presentation skills

DVOLVER MOVIEMAKER

Using dvolver moviemaker!!The snowman who doesn't melt!This is a trial video I prepared to show you how the tool looks like.
http://www.dvolver.com/live/movies-1048664
This website provide us with a tool for movie making.It is not very elaborate,so it is simple to use. But,this is a disadvantage, in my view.Students can choose the setting of their story,but the variety of characters is rather limited.Nevertheless,it can be a nice first step towards movie making,as pupils can practise in dialogues,although there is no voice.(They can write their sentences though)The feeling of creating their own movie will be motivation enough for them to be persistent about Grammar and Vocabulary(to be correct and appropriate).It is free and easy to sign in.

The procedure is simple:
1)choose the background,2)select a plot ,3)type the dialogues.There can be background music as well.Then, an original title should be given....and the movie is ready to be shared!

As all tools, dvolver need to be carefully looked by the teacher before using them in class.I found some material inappropriate for children.The role of the teacher here is critical,as s/he is responsible for controlling the materials.
While the pupils are discussing, speaking skills are  being practised. I am not going to incorporate that tool under the umbrella of speaking-listening skills.If used properly writing and reading can be enhanced,especially in early language learning(around the second year of learning English,possible age:7-8 years old)

This is a video  I made for classroom use:It is a way to revise greetings and foster vocabulary about the weather(winter,snow,snowman)httphttp://www.dvolver.com/live/movies-1049610



Dvolver in steps:

Visit the webpage, click on ''Make a movie''

Choose background

Select the plot

MyBrainshark

It is a tool that can be used both from the teacher to the learners and among learners to foster certain learning outcomes.

We make powerpoints more appealing while learning by using My brainshark.
I would use My brainshark to introduce my students to a new technological tool, so that they can practise more on their own. There is a need to be given clear guidelines in order to use the tools especially for the first time. This can happen through a presentation on my brainshark.

Another possible use is related to feedback on group work or on assigning Homework, for example giving the  guidelines for a project.

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From the teacher's perspective:We can upload a powerpoint presentation or pictures. As teachers we usually prepare a powerpoint presentation in order to talk through a project or an assignment, but few students will actually look at it, even if it is in wikispaces. Audiovisual presentation is much more suitable for our learners, who usually want to do many tasks together, such as listening to the instructions and texting a friend. So, it is more possible to pay  attention to a set of notes that combine voice as well.

If students are the active contributors, they have to be careful and write the main ideas of the articles they present. They can have as many tries as they want. This is an asset of mybrainshark, since both learners and teachers can view their products and make the changes they like, such as in the pronunciation.

From the learner's point of view:

By creating their presentations, individual representation of knowledge is constructed. Students can present their work in a visual and auditory way. The problem is that learners may write all the sentences they want to say, and the result would be that they read their notes. What is more, there is not much interaction among students  because they are focused on writing their own presentation.

I would recommend mybrainshark, as it has great potential and is applicable to many practices of teaching and learning. Although the focus is on speaking skills, much emphasis should be given in collaboration skills and summarising.
As a learner, I have been in a difficult position while presenting in front of my classmates. I think it is important to work on presentations collaboratively and thus get peer feedback.