IT'S DONE!

Well hey guys! My TED talk is finally over, and to be honest, I could not be happier right now. Over the past few days, I
I was informed by a bunch of people in my class that I'm supposed to grade myself here, using the rubric etc and then give myself a grade out of thirty. First, I don't really like that idea, I mean I feel really uncomfortable giving myself a good grade, but to be honest, I really feel like I put in a ton of work, and did really well.  So I figured since I am going to do so, I should probably explain myself.

First, my talk was 4-5 mins. in length, so woohoo! In addition, I had a great visual aid, a Prezi, that I
worked really hard on. I wanted to make sure that it flowed smoothly and had everything that I needed on it. The Prezi had to be edited afterwards to fit with my script, and it took a really long time to work out all of the kinks. All in all, I was really proud of it in the end, and it turned out well.
Speaking of script, during my talk, I didn't just focus on my project itself. Instead, I had a bigger purpose to the talk, giving the audience something to take away from it. I had an interesting hook/ conclusion that sought to engage the audience.

I practiced this talk for several days over break and this week so that I was very comfortable with the subject material. By the time I was actually due to present, I had memorized pretty much all of it. Because of this, I was able to present with confidence and eye contact (despite harsh lighting from the stage... blank faces much?). I also did not rely on crutch words, and stumbled only once or twice.

Now to review based on the "Ted Commandments"
(Whoever wrote these is actually the greatest. Seriously, they are freaking awesome. (I can say freaking can't I????))

1.This TED talk was much different from my "usual schtick" in that it was serious, but I was passionate about what I was saying. I had lived the experience and therefore gave a superior, more intellectual reflection on the process than I would normally.
2. In addition, the idea that passion is key in achieving goals was a "wondrous thing (or in this case idea) that I showed to the audience. The talk allowed me to not just tell them, but show them as well.
3. I explained my passion for writing and explained it several times over.
4. In addition, I told the story of my progress and how it was accomplished in both times of good ideas and bad (aka awful).
5. I found that this was not necessary for me to do, as it did not fit in with the context of my speech.
6. I expressed my failure, and fluffed the audience's ego up during the talk, not my own.
7. I didn't sell from the stage at all. Clearly, I want too avoid that whole "utter darkness" thing...(However, you know if you want to give me money now, I'm not complaining.)
8. My speech, while serious quite often, was also lighthearted at times, especially in the beginning.
9. I had practiced dozens of times, and so posture and eye contact were not that hard to maintain.
10. My speech was within time requirements I believe.

Overall, I am proud of the work I did, and I have received much positive feedback from fellow peers, most of whom were not prompted or bribed. Kidding. ;)

Judging from the rubric and my own belief, I think I deserve a 27.5-28/30
I hope this explanation provided insight, because I swear I am not just giving myself an A. Thanks! :)