Frequently Asked Questions
The questions provided below about the “Future Is Now” session are ones that have arisen time and again. An answer to each question is provided here on the chance it might be helpful for those new to the session.
Q: As a presenter, will my name appear in NCTE’s official program?
A: No, because we usually do not know the names of all student presenters until well past the program deadline. However, your name will appear in the session's program. A digital copy of the session program will be provided for presenters prior to the NCTE Annual Convention. University mentors and session respondents, on the other hand, will be included in the conference program if they register for the NCTE Annual Convention.
Q: As a presenter, how should I dress for the in-person “Future Is Now” session?
A: Dress professionally (i.e., wear classroom teaching attire). It may be helpful to peruse photos of past sessions to get a sense for how others have approached the event.
Q: What is a roundtable presentation?
A: Roundtable sessions involve oral presentations followed by small-group discussion with other presenters, respondents, and attendees who are seated at the table. Roundtables are useful for facilitating in-depth conversation on a topic of interest to those in attendance.
Q: How do I give a roundtable presentation at the “Future Is Now” session?
A: For each presentation, presenters are allotted 8-10 minutes to speak about their ideas and experiences, instructional methods, or research. Before getting started, presenters should provide attendees with a one-page handout to supplement the presentation. Then, seated alongside others at the table, presenters should speak clearly and with sufficient volume. Effective roundtable presentations include an interest-catching introduction, feature key points that anchor the talk, and conclude by offering some ideas for future work, be it suggested resources for learning more about the instructional method or concept or possibilities for future research. Presenters might also consider ways to build interactive elements into their presentations as appropriate (e.g., inviting attendees to write briefly in response to a prompt relevant to the topic, providing opportunities for attendees to experience the method featured).
Q: How many people will be at my roundtable when I’m presenting at the NCTE Annual Convention?
A: Roundtables typically seat as many as 10 people. Most roundtables usually feature three presentations, and each roundtable will have an assigned respondent. The remaining seats may then be filled by other conference attendees.
Q: How long should my virtual and/or in-person presentation be?
A: Each presentation should run for approximately 8-10 minutes. For the in-person session, presenters should prepare to field questions about their work; after all presenters have spoken, there should be approximately 15 minutes remaining for discussion about the ideas and experiences shared.
Q: Can I use my laptop when presenting at the roundtable session?
A: Presenting from a laptop is not recommended. Screen sizes vary and may be difficult to see from across a table, and a ballroom full of roundtables can get loud, making it difficult to hear audio clips played from a laptop. Instead, please bring copies of a one-page handout you can share with attendees, and consider using QR codes so attendees can pull up your resources on their own devices.
Q: What should I include on my handout?
A: What presenters choose to include on their handouts is dictated by what they opt to present. If presenting research, a handout might include some context for the project, research question(s), methods employed, findings, implications, suggestions for future research, and a list of references. If presenting a specific instructional method or concept, a handout might include an overview of the method/concept, a rationale for using the method/concept, examples of how the method/concept can be applied in practice, suggested resources for learning more about the method/concept, and a list of references. Regardless of the focus, all handouts should also include the presenter’s name, institution, and email address. Finally, it may prove helpful to peruse examples of handouts shared in previous iterations of the “Future Is Now” session.
Q: Should I bring handouts with me or print them at the convention center for the in-person session?
A: Printing at a convention center or hotel can be expensive. Therefore, printing handouts in advance and traveling with them is recommended.
Q: How many copies of my handout should I bring?
A: Presenters are asked to bring 15-20 copies of their handouts.
Q: What’s the respondent’s role at my roundtable?
A: The respondent is expected to perform multiple duties, including the following: (a) help to establish the order of presentations; (b) encourage attendees to hold questions/comments until everyone has presented; (c) keep track of time to ensure all presenters get their allotted time to speak; (d) facilitate conversation after all presentations have ended.
Q: How might I share my work with an even larger audience?
A: Presenters are encouraged to turn their presentations into publications. Suggested venues for publication can be found on the “Publication Opportunities” page.
