It is never too early and students are
never too young to start polishing their presentation skills. Being able to
speak in public is a necessary skill, however, students do not always learn the
proper way to prepare for and deliver a speech.
I know an audience can provide
constructive feedback, but sometimes their comments can be hard to understand and believe
(e.g. talking too fast, too quiet, fidgeting, repeating “um” and “like”). Below
are different ways for students to evaluate themselves and actually see what
they are doing correctly or incorrectly.
Lo Tech Method
Practice in
front of a mirror.
Hi Tech Methods
Video Camera –
Set up the camera on a tripod or get a student to help record.
Digital Camera –
Most digital cameras have a movie-recording feature.
Laptop with
internal or external webcam – Pair this with a variety of programs, one such
program would be iMovie on the Macs.
Document Cameras
– These typically can also record if they allow for removable media to be inserted
or are connected to a computer with its associated software installed.
*In a pinch, a
student’s image can be projected on the back wall (a really expensive mirror!).
iPad – Use the built-in Camera app to record video and
play it back. There are numerous other iOS apps that you can purchase to record
video, but what it comes with is all you really need.
iPad Apps
Apps can come in
handy to gauge the proper volume for speech delivery.
Decibel 10th: In real time, see the volume level at which someone is speaking. The
app outputs the numerical decibel level, as well as a continuously updating
graph and gauge. Use this at home or in the classroom. The device can be placed
at a distance from the presenter for him or her to reference. Even though this
app is rated for “entertainment purposes” because it may not be completely
accurate, it appears to give consistent results and has the option for manual calibration. A more in depth review of the app by iPad Apps for Science. (Free)
dB Volume: This
is an alternative to the app above, formatted for iPhone or iPod, which
displays the decibel level as a number and on a meter. (Free)
TooLoud?: Displays
concurrently the room’s volume in easy to read numerical values, as a bar graph,
and an updating line graph. The free version claims to have ads, but I have not
encountered them in all the times that I have used this app so far. (Free or
$0.99)
Websites
Methods that are used to record a
student’s presentation should be paired with a review of the video and the
completion of a reflective piece of writing. Criteria for Evaluating Speeches
created for a Missouri State University class provides some items to consider.
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