With all the speechifying going on during the presidential campaign season, the kids and I have gotten an idea for a new project. We know that it is a good thing to be able to speak well in public, but, other than when we give our testimonies in church, we really do not have much opportunity to hone our skills. We have decided we would try our hand at some video blogging. It dawned on me when we came up with the idea that we follow almost exactly the same procedure every time we want to learn something new. We did it many of our academic pursuits when the kids were little–math, reading, handwriting, etc. We also did it with hobbies–knitting, drawing, cartooning, computer programming, etc. The process we follow is the following:
- Just dive in and start doing it, even if we do it badly.
- Start buying books on the subject.
- Read through the books together.
- Use the new things we learn during our reading as we go.
- When we do something that does not come out so well, try to remember it takes a lot of practice to get better and realize that, even if it is bad, it is still better than when we first started.
- Laugh about how bad we were when we first started.
- If we REALLY like something, start over again at step 2 with some more advanced material.
So, to get us started, I have ordered three books from Amazon. The first book, Broadcast Voice Handbook, covers the use of one’s voice for broadcast media. The reviews said it was a good book for those who are speakers of English as a foreign language, so it should be great for Lorena as well as Kelly, Christian, and I. We will start with that book because it is supposed to arrive a couple of weeks before the other two. The second book is titled It Takes More than Good Looks to Succeed at TV News Reporting. It is about how to write broadcast television news reports. It got great reviews. I was a little discouraged with the title because it says it takes more than good looks… That is great with Lorena, Kelly, and Christian, but some of us do not even start with the most basic necessity and it take MORE than that. We will read that second. The last book is titled Sound and Look Professional on TV and the Internet. It is about the actual video presentation of the material after it is written. The should at least get us started and give us some ideas.
In the meantime, we have decided to just go for it. Kelly has written her first report that we plan to video this weekend and put up on Monday or Tuesday. Stay tuned. If it is really good, that is great, but if it is really bad, out of our ignorance, we might not even know it. At least we have a plan on how to get better.
June 25, 2004 – Putting up our sign
June 28, 2004 – Going away potluck
Update for Ruthie:
Another update: I found Poetry Out Loud. It looks very, very cool. Thanks for the tip. This looks like it would be a great thing in which to participate.
Don’t know if listening to some great speeches will help you, but the other night I discovered the Vincent Voice Library! I am excited to use it during homeschooling, but maybe it would be practical for you in this experience also.
On a different note, we had our first lesson in short hand yesterday. It’s like learning a new language, even a code!
Hey, shorthand is a great idea that we need to consider. I wish I had done that when I was growing up.
I had never heard of the Vincent Voice Library, but it looks VERY interesting, too. We are going on a long road trip on Wednesday. I should download some of that to hear on the trip.
oooo, can’t wait! We do things somewhat in the same manner, but you guys ar WAY ahead of us in the technology department! some of the stuff christian talks about on his blog I don’t even understand.
The first thing I thought when I read the title of the second book was tht it, in all reality , should have a postscript that says, “but it doesn’t hurt!”
EXACTLY, Ruthie. I am quite crippled in that department, but Lorena makes up for me.
typos, typos, typos. sorry!
Have your kids ever read any of Lloyd Alexander’s books? Particular favorites have been the series “The
Book of Three”, which is actually a 5 book series. Easy reading and enjoyable.
Do you know about the VFW’s audio speech contest, or about Patriot’s Pen. These are 2 scholarship opportunities that homeschooled kids can participate in. We also get involved in Poetry Outloud. My kids love to recite poetry. this year my 8th grader will recite “Father”, by Edgar Albert Guest and “Barbara Frietchie” by John Greenleaf Whittier. Last year he did a phenominal job with the poems, “Their Bodies” by David Wagoner and “Up-Hill” by Christina Rosetti. “Their Bodies” was very close to my heart as I had dissected bodies for 2 years way back in ’78-’79 during Anatomy Labs.
That is really great with the poetry Ruthie. We do poetry every year, but I need to get something to keep them excited about poetry as the get older. I will check into to the Lloyd Alexander books. We are not familiar with them. Anything in the new reading series category is greatly appreciated–especially for Kelly. As for the Patriot Pen award, I have posted the result of Kelly’s participation a few years back!
Hi Ruthie!
I have read all 5 of Lloyd Alexander’s books.
I did enter the Patriot’s Pen contest when I was in 7th grade. I think Dad already put up the video. 🙂
I did not know that Kelly. Did you like them?
Yes, I really enjoyed them!!! I picked them up at the library in Oregon a couple years ago. They were very good.
Now what we need to do is find out about Poetry Outloud. It makes me think of beatniks reciting poetry in coffeehouses back in the 1950’s. It sounds really fun.
The video was way too cool. Emma Received $100 for last year’s contest!
The video was way too cool. Emma Received $100 for last year’s contest!
Kelly, if you like the Lloyd Alexander books, you may also like Fire Bringer, The Sight, and The Lightening Thief
We love reading classics, too. My girls enjoy all the Jane Austin books, 21 Balloons, and I can’t remember
many others off the top of my head. I just read a Ralph Moody book called the Home Ranch; I had read the prequel
to it a few years ago called Little Britches, or My father and I Were Ranchers. Don’t count out the Louis L’Amour books
either. The Chosen, by Chaim Potock is excellent and you learn alot about Jewish history. Anyway, these are just
off the top of my head…hope some excite you!
That is awesome Ruthie. I would have loved to have heard Emma’s speech and she won $100! Kelly only won $75. Those are some more great tips on books. I think we are going to try to pick up The Chosen, 21 Balloons and Home Ranch today at the library. We read Little Britches awhile back, but I did not know about Home Ranch. As for Louis L’Amour, I have been working on them for several years now to read those books, even reading one of them aloud, but it has not yet taken. I am truly worried about their upbringing. Where could I have gone wrong. In my day, reading Louis L’Amour was a rite of passage for every kid in every small town in the west!
I think that the amount of money just depends upon whatever the individual post decideds to give. She was very happy.