I don’t know about you, but there are few things I dislike more in this world than watching and listening to myself on camera. I constantly feel nervous while filming and feel like I never know what to say, even if I brainstorm beforehand. At the beginning of this semester, I was given the daunting task of creating an introductory video to introduce myself to my fellow classmates. Watching this video back now, I see lots of mistakes and things that I would like to do differently in the future. For example, I made my video while stuck in a traffic jam. While yes, it did save me time that day, it was also not very professional and a bit reckless. I also used my iPhone as my video recorder, which led to background noise and caused the quality to be subpar.
Using these critiques, I am going to re-do my introduction video using the MAPS heuristic, developed by Troy Hicks (2013). The MAPS heuristic “focuses on mode, media, audience, purpose, and situation” (pg. 106). As previously stated, I often find myself struggling with what to say in videos and feel lost on where to begin. Hicks (2013) states “the MAPS heuristic helps writers decide how and why to compose their texts in certain ways, and this general approach can be useful for getting started (pg. 111).
My updated introduction video is still an introduction of myself; however, I am not the center focus of the screen. Rather than standing in the center of the frame and nervously rambling, I am simply narrating the important events in my life that I think are important to share in an introductory video.
Here is my updated introductory video!
References
Turner, K.H., & Hicks, T. (2017). Teaching Adolescents to Read and Write Digital Texts Argument in the Real World. Portsmouth: Heinemann.
Hicks, T. (2013). Crafting Digital Writing: Composing Texts Across Media and Genres. Portsmouth: Heinemann.
Taking on Technology with Mrs. Harrison 
Using narration and transition composition of a short, personal introduction” with audio voice over telling my personal memoir, or a narrative genre” helps to examine the video as a mentor text (Hicks, 2013, p. 109). Your video fits the MAPS–mode, media, audience, purpose, and situation method. Nice job!
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I do not like watching of listening to myself either! However, I agree in that these texts have helped me understand important concepts about video. I now know elements that make a good video and how to include these elements when creating a video. I love the pictures and narration that were included in your video. Hicks (2013) emphasizes the need to “craft digital texts with intention” (p. 96). Your video was created with the specific purpose of telling your story and the elements that were included in your video enhanced the video’s purpose.
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Mary Owen,
I, too, learned a whole lot about what I should have done better in my initial introduction video. I feel much more confident in the one I resubmitted. In regards to your video, I like how your voice over connects directly to the pictures that come across. Did you split your script into smaller portions of text to make sure the texts aligns so well with your pictures? If so, Hicks’ (2013) comment stands true: “students can shift smaller portions of text along the timeline as they see fit” (p. 97).
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I can just see you cruising down the road recording this video. Teachers literally don’t have enough time in the day for anything! I always seem to ramble in my videos, too! Revising was very enjoyable because there are so many available applications to use now! While I was revising my video, I worked on my introduction more, also, Hicks (2013) said, “While digital writers can post audio texts online or release them as podcasts without any formal introduction, even a brief one can help orient the listener.”
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