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.

Jing - An Unbelievable Screencast Tool

What is Jing? What does Jing do?

Jing is an unbelievable screencasting tool which can be used to record everything happening on your screen. By registering for free, you are able to get 2GB storage. After finishing the video, you can store, download, or share it online.

How to use Jing?

    1. Link to www.techsmith.com/jing.html, download Jing, and 

        sign up.

    2. Then Jing will appear on the top of screen. Click 

        "Capture" to decide which area on the screen will be      

        recorded.

    3. Click "Capture a video" and starting to record.

    4. After finishing, you are able to save the video or share online. 

        Click "Share via Screencast.com" to upload the video, and 

        then Jing will send back a link of your video. 

The following link is a self-made Jing video about giving feedback to Ss. (The author of the article is my previous student, who is now an eight grader. She sent me her article, and it only took me less than ten minutes to give her feedback. Amazing, isn't it?)

http://screencast.com/t/gEcsiF2sD

Why is Jing Revelant to language teaching?

    1. It provides a good way for Ts to give detailed and personal 

        feedback on writing. Reflecting my previous experience, I 

        used to correct Ss' works or give feedback only by writing, and 

        sometimes I only provided something very general. By using 

        Jing, Ts can give both visual and audio feedback, and Ss can 

        understand T's suggestions more clearly. Besides, using Jing to 

        give Ss feedback is helpful for protecting Ss' 'face'. They can 

        watch feedback privately instead of being corrected in public. 

        Moreover, Jing video will be stored for a long time, which 

        means Ss can watch their feedback again and again.

    2. Ss can use Jing to do presentation. It will make the preparation 

        work more interesting, and it is also helpful to promote Ss' 

        motivation.

    3. It's extremely easy to use. There are more possibilities in Jing 

        than in paperwork.

How can Jing be used in / outside class?

    1. T can give feedback on Ss' writing by using Jing. During the 

        process, it is not necessary for T to correct all the errors for 

        Ss. Instead, T can just mark the error and ask Ss to think about 

        it then revise a new version.

    2. Ask Ss to do presentations (individual or group) or storytelling. 

        The presentations or storytelling will become more attractive 

        with both visual and audio effects.

    3. After doing some activities in class, T can provide an overall 

        feedback to all the Ss by sending each S the link.

    4. Ts can implement Jing in different teaching activities. For 

        example, explaining grammatical concepts, introducing 

        new vocabulary, providing supplementary or distant teaching.

What limitations are there?

    1. The maximum of video is only five minutes. Sometimes the 

        time limitation is not enough for Ts to give all the feedback at 

        a time.

    2. It requires users' speaking ability. Also, there is no way return 

        after pressing "record". So if the user makes mistakes all the 

        time, it will take a long time to finish a video.  

    3. It is time-consuming for Ts to give each S feedback by using 

        Jing. Take myself for example, I can finish checking a short 

        article in five minutes; however, the whole process of using 

        Jing may take me more than ten minutes. This factor may 

        result in Ts' unwillingness to use it.

My Brainshark - A Fantastic Way For Presentation

What is My Brainshark? What does My Brainshark do?

My Brainshark is a simple, fast, and free web-based tool which enables users to combine videos, photos, documents, or PowerPoint slides with voice for presentations that can be viewed online any time.

How to use My Brainshark?

    1. Go to www.brainshark.com and register for your free My 

        Brainshark account.

    2. After logging in, click "upload content" to upload for example, 
        PowerPoint files. You are also able to add some information 
        such as title, description, categories, and tags.

    3. Click the microphone to record your voice. Then you can 
        make the recording for each slide.

    4. Click "End Recording Session" and then everything is done. 
        You can preview immediately, get the link, embed in your 
        blog, or even share it on Youtube.

The following is a self-made presentation about my hometown. Enjoy it!

Why is My Brainshark relevant to language teaching?

    1. It's a great tool for Ss to practice speaking, from pronunciation 

        to presentation. Moreover, in order to protect their 'face', most 

        Ss will practice a lot in advance for better recordings.

    2. It increases Ss' learning opportunities. For example, in my 

        context, I have to be responsible for large class. Thus, I hardly 

        have time to help Ss with their speaking. Also, some Ss are too 

        shy to speak in public. By using My Brainshark, each S can 

        practice as many times as possible after school until they are 

        satisfied. 

    3. Ts can use My Brainshark in / outside class, even for distant 

        teaching. If Ts only have limited time, then he / she can do  

        supplementary teaching by using My Brainshark and embed it 

        in blog for Ss to watch. It really breaks the limitation of time 

        and space, and makes teaching more flexible.

How can My Brainshark be used in / outside class?

    1. T can use My Brainshark to design warm-up activities. For 

        instance, introducing the main topic today, asking pre-reading 

        questions, and so on. 

