On Monday afternoon we held a gathering of the Stride-Darnley Society in the Sixth Form Common Room. The Society, which meets on a regular basis, aims to foster public speaking and presentation skills. It is also an opportunity for all those present to learn about a subject they might not have known an awful lot about before.
At this week’s meeting three of our Sixth Form students delivered presentations on subjects that they had a particular interest in.
First to speak was our Head Boy, Ali C (Upper Sixth) who had chosen the topic of Terrorism surrounding 9/11 and the Iraq War. His presentation covered events from 1988 right up until present day with the recent withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan and certainly gave us all al lot to think about in terms of the place of these specific events in history and also what lessons have been learnt that may help to deal with future terrorist threats.
Zoe G (Lower Sixth) was next with a very informative presentation entitled “Proton vs Photon” which explored the move towards proton therapy in cancer treatments. Zoe led us through the differences between the various types of therapy that are available and talked about the success rates in treatment. She also spoke about how research is helping to pioneer new types of treatment that could make a huge difference to the way cancers are treated in the future.
Our final speaker was Ciara T (Lower Sixth) who spoke about the ethics surrounding doping in sport. Using a number of examples Ciara considered the reasons behind drug taking in competitive sport and her presentation sparked debate in the room as to whether in the future there would be a place for people to compete without restrictions on drug use.
All three Sixth Formers were well-researched and able to answer all the questions put to them with good background knowledge. It was certainly a most enjoyable way to end a school day.
Presentation skills are extremely useful, both in and outside the classroom. After completing a project, presentations can be a fantastic way for students to share what they have learnt. It is also a chance for the speakers to challenge and expand on their understanding of the topic by answering questions from the audience. In the world of work, a confident presenter is able to inform and persuade colleagues effectively, so taking part in activities such as Stride-Darnley, are an effective way of helping our students prepare for the future.
