EDMS 550 - Video Edit Critique

It was somewhat strange looking and listening to myself on video presenting a lesson to my fellow classmates in my Technology and Topics course. My initial reaction to watching myself present the lesson was that my movements were a bit awkward and I moved my hands way too much when I was speaking in front of the class. However, each time that I watched myself on video, I became more comfortable watching and evaluating my presentation. After watching the entire video three or four times, I noticed that my delivery was much smoother and more relaxed starting approximately halfway through the video through the end of my presentation. Also, I was able to get over the initial shock of watching myself on video and was able to clearly critique my presentation.

I learned a few things about myself while doing the video editing of my presentation and my plan is to apply what I observed and improve upon my presentation skills and appearance. My first priority is to relax. At the beginning of my presentation, it was apparent that I was not very confident about what I was saying, but as I went along in my presentation, I saw a noticeable change in my demeanor as I became more comfortable and confident. I believe I would have started off more relaxed if I was more confident that I had accurately completed the assignment and had rehearsed my presentation before class. I did not think that was necessary since I had given the presentation two days earlier for another class. Still, after seeing what the previous presenters did for their lesson plans, I was concerned because my lesson plan was different from the others and this caused me some anxiety. Once I got into the content portion of my presentation, I was more confident because I knew the information was accurate and the attention from my classmates gave me comfort they were engaged and interested in what I was saying.

The second thing I want to improve upon is my movement during a presentation. Having to be near the computer to advance my Prezi presentation, I was rooted in one place during the entirety of my presentation and repeatedly looked and motioned at the projector screen. From information learned in communication courses, I know it is important to move around during a presentation to engage the audience. However, since I had to be near the computer and, not wanting to walk in front of the projector and block the audience’s view of the screen, I stayed behind the podium in front of the computer the entire time I was speaking. For future presentations, I will consider the layout and arrangement of furniture in the room and make appropriate accommodations to ensure that I move around the room without distracting the audience.

The third thing that I need to improve is the tone and volume of my voice. I have a mild and it is difficult at times for me to be heard, particularly when I am speaking in a large room. This was evident during my video critique. At times, my voice was barely audible, particularly when I turned my face away from the audience to look up at the screen. This happened too frequently during my video and may cause me to lose the attention of some members of the audience. In addition to the volume of my voice, I struggled with the tone of my voice. There was very little inflection in my voice resulting in a dull monotone while I was speaking. With proper preparation and practice, I believe that I will be able to adjust the volume of my voice and the tone of my voice to enliven my presentation and better engage the audience.

 Finally, I also want to improve my posture and eliminate some of the fidgeting and hand movement that was prevalent throughout my presentation. I believe most of the body movement during my presentation resulted from nervousness due to a lack of preparation. When I paused to gather my thoughts and continue speaking or at transitions in my presentation a moment of panic from the silence of not saying anything contributed to the excessive body movement and hand gestures. With the proper amount of practice and preparation, I believe I will have less body movement and hand gesturing.

EDMS 550 - The Value of Portfolio Assessment

Portfolio assessment has the potential to be a valuable instructional tool that can significantly enhance student learning. There are several benefits to portfolio assessment in comparison to other forms of assessment such as standardized testing. First, portfolios can demonstrate a student’s learning over a period of time rather than just at one point in time. Second, portfolios can assess student learning utilizing a variety of assessments allowing students to use various intelligences and/or abilities to demonstrate learning. Third, portfolios should ensure that students are actively participating in their learning and assessment. Finally, educators can review student portfolios at various points in time to adapt instruction to meet individual student needs. Along with the benefits, there are also potential drawbacks to portfolios. The most apparent is developing a consistent and objective rubric to grade student portfolios. Care must be taken by the educator to ensure that all student portfolios are graded equally.  

EDMS 550 - Presentation Critique

At first, it was somewhat strange looking and listening to myself on video. After watching for a few seconds, it was obvious to me that my movements were a bit awkward and that I move my hands quite a bit when I am speaking in front of a crowd. However, each time that I watched myself on video, I became more and more comfortable watching and evaluating my presentation.

There are a few things I learned about myself while doing the video editing of my presentation. First, I need to relax and start my presentation in a more comfortable manner. Second, I need to move around the room more often so I am not rooted in one place constantly talking and motioning to the screen. Third, I need to work on the tone and volume of my voice. I have a mild voice and was very monotone during the presentation, neither of which result in a dynamic presentation that will maintain the attention of the audience. Finally, I need to improve upon my posture and eliminate some of the fidgeting and hand movement that is prevalent when I am speaking. I believe most of the body movement is caused by nervousness and anxiety and can be corrected with practice and preparation before the presentation.

EDMS 550 - Video Editing

For me, video editing simply means making changes to images recorded on video. When a video is initially recorded, there may be undesirable segments of the video the user does not want to retain. The user would review the raw video footage and eliminate certain segments leaving the user with a refined end product. This process would be similar to revising an initial draft of writing, making modifications to eliminate errors and unnecessary content, and to mold the remaining information into a finished product to be used for a particular purpose. Video editing is the same concept, just with video instead of print.

EDMS 550 - Using technology in my lesson plan

For my lesson plan, I created a Prezi presentation to deliver the content. Throughout the presentation, I incorporated a few videos to show the students to break up the oral lecture and to engage the students in discussion. I use one video at the beginning as an introduction and a springboard to the lesson. The other videos provide visual examples of the content in the lesson.