Assignment Instructions: A First Read-Aloud

You can always find instructions for all major tasks under the “Assignments” page in the main menu.

For this first presentation, choose a picture book to read to us. In your video, we should be able to see YOU reading to us for the majority of the video. You may share the images if you wish, either via a physical book or digitally, or choose to just read the text to us. Your video should be between 3 and 5 minutes long, so if your book is a long one, choose a section to read as an excerpt.

As an introduction (or conclusion): Tell us in a few sentences why you chose the book to introduce it to us. I do not need to know your book choice in advance.

In your video, we should be able to see YOU reading to us for the majority of the video. You may share the images if you wish, either via a physical book, or digitally, or choose to just read the text to us.

Practice your presentation before you record it. That way, you won’t be tempted to take multiple takes.

You will post your video to the class by adding a “new post.” The category is “#1 Favorite Book.” You will need to upload your video to YouTube first (which has some basic editing available if you so choose, but you DO NOT need to edit your video) so that you can embed that link in your post. Your video should be set to unlisted rather than private on YouTube so that your classmates can view it. The posts with those videos will remain in the password-protected part of this site. You can see more about how to do this under Resources.

Feedback

You will be giving feedback to members of the same group that you are in for this first assignment. Feedback does not have to be completed until the following week after a presentation is due.

Feedback Tips

 Constructive critique includes both positive and negative comments and with suggestions of how to change the weaker aspects into more positive and effective ways for the future. Ask “What worked?” and “What can be strengthened?” in terms of the presentation. Try to be specific with your comments. You may find that you identify something negative in someone else’s presentation that you also do. Take it as an opportunity to start a conversation about how to work through the issue.

Questions to ask yourself when watching the presentation and coming up with feedback.

Was the presenter was able…

• motivate the audience to listen?
• convey action vividly?
• create a mental image of the characters, setting and time; assume character’s point of view?
• establish mood? capture the tone of the text?
• use the language of the text to an advantage?
• speak clearly and distinctly
• utilize varied intonation
• make clear transitions
• use silences and pauses to help the story telling
• utilize appropriate gestures and movement; did the physicality aid the storytelling?
• utilize eye contact effectively?
• begin and end the presentation gracefully?

          

Adapted from Penenniah Schramm’s adaptation of categories from Norma Livo and Sandra Rietz, Storytelling Activities, pp. 121-122 (Littleton, CO. Libraries Unlimited, 1987).

Presentation Tips – Questions to Ask Yourself

You can also find this section under Resources if you would like to return to it later.

Preparing the text:

• What is the overall tone of the piece? How might this affect your presentation? How will you deliver that tone?
• What kind of language is the author using? Is there a certain kind of phrasing? Allusions? Rhythm? Verse?
• Are there words that you aren’t sure about meaning or pronunciation? Take time to look them up.  If you do mispronounce something, don’t worry about it! English is weird and we often read a word much more than we hear it.
• Is the passage particularly descriptive? Can you really imagine it in front of you? The more you do, the more your listeners will as well.
• Mark up a text ahead of time.  Identify those breaks, phrases, and even physical movements you might use.
• What isn’t in the text? What’s “between the lines” that you can use your body to convey more clearly. (Example: It doesn’t SAY the character is nervous, but you can tell they are/would be.)

Introductory Context

• Make sure to state the title and author of your piece and when it was written.  If there is an illustrator, make sure to include them too.
• Tell us what the author is trying to do with the piece: Is there a theme that underlies the story? What is the author saying about that theme? (For example, the theme ‘Revenge,’ but the author is more specifically saying that “the need for revenge can make a person lose themselves”) 
• Give us some plot summary, but think about the plot in terms of setting up the excerpt you are reading, what do we need to know to understand the moment?
• How does your book work with the presentation topic? (Note: This will usually be part of the assignment instructions. For example, why is the book a favorite? How is the author making use of a fairy tale? Why might a book have been considered a classic?)
• Address the style and tone of the piece. What marks the text as special?
• How do you make the beginning and the ending of your excerpt clear on their own, rather than adding an unnecessary “Here’s the excerpt,” “I’ll start,” or “And that’s it,” or somehow trailing off?  Think about taking a breath before you start.  Think about tone as you end a last sentence to feel final.  Take a breath to let that excerpt sit with us before you rush away/turn the camera off.

Telling a story physically and vocally

• Try not to rush, it takes a listener longer to process than it takes you to read at what might feel a natural speed. 
• Silence is useful, and pauses help create phrasing. These are moments to look more directly at the camera, to use your facial expressions and physical body.
• Use a marked-up text to rehearse and even present from.
• Characters are not just different vocally; they are different in body language. What can you bring in to indicate that?  On camera, think about your shoulders in addition to your face.
• Your face and body are a tool for conveying emotion.
• Your eyes convey emotion, but they are also a way that you connect directly to the listening audience and they to you.
• Experiment with exaggeration.  It may feel strange to be alone at home recording, but viewers generally enjoy a ‘bigger’ presentation.
• Make deliberate choices about physical movements and vocal choices.  Commit to those choices rather than being afraid of them.
• Breath!

Video Tips

Your video can be recorded on a phone, on a laptop, or whatever camera you have to hand. You do not need to be a major cinematographer or do any editing. Here are some basic tips to help you feel successful:

• Consider the lighting in the room that you are recording. Do a quick test to make sure we can see your face!
• If you are recording with a phone, turn it horizontally rather than vertically.
• Check where your camera lens is – try to make eye contact there rather than with the video of yourself. In fact, you may find it useful to block being able to see yourself being recorded. I sometimes stick a small post-it note next to the camera lens to help me focus.
• Try to use a stand for your camera, or ask a friend to record you.
• If you have kids, family, or friends, feel free to use them as an audience.
• Take a breath and pause before you start and after you stop to leave space if you are going to edit out turning on and off the camera (you don’t have to though!)

There are some more useful tips in the video below if you wish to check them out: