Present.me - Produce Your Magic Presentation

What is Present.me? What can Present.me do?

Present.me is a web tool that allows you to create amazing presentations through your documents such as PowerPoint, pdf, or Google Docs. Similar to My Brainshark and Jing I introduced before, Present.me lets you add a narrative to the presentation. However, what makes Present.me so unique is that you can add not only audio effect but also 'your video', which means the audience can see you on the right and the data on the left at the same time.

How to use Present.me?

    1. Go to https://present.me/ and register for free unless you want 

        to pay extra to obtain more functions. Basically speaking, it is 

        totally enough for you to make your presentation magic by 

        using the free version.

    

    2. After signing in, click 'create' and then choose what you want 

        to create, including 'slides & video', 'slides &audio', 'slides', 

        and 'video'.

    3. If we want to make 'slides & video', click 'proceed' and then 

        you are able to upload your content. After your content is 

        successfully converted, you can begin recording. 

    4. The final presentation then appears with your webcam 

        recording on the right and slides on the left. You can preview,        
        download, embed, or share your presentation as you want. The 

        following is my self-made Present.me video regarding the 

        'Wallwisher activity' we had in ICT class last Friday.

Why is Present.me relevant to language teaching?

    1. It provides opportunities to practice speaking, and it fits all Ss' 
        needs. Some shy Ss are not willing to talk in class; thus, they 
        can practice speaking in their room and then send it to T. 
        Moreover, they can also choose not to appear on the screen by 
        selecting 'video-only mode'. For some active / outgoing Ss, 
        they can choose 'slide & video mode' to present themselves as 
        they like. According to my previous teaching experience, one 
        of the factors that Ss care about in practicing speaking is their 
        'face'. With Present.me, there are more possibilities and 
        flexibility for T and Ss to teach / practice speaking.
    2. It breaks the limitation of time and space. As I mentioned in 
        my previous blog articles, especially in Asian context, T are 
        always struggling for timing. They have to go through a lot of 
        materials and spend most of the time dealing with exam 
        purposes. By using Present.me, some activities which are 
        impossible to happen in class can be done effectively. 
    3. It is helpful to catch Ss' attention. For example, T can 
        introduce today's topic by using Present.me, and this is 
        definitely different from traditional warm-up activities. 
        Sometimes it is necessary to have new stimulus in class to 
        promote more student involvement. Ss can experience audio 
        effect, visual effect, and materials at the same time, which will 
        make teaching and learning much more interesting.
    4. It can also be used for listening, reading, and writing. For 
        instance, Ss have to perform all four skills well (read to collect 
        relevant data, write about main points for slides, speak and 
        listen for recording, etc.) to produce a successful presentation. 
        To reach the goal, Ss may practice hundreds of times before 
        they finish, which is what all the language teachers are eager 
        for.

How can Present.me be used in / outside classroom?

    1. It is definitely a great tool to train Ss' speaking ability, and it 

        can used in various circumstances. For instance, T can use it to 

        train Ss for speech contest; with video effect, T can check not   

        merely Ss' facial expressions but also their body language. 

        Also, T can implement it for discussion and debate practice, or 

        even hold a contest to select the best news anchor or the most 

        creative storyteller of the class.

    2. T can ask Ss to do some speaking tasks with Present.me for 

        assessment. In real classrooms, it is almost impossible for T to 

        evaluate Ss' speaking individually. However, Ss now can do it 

        and submit their work at home, and T can mark it and give 

        feedback online. Besides individual evaluation, doing group 

        presentations with Present.me is also a possibility, which is 

        helpful to promote cooperative or collaborative learning. 

    3. T can give online sessions for supplementary teaching or other 

        purposes (e.g. distance teaching and learning) by using 

        Present.me. Also, T can talk about some complicated concepts   

        in detail, give more examples, explain homework / tasks, or 

        even remind Ss of something important by just providing a link 

        or embedding the video in the blog. 

What limitations are there?

    1. It requires appropriate computer equipment and Internet 

        speed. The video I embedded above is over 9 minutes, and it 

        took relatively long time for the system to convert it. 

    2. With free membership, you can only publish at most 10 videos 

        in a month, and each should be less than 60 minutes. 

        (However, I think it is already enough for most teaching and 

        learning conditions.)

    3. Unlike My Brainshark, if you make mistakes during the 

        recording, you will have to go back to the beginning and do it 

        again from zero, which is a bit stressful for Ss, especially for 

        beginners and low achievers.