page. He goes through the challenges of virtual presentations (such as presenting to muted audiences on p. 4) and then offers advice on how to shine as a virtual presenter despite these obstacles.

He offers practical advice such as:

He drills deep into what details virtual presenters need to pay attention to. Then he tells you exactly how to do that, with clear, step-by-step instructions. He reviews camera placement, how to use your voice and speech effectively and how to use visuals for the most impact.

The book includes helpful checklists, lighthearted-yet-poignant graphics, and form templates at the end of the book. Important points are highlighted in larger text throughout the book to draw your attention to them.

Koegel is clearly an expert when it comes to presentation skills. He knows his material. He knows how to organize it. He presents it clearly, concisely and eloquently.

As an e-learning and webinar consultant, I was recommending it to my own audiences and clients even before I’d finished it. This is a must-read for webinar presenters and producers, e-learning specialists and videoconferencers. Go buy this book. You’ll be glad you did.

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