Wednesday, July 16, 2008

colorado: day 8 (wedn 7/16)

this morning I had the presentation I was most nervous about. I spent a couple hours last night making changes to my powerpoint: improvements, I hope. I had wanted to put in some video clips to support my points and spent a couple hours at home looking. I realized I was using time I didn't have to put in extra information which, though helpful, wasn't necessary. so, while at home, I opted to just let it be - no movies, no clips. last night, after spending a couple days with the students, I realized that my guesses about what they knew or didn't know were not 100% congruent with them in the reality. and I felt that there was perhaps an expectation (rightly so) from the program to have examples. with some help from my roommate, who had a good starting link she received from someone else, I tracked down some videos pretty effortlessly and was able to find information about downloading and converting them pretty painlessly, as well.

actually, not the converting part. I found several links and approaches, but was not successful. but I was feeling so good about the presentation that I decided to just take my laptop, on which I previously loaded the software to play the specialty videos for a workshop I presented last year; I would use the program/podium laptop for the powerpoint and then switch to my/"the instructor's" laptop for the videos. because of the special formatting, I could not insert the videos into the powerpoint. with a few more hours, I might have been able to track down how to insert this "unrecognized" format into powerpoint, but I didn't need to, so I saved myself that stress.

the presentation actually went pretty well, I feel. overall, I got good feedback, although I do need to find more opportunities to watch formal ASL presentations. feedback from the lead instructor was that I was signing too small and too fast most of the time - and that my conjunctions, because of how I was producing them (along with the small and fast) was not clear for those sitting farther back. that was beneficial feedback and, although I was trying to monitor speed, I was also nervous and was sometimes too fast for the specific audience ... it's a good goal to work on.

a couple hours after the presentation, I collapsed energetically. I still had several hours of work ahead, and I made it through, but all the energy I had in the morning was gone.

my roommate and I went to the campus cafeteria; my first time there. for dorm food it wasn't too bad, with many selections including healthy options. a little pricey, in my opinion, for college food; I can get better in this area for about the same cost. but it was convenient and it was fine.

after dinner we went to a presentation by one of the instructors in the BA program (where my roommate is teaching; I'm teaching in a different program for the center). the purpose was for a cohort of students to practice interpreting, live, with an audience. one of the students ask me if I would give her feedback and I did so willingly. it was interesting and I gained information about an organization I only knew a little about.

and when I got back to the dorm a few hours later -- I was so tired!

but a good day, overall, and I don't have another presentation until the 25th.