Visualization - A Look Into Vowel Sounds

To begin the process of making this video, I started by downloading the Screencast software. I had run into a problem when I tried to just use the online web based version where the program would not load, so I was left with the only other option which was to download it onto my computer. I fiddled with camera and recording, figuring out how I would go about recording and where I should place the square with my face. Once that was done, I began creating the slideshow I would be using alongside the recording. I used the American English IPA vowel charts and examples to illustrate the fifteen sounds we use in the standard American English accent. Making the slide show was not difficult in the slightest as I have had previous experience with PowerPoint software before. I had even arranged all of the content on the slides to the left side in order to make room for the video of myself. 

Finally, after the completion of my slideshow, I took the first recording of my lesson. It had gone incredibly well. It was even under the free fifteen minute mark that Screencast provides. I was quite impressed that I hadn’t messed up badly enough to have no other choice but start over. It was only when I saved the file and opened it to view it, that I realized something incredibly important. Screencast did not record my screen, just my face. I had learned then that only a certain selection on the screen options would allow for the recording of both the face and the screen of my laptop. So once again, I found my recording my lesson. It took a couple takes, but while I was doing these takes, I began to think of more things to add to the lesson in order to give more clarity to the lesson. 

When it came to uploading my file to the blog, I ran into another problem. The file was much too big. The next thing I thought to do would be to upload it to a place like One Drive and have a sharable link, but the link automatically began downloading the file and I didn’t want that either. So I finally decided on uploading the video YouTube where it is currently at with no problems at all.

While this was only a mock trial, I tried to treat the recording as if this were actually for the class room and my students were the viewers, not my peers. I found that I really like this method of visualization for multiple reasons. My students would be able to have this video and others like it for reference that they could access at any time. They can also be able to hear the sounds and connect them to examples and symbols in a deeper way than just simply looking at them as a text. The auditory and visual component is exceedingly important for my discipline of teaching a foreign language. 

Overall, I would say I grew in multiple ways by doing this part of the project. I was able to play around, adapt to, and find a useful resource for my future classrooms. I also have my own resource for memorizing the vowel sounds of the IPA! I think that this is extremely useful and while this was my first time using Screencast, it will certainly not be my last.