Use of Flipcharts in Presentations

A flip chart is a stand with large sheets of paper which is used when presenting information at the meeting. An important element while public speaking is to use flipchart as a prop to support your presentation. Flip charts act as visual enhancers. Flipchart undoubtedly remain the communication powerhouses because they are universally understood and easy to use. They continue to be popular, because they are effective, portable, familiar, inexpensive and do not require electricity or telecommunications. Flipcharts generally work better than anything else in a presenter’s toolbox to:

1. Grab the attention of the audience
2. Give visual expression to ideas
3. Helps in communicating the things that words cannot do
4. Sell new ideas

Use of Flipcharts in Presentations

Confine flipchart use to smaller groups. Write, then turn and talk to avoid talking to the flipchart with your back to the audience. Make letters large and bold to be seen. Keep proper distance between each word in order to make it visible to the audience sitting far behind. Use only 2/3 of the pages. Leave blank pages between the used pages to avoid “see through” effects. Use markers made specifically for flip charts. Pre-design the pages ahead of time. Pencil in lightly what you are going to write. Use more than one colour for contrast and to distinguish types of information. Black and blue are the best. If you plan to re-use the flipcharts, invest in a carrying case to protect the pages. This is one of the most powerful, successful meeting techniques ever known. Whenever there are four or more people in the meeting room use a flip chart. But remember that there is an art of using a flipchart wisely.

If you genuinely facilitating the meeting by noting down what is known as bullet points then there is every chance no one will object you. Flip chart is to note all the key points in a convenient and highly visible way. Rarely, should it be used to instruct or seem as a means of control. Flipchart can also be used tactically. Make sure everyone in the room sees their thoughts or idea written on a flipchart. If you do this, people will see you as a genuine facilitator. Write it all down. Write in simple bullet point. So long as people feel comfortable and reasonably relaxed there is much better chance that they will think of good idea.

Flipchart makes things easier for the speaker as well as for the audience. It helps in enhancing once confidence, usage of updated vocabulary and development of right attitude.

While everyone seems to be interested in creating high-tech computer generated presentations, the flip chart still continues to be the most effective presentation media of all. One should not assume that investing a lot of money in high tech visual aids & equipment will "make" your presentation. The best visuals have been and still are the simplest. Remember, the purpose of using visual aids is to enhance your presentation, not upstage it.

Since most presentations are delivered before small groups of 35 people or less, the flip chart is the perfect size. I feel the flip chart will continue to be the workhorse of most training seminars.

There are several advantages of using a flip chart. Here are just a few:

1. Flip charts do not need electricity - You don't need to worry if the bulb will burn out or worry that you forgot the extension chord.



2. Flip charts are economical - They do not require you to use any special films or printers to produce them.



3. Color can be added very easily - An inexpensive box of flip chart markers allows you all the creativity you want.



4. Flip charts allow spontaneity - Any last minute changes can be easily made.

In today's world of high tech computers, fancy software and sophisticated infomercials, many presenters today feel they have to create a presentation which shows off their ability to use computers and their latest clip art library.

Although the software available today does allow everyone the ability to create colorful slides and overheads, we often find that the visuals become the presentation and not the speaker. As a speaker, your visual aids should not be the presentation. You are!

Even though flip charts are low tech, they are reliable and don't require any special skill to use them but here are some tips to help you use them effectively.

1. The best flip chart stands have clamps at the top and will hold most type of flip chart pads. Most allow you to hang your flip charts while some stands will only allow you to prop them up. Don't wait until the last minute to find this out.

2. Make sure the flip charts you use will fit the flip chart stand you will be using. Some have different spaced holes at the top.

3. Flip chart pads are usually sold in packages of two and come either plain or with grid lines on them. Using the pad with grid lines makes your job easier for drawing straight lines and keeps your text aligned. Also, make sure the pad has perforations at the top to allow easier removal of sheets. I have seen many presenters struggle to tear off a sheet evenly.

4. When preparing your charts, it is best to first design your charts on paper first before drawing them on the actual flip chart pad.

