What types of papers/presentations are available to participants?

1. Individual paper presentation with a respondent

A student will submit a paper for review. Students with accepted papers are organized as panels and each will deliver a 10-12 minute paper presentation.

Respondents will have 10-12 minutes for commentary on a series of paper presentations. The audience will have approximately 15 minutes for questions and commentary after the respondent presentation. Audience members should limit questions and comments to 1-2 minutes; questions and comments should be directed to a single panelist. The respondent will moderate the question and comment period.

The respondent and/or outside evaluator will use a conference rubric to assess presentations.

2. Coordinated panel discussion with a moderator

Students submit individual papers for review and also (1) submit a request for a coordinated panel discussion of 3-4 participants (students organize as a group prior to the conference) or (2) submit an individual request to be aligned with other students for a discussion panel. The conference will coordinate discussion panels based on requests. Each student will have 3-5 minutes to discuss the individual paper. A moderator will then engage the panelists in an open discussion of approximately 30 minutes, with an opportunity for subsequent audience question and commentary. The moderator or additional respondent may deliver a 10-12 minute commentary on the discussion panel.

Audience members should limit questions and comments to 1-2 minutes; questions and comments should be directed to a single panelist. The moderator will manage time and the question and comment period.

The respondent, moderator, and/or outside evaluator will use a conference rubric to assess the discussion.

3. Multimedia presentation (PowerPoint/Prezi)

A student will submit a paper and PowerPoint or Prezi file for review. Students with accepted presentations will give a 10-15 minute presentation in an organized presentation series.

Respondents will have 10-12 minutes for commentary on a series of multimedia presentations. The audience will have time for questions and commentary after the respondent presentation. Audience members should limit questions and comments to 1-2 minutes; questions and comments should be directed to a single panelist. The moderator will manage time and the question and comment period.

The respondent and/or outside evaluator will use a conference rubric to assess the performances.

4. Non-paper presentation – discussion or multimedia presentation (e,g,, PowerPoint, Prezi presentation. Student panels are organized in a similar manage to prior listed discussions. Students prepare for their topic area (the topic issue is submitted in the email registration) but are not obliged to write a paper and are not eligible for paper awards. For a multimedia presentation, a student submits a title and abstract description of the presentation (approximately 100-150 words). Students are assigned to make a presentation in the same manner as listed previously for a paper-based multimedia presentation. Students not presenting a paper must submit discussion notes and digital multimedia files. At least one student for each group discussion or multimedia presentation must submit a paper.

What are the paper guidelines?

• A student may submit up to two papers.
• A paper must be 8 pages, double-spaced, including bibliography, as a minimum.
• A paper must have a contact cover page with the title and the author’s name/school/grade, mailing address, and email address. The title should be listed on the paper cover and on the first slide of a PowerPoint or Prezi file.
• Subsequent pages should have a header with the title but no author’s identifying information.
• If the paper is submitted as part of a group panel presentation, please list the names of all members of the group. Each student in a group must submit a paper (*note exception for students not submitting a paper).
• Each student proposal must have the support of a teacher from the student’s school; contact information verifies that the student is offering a serious and appropriate proposal for the conference. The teacher’s printed name,  school name, and email address must be listed on the lower right of the title page. Teachers will be contacted to confirm paper proposals.
• Papers must be submitted electronically to Lauren Phillips, lauren.phillips@cmc.edu. The deadline for submission is February 17, 2016.
• Write the paper as if for publication. Top papers will be published online as conference proceedings.
• All sources/evidence must be appropriately cited. A paper must include a bibliography of all works cited in the paper.
• Adapt the paper for an oral presentation. You should not read the paper to the audience. You should present the paper (usually, a representative subsection of the paper) as an effective speech. You should use your presentation ass an opportunity to engage and persuade your audience.
• Keep the essay focused on a single, important idea. Avoid a review of several issues. Depth of analysis, an interesting idea with appropriately cited research, and rhetorical precision is better than a lengthy list of relatively unexamined issues.
• Follow the presentation time limits.
• Anticipate disagreement. You should be prepared to address challenging questions and comments from respondents, moderators, and audience members.

What are the presentation guidelines?

• Presenters must follow time limits. Please organize your presentation to fit the allotted time.
• Slides should express powerful visual images (photos, quantitative date – charts, graphs, etc.); they should not be text-heavy, nor should they be read to an audience.
• Please bring appropriate handouts, bibliographies, contact information/business cards, and other resources for audiences and networking.
• Practice and time presentations to ensure professional delivery.