The questions provided below about the “Future Is Now” session are ones that have arisen time and again. An answer to each question is provided here on the chance it might be helpful for those new to the session.
Q: As a presenter, will my name appear in NCTE’s official program?
A: No, because we usually do not know the names of all student presenters until well past the program deadline. However, your name will appear in the session's program. A digital copy of the session program will be provided for presenters prior to the NCTE Annual Convention. University mentors and session respondents, on the other hand, will be included in the conference program if they register for the NCTE Annual Convention.
Q: As a presenter, how should I dress for the in-person “Future Is Now” session?
A: Dress professionally (i.e., wear classroom teaching attire). It may be helpful to peruse photos of past sessions to get a sense for how others have approached the event.
Q: What is a roundtable presentation?
A: Roundtable sessions involve oral presentations followed by small-group discussion with other presenters, respondents, and attendees who are seated at the table. Roundtables are useful for facilitating in-depth conversation on a topic of interest to those in attendance.
Q: How do I give a roundtable presentation at the “Future Is Now” session?
A: For each presentation, presenters are allotted 8-10 minutes to speak about their ideas and experiences, instructional methods, or research. Before getting started, presenters should provide attendees with a one-page handout to supplement the presentation. Then, seated alongside others at the table, presenters should speak clearly and with sufficient volume. Effective roundtable presentations include an interest-catching introduction, feature key points that anchor the talk, and conclude by offering some ideas for future work, be it suggested resources for learning more about the instructional method or concept or possibilities for future research. Presenters might also consider ways to build interactive elements into their presentations as appropriate (e.g., inviting attendees to write briefly in response to a prompt relevant to the topic, providing opportunities for attendees to experience the method featured).
Q: How many people will be at my roundtable when I’m presenting at the NCTE Annual Convention?
A: Roundtables typically seat as many as 10 people. Most roundtables usually feature three presentations, and each roundtable will have an assigned respondent. The remaining seats may then be filled by other conference attendees.
Q: How long should my virtual and/or in-person presentation be?
A: Each presentation should run for approximately 8-10 minutes. For the in-person session, presenters should prepare to field questions about their work; after all presenters have spoken, there should be approximately 15 minutes remaining for discussion about the ideas and experiences shared.
Q: Can I use my laptop when presenting at the roundtable session?
A: Presenting from a laptop is not recommended. Screen sizes vary and may be difficult to see from across a table, and a ballroom full of roundtables can get loud, making it difficult to hear audio clips played from a laptop. Instead, please bring copies of a one-page handout you can share with attendees, and consider using QR codes so attendees can pull up your resources on their own devices.
Q: What should I include on my handout?
A: What presenters choose to include on their handouts is dictated by what they opt to present. If presenting research, a handout might include some context for the project, research question(s), methods employed, findings, implications, suggestions for future research, and a list of references. If presenting a specific instructional method or concept, a handout might include an overview of the method/concept, a rationale for using the method/concept, examples of how the method/concept can be applied in practice, suggested resources for learning more about the method/concept, and a list of references. Regardless of the focus, all handouts should also include the presenter’s name, institution, and email address. Finally, it may prove helpful to peruse examples of handouts shared in previous iterations of the “Future Is Now” session.
Q: Should I bring handouts with me or print them at the convention center for the in-person session?
A: Printing at a convention center or hotel can be expensive. Therefore, printing handouts in advance and traveling with them is recommended.
Q: How many copies of my handout should I bring?
A: Presenters are asked to bring 15-20 copies of their handouts.
Q: What’s the respondent’s role at my roundtable?
A: The respondent is expected to perform multiple duties, including the following: (a) help to establish the order of presentations; (b) encourage attendees to hold questions/comments until everyone has presented; (c) keep track of time to ensure all presenters get their allotted time to speak; (d) facilitate conversation after all presentations have ended.
Q: How might I share my work with an even larger audience?
A: Presenters are encouraged to turn their presentations into publications. Suggested venues for publication can be found on the “Publication Opportunities” page.
