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TECH
Since the March 2020, so many of our presentations and teaching sessions are now online. Often we get asked to pre-record the content.
This leads to stress about which software to use.
I use Ecamm for Mac, which I love. It's wonderful because I can:
- Position myself in different areas of the screen
- Change my camera size and shape
- Add overlay graphics and text
- Pull in comments from YouTube on a live stream
- Create different views and seamlessly switch between them
The popular choice for many people though seems to be OBS. OBS has the same features as Ecamm, but works on Mac and on PC.
For those less technically minded, ClipChamp is a very simple screen recording tool with some basic editing features. It's free and is very user-friendly.
You don't need to download any software.
- Just press record
- Add your camera, screen, and mic
- You are good to go
Once it's recorded you can easily cut in videos, add music or sound effects, and add graphics or annotations.
I've tried out the free version and it seems great.
I'd love to hear what you think of it...or if you've found something better for pre-recording presentations.
WRITING
When writing a Tweet, less is more.
There is so much great content out there but it's easy to forget the most important stage.
Editing.
When you draft a tweet, make it more appealing to readers:
1. Remove any weak words
Instead of 'I used to just lie around in bed for probably the majority of the day' use 'I lay in bed all day'.
2. Change passive verbs to active ones.
Instead of 'I was running 5 times a week' use 'I ran 5 times a week'
3. Use simple language
Instead of 'I struggled to generate new ideas and I was paralysed about what to do next' use 'I was out of ideas. I was stuck. '
Nobody on twitter wants to read a paragraph thick with text.
Cut out the fluff.
EDUCATION
The best skill I've learned for online teaching in small groups, is to embrace silence.
Next time you're running a tutorial or small group discussion, be conscious of how long you actually wait after you ask a question to see if there's a response.
It's so tempting to fill the space left by the tumbleweed:
- 'So, is anyone going to answer?'
- 'Go on, I'm sure one of you can...'
- 'I don't wan't to have to pick someone, but I will...'
We find the silence excruciating.
Instead, I challenge you to ask your question, and then pause.
Allow complete silence.
It helps me to start a timer on my phone. And then just wait.
I promise you that you won't be waiting as long as you think. The longest we've ever waited was 40 seconds.
It gets easier the more often you do this.
Silence is golden.
See you next week.
Tessa
P.S. Whenever you are ready, here are 3 things I can do for you.
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- I offer interview coaching and presentation coaching.