5. Lightly write your text in pencil first before using the actual flip chart markers. This will allow you to make any adjustments with text spacing and any figures you will be drawing. Do NOT use all block letters (UPPER CASE). Using upper and lower case letters makes it easier to read. I like to use the 7 x 7 rule. Have no more than 7 words on each line and no more than 7 lines to a sheet. Using a 6 x 6 rule is even better.

6. Use flip chart markers and not regular magic markers. Flip chart markers will not "bleed" through the paper. Also, they do not have as strong a smell as regular markers. You can also find "scented" markers. They usually come in various fruit scents.

7. Avoid using the colors yellow, pink, or orange. These are extremely difficult for the audience to see. Don't make your audience have to strain their eyes to see your points. Avoid using too many colors. Using one dark color and one accent color works best.

8. You can write "lightly in pencil" any notes next to key points you need. The audience won't be able to see them. You may also write what is on the next sheet. Knowing this will allow you to properly introduce your next sheet.

9. If you make any mistakes you can use "white out" to correct any small errors. For larger areas, cover the mistake with a double layer of flip chart paper and correct the error.

10. Have a blank sheet of paper between each of your text sheets. This will prevent the written material from other sheets to "peek" through.

11. Properly store and transport your flip charts in a case or the cardboard box that some come in. This will protect your flip charts and keep them fresh and ready to use each time. Take great care of your flip charts. I have some flip charts I have used over 100 times and they still look as good as new.

Making "prepared" flip charts can take a considerable amount of time. Make sure you start preparing your charts early enough so you can review them and make any changes or corrections before hand. It takes practice to learn how to print neatly. If you do not have neat printing, ask someone who does prepare them for you. A poorly prepared flip chart can be very distracting.

The most important point to remember in preparing your flip charts is to start preparing them early.

Flip Chart Do’s and Taboos

Using flip charts effectively is a basic skill every competent speaker must possess. You may not use flip charts in every presentation, but you should be able to wield one effectively when appropriate.

Here’s a few tips to help you:

1. Be prepared.
Check and double check that you have markers (and that they aren’t dried out) and enough paper.

2. Choose dark, saturated colors.
To maximize visibility all the way to the back of the room, stick to high contrast colors like black, blue, red, or dark green. Stay away from yellow or anything pastel-shaded.

3. Use colors consistently.
If you are using more than one color (you should), then use them consistently. I typically use black as my base color, but then use red or blue to emphasize key words, or annotate the text.

4. Position the flip chart to maximize visibility for your audience.
I’ve seen speakers use flip charts from exactly where they stood at the beginning of the session: in a far, dark corner. Don’t hesitate to move the flip chart to a more convenient location.

5. Minimize the time spent standing in front of the flip chart.
Lots of people advise standing to the side, even when writing. I find this difficult to do without compromising legibility. However, it is important to quickly move off to the side when you aren’t writing or drawing to avoid being an obstacle.

“Flip charts are more than just relics; they remain one of the most versatile tools readily available to speakers.”

6. Be neat… it matters.
If nobody can read it, it’s pointless. Practice your penmanship. It’s not hard to do, but it does take practice as it is different than writing on a desk or table.

7. Print.
Don’t write.

8. Print large.
Make sure every word you print can be read by the person sitting in the back row of the room.

9. Print straight across.
Keep your words/phrases oriented straight along the page. Don’t dip down as if your words are tumbling down a waterfall. If you find this difficult, pre-trace some faint pencil lines along the flip chart pages.

10. Give the flip chart the focus.
If you are using both slides and a flip chart within the same presentation, consider whether the two are needed concurrently. If you don’t need your slides when using a flip chart, black out the slides (use the “B” key in PowerPoint to do this) to put the entire focus on the flip chart.

11. Don’t use flip charts for lengthy sentences.
Focus on single words or short phrases. This will keep the tempo quick and active — just what the flip chart should be.

12. Draw pictures. You don’t need to be an artist.
Of course flip charts are good for planned diagrams, but they shine when used for impromptu sketches. Use colors wisely.

