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Early Saturday
Feb. 11th, 2006 05:32 pmToday found my getting up and out the door earlier than I even do for work.
See I am a volunteer judge for the county's 4-H program and today was Public Presentations. For those not familiar with what 4-H look here here. I grew up in the program. But as a city kid. I didn't raise animals or grow stuff. I did the cooking and sewing and crafty stuff. I even got a collage scholarship for my photography work that I did through 4-H.
One of the programs that I highly support is the public presentations. This is where a kid stands in front of a group of people and two judges and gives a talk. It can be an illustrated talk where they tell about stuff with a few props (example is the one I did called "The History of Cameras"). There is also a demonstration where they actually show how to do something (example: How to make grandma's chocolate chip cookies). Kids are broken up into 3 groups. Cloverbuds (ages 5-7) who only get a green "I did it" ribbon. Jr's (8-13) and Sr's (14-18). Both Jr and Sr's are judged Blue, Red and White ribbons with blue being the best and white being the lowest.
I am not too modest to say that I used to give kick ass public presentations. I did everything from the History of Cameras to How to Bathe a Baby to Chocolate Chantily Dream Cupcakes (man I gotta find the recipies for that one again).
Anyway, when I moved back to Erie County I was asked to come and be a judge and I agreed. This year they changed the format of the scoring sheets so that they were the same as are used on the District and State competitions. This didn't bother me as I judged at the District level this year.
What bothered me was the callibur of the presentations I judged today. I judge seniors and hae become known as "The tough judge" which is only a step down from my mother who is "THAT Judge". I do reward with blue ribbons when they are deserved.
But today I judged 3 presentations. And my head hurts from it. ( The stuff I saw today )
all in all I was very disappointed with what I saw today. The judge I was teamed with also gave out all reds. The total for our room was 6 reds and one blue. And neither one of us was sorry for the grading. These kids were terrible.
I tried to tell them when we gave out the ribbons at the end that this was valuable experience that they were gaining through presentations. How learning to speak in front of a group of people is somethig everyone should learn and will come in very handy in the grown up real world.
Too bad that I don't think they really heard me.
See I am a volunteer judge for the county's 4-H program and today was Public Presentations. For those not familiar with what 4-H look here here. I grew up in the program. But as a city kid. I didn't raise animals or grow stuff. I did the cooking and sewing and crafty stuff. I even got a collage scholarship for my photography work that I did through 4-H.
One of the programs that I highly support is the public presentations. This is where a kid stands in front of a group of people and two judges and gives a talk. It can be an illustrated talk where they tell about stuff with a few props (example is the one I did called "The History of Cameras"). There is also a demonstration where they actually show how to do something (example: How to make grandma's chocolate chip cookies). Kids are broken up into 3 groups. Cloverbuds (ages 5-7) who only get a green "I did it" ribbon. Jr's (8-13) and Sr's (14-18). Both Jr and Sr's are judged Blue, Red and White ribbons with blue being the best and white being the lowest.
I am not too modest to say that I used to give kick ass public presentations. I did everything from the History of Cameras to How to Bathe a Baby to Chocolate Chantily Dream Cupcakes (man I gotta find the recipies for that one again).
Anyway, when I moved back to Erie County I was asked to come and be a judge and I agreed. This year they changed the format of the scoring sheets so that they were the same as are used on the District and State competitions. This didn't bother me as I judged at the District level this year.
What bothered me was the callibur of the presentations I judged today. I judge seniors and hae become known as "The tough judge" which is only a step down from my mother who is "THAT Judge". I do reward with blue ribbons when they are deserved.
But today I judged 3 presentations. And my head hurts from it. ( The stuff I saw today )
all in all I was very disappointed with what I saw today. The judge I was teamed with also gave out all reds. The total for our room was 6 reds and one blue. And neither one of us was sorry for the grading. These kids were terrible.
I tried to tell them when we gave out the ribbons at the end that this was valuable experience that they were gaining through presentations. How learning to speak in front of a group of people is somethig everyone should learn and will come in very handy in the grown up real world.
Too bad that I don't think they really heard me.
