Speech Video Evaluation

Let me just start this post off by saying,

"It is so hard to watch a demonstration video of yourself!"

It's easier for a person to critique themself because they instantly seek out the negatives so, I am going to list the positve sides to my demonstration video first. Then, I will record some aspects that I need to work on.

Before I give an evaluation of my video, I am going to give a background of the demonstration. On Wednesday, October 27, I taught my Life Science Communications class how to make Oreo Brownies. My speech was a little over 5 minutes long: an extremely nerve-wrecking experience.

After reviewing the video of my demonstration speech, I can list some positive and negative aspects of my speech. I noticed in the video, that I did keep a substantial amount of eye-contact with the audience, and I used frequent hand expressions throughout my demonstration. I was also pleased with my use of visual aids. Showing the different utensils used to make brownies and applying some of them to my demonstration was an advantage to my speech.

Some things that I could work on for future speeches would be introduction, articulation, pauses, and organization. My introduction was moderate. I tried connecting my subject to the audience with the idea of "favorite foods". Though I believe I could have introduced the subject in a more interesting way, such as providing a question to the audience. To give an even more outstanding introduction, I could have also used a more dynamic voice; the pitch of my voice was somewhat consistent and ordinary. 

Some minor things I could have done with my voice were adjusting my articulation and completing my sentences. I noticed in a few parts of the video, that I would stumble over a few words and mutter the rest of my sentence. It’s natural for me to feel rushed in a demonstration, so to prevent myself from stumbling over words, I could use some pauses to catch my breath.

Another thing I would like to work on for my next speech is better organization. In my demonstration, I talked in the order of ‘brownie batter, crushing Oreos, bake brownies, and then adding frosting and Oreo topping’.  This order worked for my presentation; however, I wish I had defined my brownie-making steps to provide a little more time for my speech and give a clearer explanation of the process.

Overall, I had fun giving this speech and watching other classmates giving theirs. I hope I can successfully apply my critiques and others’ critiques to my next presentation.

To view my demonstration video on "How to Make Brownies" click on the link below:
http://sharing.theflip.com/session/140454875b6335677919db93816c6dec/video/25355991

Peer Responses

I sincerely apologize for these late peer responses, however, I would still like to complete this assignment.

Peer Response #1
Casey Peacock's TILOHL

After reading Casey Peacock's blog about the obstacles found in the construction of the new novel, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (TILOHL), I was intrigued by the complexities one must go through in creating such a dynamic novel. The author of the novel, Rebecca Skloot, faced many obstacles throughout much of the research and writing she had to do in order to complete her novel. Casey's impression of the greatest obstacle that Rebecca Skloot had to endure was forming a story without bias.

And I must say, "I completely, 100%, agree".

I like how Casey's blog discusses the troubles of creating a story that everyone can read without adding a biased opinion to it. Overall, the novel confronts the conflicts of Scientific Research and Human Rights. Henrietta Lacks, the main character of TILOHL, produced cells that were "immortal," but when she was tested for cervical cancer, her doctors took some of her cells for research, not knowing at the time of the cell's immortality.

Years later, her cells had produced millions and millions of stem cells, which are utilized in much of today's scientific research. The problem was, Henrietta's family never received any compensation or consent for the use of Henrietta's cells.

The conflict of human rights, scientific research, and the struggle of a "famous" family to stay out of poverty is presented in a neutral tone in Skloot's novel. I believe that her attention to detail, knowledge, and logic within the story, help to give the audience a choice to decide and form their own opinions of the intense situation.

You can find Casey Peacock's Blog at the link below:

http://cpeacocklsc100f09.blogspot.com/

Demonstration Video: Guitar For Newbies

On Monday, November 1st, I watched an interesting demonstration video created by the web group, “Mahalo”. The demonstration was titled, "How to Play Guitar for Newbies".

Veronica Belmont opens her demo with a quirky James Bond theme, attempting to capture the audience’s attention and teach them how to play the theme song from the James Bond films on the guitar.

Belmont first introduces the basic terms and key notes of the average six-string acoustic guitar. She assessed various concepts involving the use of a guitar, such as the importance of the guitar neck and its effect on the guitar sound.

 "The farther down the neck you press on the strings, the higher the pitch will be produced by the guitar" (Belmont)

What I enjoy most about this demonstration is the repeated use of the visual aid (guitar) and Belmont's devoted attention to her audience. Her friendly smile and cheerful attitude can easily captivate the audience's interest in learning how to play the acoustic guitar. 

Some outstanding gestures that Belmont made in her presentation were (1) constant eye contact with the audience (or in her case, the video camera), (2) speaking with flawless pronunciation, and presenting with an optimistic attitude, (3) execution and use of visual aid (guitar), and finally (4) giving a clear, organized presentation in a chronological order (introduction, background knowledge, basics, etc.).

A significant drawback to this presentation was the fact that she wasn't an expert in playing the guitar. She was still at the beginners or intermediate level herself, and it would have been nice to have been taught by someone with complete knowledge and experience with a guitar. Fortunately, she only talked to the audience about the guitar basics and then brought in a professional acoustic guitar player, Bob Quartez, to teach the audience the finer chords. He demonstrated his expert skills to the audience, in hopes of attracting their attention and interest in playing the guitar. 

 To view this demonstration, click on the link below:

http://www.mahalo.com/how-to-play-guitar-for-newbies

If this link is not working, follow the youtube link below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RaXQKL-xbQ

Alison Schmitz, November 2010