So, you
have made the commitment to have your students
make a presentation to students at a distant site.
Now comes the question, what can I do to make
this a success for my students? The following
are some tips you might want to consider.
Know
Your Facility
Distance
Learning Classrooms and Video Conferencing Centers
vary in their presentation capabilities. Many
provide document cameras, scan converters for
computer based presentations, multiple microphones,
and student and instructor cameras. Others don’t.
It is important to find out what presentation
capabilities you have available to you, before
you begin preparing materials for your presentation.
A visit to the facility and a conversation with
the person from your district responsible for
the facility can eliminate many potential problems
on the day of your presentation.
Prepare
Your Materials With Your Facility In Mind
Or another
way to put it is to maximize your facility’s
presentation capability. Power point presentations
work well in video conferencing. And if you stay
within the normal defaults of the power point
software as to font size and background color
selections the students at the distant site will
have no problem seeing your presentation visuals.
If you
are using a document camera or preparing artwork
to be shown in some other manner there are some
rules you need to follow for maximum effect.
Aspect
Ratio
Television
is a horizontal medium. As such, vertical visuals
do not work as well. Currently the aspect ratio
for television is 4 units by 3 units of measurement.
This ratio can be 4 inches by 3 inches, or 4 feet
by 3 feet. But it is always horizontal. If you
are developing artwork on poster boards or construction
paper design these materials within the aspect
ratio.
Color
Choices
Television
doesn’t like the color red. It tends to make
the signal bloom. Stay away from it as a background
color choice when developing artwork. Television
likes contrast. Black lettering on a royal blue
background is a prescription for failure. Black
lettering on a light blue background or royal
blue lettering on a yellow background work well
for television. Whatever the choice make sure
the contrast choice between foreground and background
is wide in your color scheme.
Document
Cameras
If you
are using a document camera to present artwork
for your presentation use 8 1/2 by 11 paper or
construction paper. Follow the aspect ratio and
color choices guidelines discussed earlier. Then
number your artwork pages in the order that they
will be presented. Place the stack of artwork
under the document camera. Then, during the presentation
remove the top piece of artwork and so on until
the stack is depleted.
Organize
Your Students
Many times
teachers choose to have their students present
in small groups of three or four students. If
this is your choice it is important to have them
organized. Your first consideration is seating
within the facility. If your students are presenting
in small groups have them sit together in that
group on the day of the presentation. This eliminates
much time spent gathering the students from all
over the room. Make certain that the students
know the order of presentation so that they are
ready when their turn arises. And if each group
is using artwork have one student responsible
for it.
Testing,
Testing, One, Two, Three
Audio
is the biggest problem we face in video conferencing
especially with younger elementary students. Following
some common sense procedures can minimize many
of these problems.
The first
consideration is microphone placement. If you
are using a facility with only one microphone
get your students as close to that microphone
as is practical for your presentation. If you
are using a Distance Learning Classroom that has
ceiling mounted microphones place your students
under one of them and have them speak in a loud
voice.
If you
are using a system that has microphones that are
at the student tables that zoom the student camera
to that position, have one student hold the microphone
button while the other talks. Be careful about
having the students too close to the microphone
as their audio may be distorted at the receive
site.
Rehearse,
Rehearse, and Rehearse
Do some
test runs in your classroom. Make certain each
student knows his or her role in the presentation
and when they are on. Time the presentation to
see if it fits within the timeframe allotted.
If it doesn’t, think of ways you can edit
the presentation.
Finally,
Take Pride in your Students
You have
them well prepared. Now go nail your presentation.
And have fun!
by
Arnie Comer, Macomb ISD