13. Make tables, charts, or graphs.
Let your imagination go wild.

14. Pre-fill some pages, either in whole or in part.
It depends on your overall presentation plan, but sometimes it makes sense to pre-write or pre-draw some or all of the pages. On pages meant for brainstorming, I’ll often pre-write the column headings. When using diagrams, I’ll often draw out the main blocks using black marker before my session, and then add color labels and highlights during the presentation. If you do this, be sure to leave a blank page in between prepared pages so that the lines don’t show through.

15. Use pencil to give yourself invisible hints.
You can sketch diagrams in pencil beforehand, and nobody will be able to see them. (You can do this for an arbitrarily detailed figure by projecting it onto the flip chart and tracing in pencil.) Then, during your session, just draw over these invisible lines with markers. Alternatively, you can write reminders to yourself in the corner of the page in pencil. If you plan well, you can eliminate hand-held notes entirely, even for lengthy sessions.

16. Refer back to flip chart pages throughout your presentation.
Help your audience draw connections by referring back to relevant flip chart pages from earlier in your presentation. For example, I sometimes open by brainstorming some big picture questions the audience has about my topic. Then, as the presentation proceeds, I can refer back to those questions as they are answered. If necessary, rip off the pages and post them on the wall to ensure they are accessible.

17. Get your audience members at the flip chart.
You could have a volunteer act as a scribe for you, or you could have small-group activities planned using flip charts. There are endless training techniques you can employ… perhaps that’s another article.

CHALK BOARD AS TEACHING AID

Chalkboard is a smooth hard panel, usually black or green. More simply, they are generally a black or a white board and are used to write something with a piece of chalk. They are mainly used for teaching purposes in educational institutions. A chalkboard includes a large writing area, a writing substance and an eraser. There are some ways to use chalkboard as a teaching aid:

• Chalkboard is the most available instructional material which can be used in presenting new lesson
• Chalkboard is very useful to show solutions of the different mathematical problems systematically
• The chalkboard helps T to present more formally prepared lessons or informal sessions that Ss can understand follow more topic
• The T uses the chalkboard to write the important information about the topic. So that lesson’s ideas can be clear from facts to concepts, from cognitive to affective learning
• T can use various color chalk or pen to draw on the chalkboard to develop the topic, show part or build association
• T can use chalkboard to draw or illustrate a point-by-point outline of a lesson by a diagram, chart, etc.
• Chalkboard can improve Ss’ thinking ability by direct attention on the chalkboard or visualize their own ideas
• Chalkboard can be use to list the ideas or topic suggested in discussion. T can add, delete or put them in final form
• Chalkboard can be used to helps Ss practice their work at one time and get feedback immediately by T and other Ss
• The Ss can use mini-chalkboard combines with looking at teacher and give their own answers

ADVANTAGES OF CHALK BOARD FOR TEACHERS:

1. Ease of presentation: A teacher can easily deliver the subject by writing on chalkboard. Students do not like oral presentation without some writing done.
2. In math’s use of black board with chalk to write problems is the only way of teaching to the students.
3. For languages where students find it difficult for some spellings, teacher can scribble it on the board to copy.
4. In science, for biology subject’s teacher can draw diagrams as this helps even students draw them in their books and thereby get practice for writing in exams.
5. In physics derivation can be easily derived in a manner understandable to students by use of chalk board.
6.  In chemistry stoichiometry of equation, formulas, chemical reactions can well be taught by use of a board.
7. Gain attention and interest of students in subject: Students and audiences do not like long speech lectures. They may remain interested for first 10 min. or so and their minds stay away from class. This can be avoided by using chalk board writing. As both combination of hearing and writing will keep their attention and interest in class intact for a longer time.
8. Writing on blackboards helps students take note of class. This class notes helps them to study the topic easily at homes or during exams.

ADVANTAGE FOR THE STUDENTS OR AUDIENCES:

1. Ease of understanding: It is easier for pupil to understand the topic on black board as they see the method or procedure for some processes or theory.

