Practice a presentation out loud before you give it
To practice a presentation with AI, use it as a practice audience for a talk you already outlined. It asks questions. You keep your own words. Follow your school's AI policy.
Next step: do Step 1. Copy the box, fill in the blanks, and paste it into the chat.
A prompt is the message you paste. A Director check is a short look before you use the result.
What you'll need
- Your outline or slides, even if they are rough
- The time limit and who is in the room (class, teacher, teammates)
- Your class AI rules
Step 1: Hand over the outline and the rules
I am practicing a presentation for [class]. Time limit: [minutes]. Audience: [who].
Here is my outline, in my words:
[paste]
Rules:
- Do not write a full script for me to memorize or to submit.
- Be a curious classmate. Ask me one question about slide 1 and wait.
- After I answer, tell me if a listener would know my point, and name one fuzzy phrase.
- Then move to the next slide only when I say next.
Step 2: Answer in a full sentence, out loud first
Say the answer, then type the gist. If you read a paragraph off the screen, you are not practicing the talk.
Step 3: Collect the fuzzy phrases
After the last slide:
List the phrases I used that a classmate might not understand, and the question I struggled to answer.
Do not rewrite my talk. Give me a checklist of 5 things to fix in my own outline.
Edit the outline yourself. Cut jargon or say what it means the first time. A term from class is fine if you can define it in one line.
Step 4: One timed run without the chat
Set a timer. Give the talk to the wall from the edited outline. Note where you stalled. Those spots need a shorter sentence, not a longer script.
Director check: look before you use it
- Is the outline still yours? If a sentence arrived entirely from the chat, replace it with what you mean.
- Did you stay inside the time limit on the timed run? Cut a slide before you add words.
- Can you define any term you used? If not, define it on the slide or drop it.
- Does your teacher allow this kind of practice? If the assignment says you must prepare without AI, rehearse with a friend instead.
One extra tip
If your free ChatGPT account shows a voice button, deliver one slide out loud and let it interrupt with an audience question. Speaking will show you the sentence that is too long faster than typing will.
If you do not have an outline yet, write the story first with Build a PowerPoint outline. Then come back and rehearse.
Common questions
Can AI write my class presentation?
It should not write the talk you perform as your own work. Practicing with questions is rehearsal. Follow your teacher's and school's AI policy, and ask if you are unsure whether a script is allowed.
What if I freeze when I practice?
Practice one slide, not the whole talk. A single clear minute is the point of the first pass.
Should I memorize what the chat suggests I say?
No. Use the note to remember the point. Say it in the words you would actually use in the room.
By Joe Rangel · Last updated · More School guides