    2. T can select one or more topics for Ss to make a presentation. 

        However, it is necessary to make regulations of time limit 

        based on Ss' abilities. Storytelling is another amazing activity 

        which matches well with My Brainshark. They do not need to 

        spend a lot of time making PowerPoint slides. Instead, they 

        can present their stories with only a few pictures. 

    3. My Brainshark can be used not only for individual 

        presentations but also team / group presentations. When 

        preparing team / group presentations, Ss can improve their 

        English as well as the abilities to cooperate / collaborate with 

        peers.

    4. T can provide supplementary teaching to overcome the lack of 

        time. Also, T can provide distant teaching when necessary. 

        (e.g. The school is closed due to weather condition.)

What limitations are there?

    1. The maximum of recording is 15 minutes. It may not be 
        enough for advanced learners to give a presentation.
    2. The video is not downloadable and can only be played online.
        This will be a problem if there is no sufficient computer / 
        Internet equipment at Ss' homes.
    3. It is a bit time-consuming for Ss to go through the whole 
        processes (selecting the topic→making PowerPoint 
        slides→thinking about oral presentation→doing technical 
        work). Some Ss may give up or choose to be perfunctory.
    4. T may spend much more time checking Ss' works. It will be 
        even more time-consuming for T to give individual feedback. 
        This disadvantage may result in T's unwillingness to use this 
        tool.

Dvolver - An incredible moviemaker

What is Dvolver? What does Dvolver do?

Dvolver is a free and convenient Internet tool that enables you to produce your movies. What you need to do is to select characters , backgrounds, scenarios, and add your own dialogues in the bubble. It is very easy to use and also a great choice for language teaching, especially for younger learners.

How to use Dvolver?

    1. Link to www.dvolver.com and click "make a movie."

    2. Select one of the backgrounds and sky images for your movie.

    3. Click “next” and then select a plot scenario.

    4. Click “next” and then select the characters you want.

    5. Click “next” and type the dialogue text for each character.

    6. Click "next" and select a background music.

    7. Click "next" and add another scene to repeat this process, or 
        you can continue to finish the movie after entering the title and    
        the author.

    8. Preview your movie and send it to others. You can also embed 
        the movie in a blog or website and share it with the world.

The following is a self-made movie. I adapted the dialogue from the textbook in my context (Taiwan), which is for nine graders.

Why is Devolver relevant to language teaching?

    1. It makes teaching more interesting. Compared with the 

        texbook picture above, the movie is more vivid and attractive   

        to Ss. The learning environment will also become much  

        friendlier. 

    2. It is free, simple and quick to use, but gives very professional 

        looking results which can be shared. Movies / animations are  

        great at showing Ss the chronological order of the dialogue as 

        they actually do exist in time. The convenience is also an 
        advantage for Ts to use it in language class.

    3. Ts can use this tool to design various language teaching 

        activities which will be described in the following part.

How can Devolver be used in / outside class?

    1. T can use Dvolver as warm-up activity or as a tool to teach 

        dialogue / conversation. For example, T can make a movie 

        about today's topic and have Ss to guess what it is. Like 

        riddle-guessing, Ss will pay more attention and involvement 

        to what they are learning.

    2. It is a good way for T to ask Ss to give group presentations 

        via Dvolver. Ss will learn how to choose and organize the 

        most important concepts together to make a movie.

    3. It promotes Ss' creative thinking. For example, T can ask Ss to 

        'create conversation' based on specific ideas such as a word, a 

        place, a festival, and so on. Besides, Ss can practice telling 

        English jokes by using Dvolver. If Ss have their own blogs, 

        they can also embed the movie in their blog.

    4. It is also possible to do storytelling with Dvolver. Ss who are 

        interested in cartoons, animations, and movies will have more 

        motivation in language learning.

What limitations are there?

    1. Limited technical support:

        (1) The maximum of each sentence is 100 letters, the 

              maximum of scenes is 'three', and the maximum of 'movie 

              title' is 20 letters. Sometimes they are not sufficient when

              using. 

        (2) When playing the movie, the flow is a bit too fast and there 

              is no 'pause button'. This will be a disadvantage for mixed-

              ability class, especially for low achievers.

        (3) No audio. Listening is a significant factor when learning a 

              language. However, Dvolver can only provide 

              background music during the process.

        (4) You can not edit the movie afterwards. What you can do is 

              to repeat the whole process again. Sometimes the inability 

              to edit is inconvenient and time-consuming.

    2. Ethical considerations:

        (1) Some of the characters dress improperly, which may result 

              in negative influence for younger learners.

        (2) It is possible for naughty Ss to put inappropriate words or 
              sentences into the conversation if T does not remind them
              in advance.