2. Increased memory for particular topic or diagram:  For student seeing a topic on board is more memorable than just hearing it. It is true that memory of sight is better than memory gained by hearing or speech. It is true that we remember people better by faces and not by their names.

3. Ease of making notes: Many students will like to have a running notes of the class room teaching. This is because of ease of learning a student gets when he reopens the pages written during class room teaching. Writing on black board gives ample time for the students to make his/ her notes.

4. Stay attentive in class: Students listening to a teaching mixed with oral and written presentation stay more attentive than mere speech mode of demonstration.

5. Better vision: To the students sitting at the back (benches/chairs), writing on board helps them to see better if the teachers voice is not audible in some words or sentences.

Advantages of using chalkboard over expensive interactive boards:

a. Inexpensive teaching aid. The board and chalk used to write is cheaper than interactive boards or white boards.

b. Easily adoptable to everyone. Chalkboard look has aversion and so is acceptable for every one to see it.

c. Can be used in open air or room teachings. This is because of ease of carriage to the place, lack of requirement of electricity to power them unlike interactive boards and also they are not light reflective so can be see

Disadvantages:

1. Chalk broad is time consuming in topic coverage than interactive boards.

2. Less attractive and appealing than interactive boards.

3. Visual or virtual video presentation is not possible which are more clear in understanding a structure like of biology etc.

So the uses of chalkboard or interactive board is quite essential for teachers or tutors for better teaching.

CHALKBOARD AS TEACHING AIDS

            The chalkboard is a great tool in teaching ESL students. Even though there are different tools that a teacher can use in the classroom, there are still many schools where blackboards are commonly used by the teacher. “When the chalkboard is used effectively in a lesson, it is not only a valuable visual aid to the pupils. It is also a force making for a sense of unity in the class. When all eyes are focused on the blackboard the class is united with itself and with the teacher in a way quite unattainable if every few minutes the pupils have to look down at maps on the desks in front of them. This sense of unity is important: for reasons which only a psychologist could explain it improve both the teacher’s ability to teach and the pupils’ capacity to learn” (from a handbook for teachers of history in West Africa – Crookall-Evans Ltd)

The chalkboard provides many opportunities for variety and change in a lesson presentation. It is used for the different purposes which depend on teacher’s teaching purpose. There are some ideas for using board as the visual aids.

Firstly, the chalkboard can be used to WRITE. Teachers can write main contents of lesson in the chalkboard. Writing on blackboards help students take note of class. This class notes helps them to study the topic easily at homes or during exams. Moreover, the blackboard is also a tool used to connect parts of the lesson coherently together in order to build student understanding. Teachers can write new words if they are going to introduce new vocabulary. It is a good way to make sure that all students can write them correctly because many students find it difficult for some spellings.

Secondly, teachers can use chalkboard to DISPLAY.  The large surface of the board can be used to display all sorts of items such as posters, pictures, charts and flashcards. The teachers can use displayed pictures in the conversation class and ask their students describe it or encourage their students to write a sentence, paragraph, or a short story. Flashcards can be used for simple matching activities.

Thirdly, the chalkboard can be used to ORGANIZE many different GAMES. Games should be played as warmers, fillers, or lesson ending activities. Some games that we can play on the board are hangman, noughts and crosses (answering questions for O or X), pictogram (draw a picture and guess the word). Using anagrams or jumbled sentences with missing vowels is an excellent way of revising vocabulary.

Finally, the teacher can DRAW in the chalkboard. Teacher does not need to have to be good at drawing. In fact, the worse the drawings are the more fun they are.  Drawing pictures is an important skill for explaining texts and stories to the students.  Teachers also can ask their students out to the board to draw. This is not only a fun activity but also opportunity for teacher to close the students. Other visuals which are useful to draw are maps, a plan of town, or a plan of house, school…

Chalkboard is a great tool in any English classrooms if it is properly used. Teachers can use your board in different activities like discussing, writing, drawing, and presenting new ideas to their Students.

FLANNEL BOARD IN TEACHING

Flannel boards are a great tool for telling stories, but they can also be used for math, reading, social studies, or science. After you have modeled some of the stories with a flannel board you can put it in your classroom library for children to practice retelling the story. Here are some simple flannel boards that you can make for your classroom.

Flannel Board Story Telling

SKILLS CHILDREN LEARN FROM USING FELTS

Visual - Sight, Spatial Perception and Color Recognition

Tactile -- Touching and Soft Felt

Fine Motor -- Hand-Eye Coordination and Manipulation

Auditory -- Listening and Hearing

Language -- Speaking and Listening

Intellectual -- Cause and Effect, Problem Solving,

Patterning, Sequencing and Memorization

Social - Emotional -- Self Esteem, Exploring

Relationships, Recitation and Cultural Diversity

Creativity -- Imagination, Make Believe, Music and Drama

Life Skills -- Health and Hygiene, Manners,

Relationships & Dressing Appropriately

Color -- Vividness Attracts Attention

TIPS FOR SUCCESSFULLY USING FELT BOARDS

1. Arrange the pieces face up in the correct order for the story.

2. Decide in advance where and when to place each figure. Your story and placing the figures will flow more naturally.

3. Sit or stand to one side of the board, with figures on your lap.

4. Once the figures are placed, move them as little as possible. Spend most of your time telling the story and occasionally add, move, remove or point to a figure. Pause briefly when you move figures.

5. Have the children use the figures to tell stories.

6. Create a friendly atmosphere by having the children sit close to you.

7. Look into the faces of the children to make the felt board characters "come to life".

8. Relax and enjoy telling stories. Use smiles and show genuine pleasure to convey a positive message to the children.

ADVANTAGES OF USING FELT VISUAL AIDS

1. Provide hands-on experience.

2. Encourages creativity.

3. Develop alphabet and number skills.

4. Enhances verbal skills as well as the child listens to, retells, and creates stories.

5. Provide a great support to your existing curriculum.

6. Involve math manipulatives

7. Teach sequencing.

8. Build self-esteem in the child.

9. Can be used to set up learning centers.

10. Contains many self-correcting stories

A flannel board (or sometimes called a felt board) is a board covered with flannel that you can use in a variety of ways. Flannel is soft and has fibers in it that catch or cling onto other soft materials – like felt or the red fibers from my carpet. I purchased one yard of flannel (which was more than I needed for one flannel board) from my local fabric store. Flannel comes in all colors and I chose white, light blue, light green, and black.

When choosing flannel, you want to choose a color that will make a nice background color for your flannel board.  Light green can seem like grass on the ground. Light blue can seem like the sky and both blue and green are soothing on the eyes and are nice neutral colors that don’t compete for attention with your felt pieces. I had already cut up my blue and green flannel by the time I realized I should have taken a photo of the flannel.

To make a flannel board, I bought several sizes of artist canvases. I purchased my large board at Micheals (it was on sale 50% off) and the rest of my smaller boards are from Big Lots.  This large one is for my circle time area but I also made a couple of small ones for the children to use at the table…

This was so easy to make that I can’t believe I have never tried to make my own before. Just lay your flannel out on the ground and then put your board on top of it with the back of the board facing up…

Trim the excess flannel away and staple the flannel around the edges of the back of the board. Stretch or pull the flannel tightly as you go so the flannel will have a nice, firm, tight, hold on the board and lay smoothly on top of the board…

I used a staple gun to staple the flannel to the board. This is the finished back side of the board once I had all the edges of the fabric stapled into place…

This is the front of my flannel board. I added these little felt bears to show you how well felt sticks to flannel. You can purchase felt and cut out your own shapes to use on the flannel board or there are flannel (felt) board sets available that you can purchase online or at school supply stores as well….

I will share a few ways you can use a flannel board in future posts but just as an overview, you can use flannel boards to tell stories, sequence your stories, count out shapes, visually review concepts, and more…

I set out flannel board with felt pieces for the children to play with on their own too. Here are two of my smaller boards, made the same way, that I will use this school year as table top flannel boards. Notice how the flannel on the board on the right is not as tightly pulled around the board as the one on the left….