What in the World is an Ignite Talk?

As a still fairly green masters student I have encountered many MANY things that I have no clue about. How do you search through newspaper archives efficiently? Where is this lecture series being hosted? How am I supposed to read 200 pages for tomorrows class?

The most recent question I have come across is what in the world is an Ignite Talk? This was something I was assigned in my Public History class, and something that I had no idea how to begin. An Ignite Talk is a new phenomenon at conferences and lectures which condenses material, and presents it in a new and innovative way. The presenter is responsible for preparing a presentation with fifteen to twenty slides, that are between fifteen and twenty seconds each. These slides ideally have very little text on them, and are composed of mostly images that emphasise what the speaker is saying. These slides also advance automatically after the designated times, whether the presenter is prepared for it or not, just for the fun of it. If it is done well, an Ignite Talk can be a great way to convey key information in five minutes in a very memorable way. If it is done poorly, an Ignite Talk can be five minutes that feels like fifty.

If anybody is interested in seeing how this is done, check out this video! I did before I wrote my first talk, and it really helped.

I decided to do my first talk on a topic that I know very well, my recent trip to Menorca, Spain where I dug a 3rd c. Roman city for eighteen days. I chose this topic because I was comfortable talking about it, I knew it really well, and I had all my own pictures which made it more personal.

I began with an introduction of where I went, the field school I chose to dig with, the affordability of the experience, and an overview of the site itself.

This was my site! I dug with the Sanisera Archaeological Institute, and worked on uncovering new walls in the Roman City. Sanisera is one of the most affordable field schools I found through my research, and a great place to start if you are new to archaeology! For 18 days of digging, classes, transportation, accommodation and 3 meals a day I paid $750 (USD).






The above information was broken up into about 4 slides. The next phase of my talk was about what exactly I did while I was digging on site, and how my day was broken up. My day started at 6:00 am, and digging on site began around 8:00 am arrival at the site and then there was seemingly endless digging until lunch. After lunch it was either a few more hours of digging, or lab work where I learned how to clean, classify and label pottery and bone. By 3:00pm we were back at the residence, and had free time until we did it all again the next day.

 By that point I was about halfway through my talk. One of the most amazing things I did while on Menorca was participate in a three day crash course in underwater archaeology and diving. I had never been scuba diving before, but it was something that had been on my bucket list. I was also a fear of mine, which I am proud to say I managed to overcome!

 The rest of the Ignite Talk focused more on the process of excavation, some of the things that I found while digging, the people that I met, and my experience on the island. One thing that I struggled with while writing and putting together my talk was the lesson I was trying to teach. What was the point of what I was saying? Did I want to just tell people about my amazing trip, or was there a way to bring in some larger life lesson? What I realized while I was going through my slides is that the larger lesson is that travelling is important, and it can be done fairly simply. Because I went to Spain and dug up a city I learned so much about myself, and about my capabilities. I also learned more about Spanish culture and language, and met people who are now great connections for me even in my life as a masters student.

I began my talk, just excited to share some trip pictures and talk about some things I learned while digging in Menorca. I ended up being able to convey a larger message about why it is important to travel, and push yourself, and how if you have 18 days and some savings it is possible to do it.

I have one more Ignite talk to do in my Public History class. I learned A LOT from my first talk, both through personal experience and feedback, and I am excited to apply those lessons to my next one. Ignite talks are daunting, especially because you really have to know what you are talking about, but I think with practice, they are a great way to engage an audience and convey some important lessons in only about 5 minutes.

For more information on the Sanisera Archaeological Institute and how you can sign up for a dig check out their website! Sanisera Field School

Producing a Podcast

Podcast's are becoming an innovative tool for heritage organizations and museums to expand their audience. They are part of the quickly growing field of digital history, and for those who are good at them, a great way to get ideas and concepts out in a fun and engaging way. I had the chance to research, write and produce a podcast of my own for my Digital History class, and it is not as easy as it looks! Below I would like to share some of the steps, tips and tricks I learned about producing a podcast which will hopefully help anyone considering starting a podcast of their own.

Step One: Brainstorm an Idea
Coming up with an idea that can be effectively researched, but is also interesting and appealing to a large audience can be tricky! When I was trying to come up with an idea I thought about topics I liked, things I already knew about, and something that would be interesting enough to hear about for 15 minutes. I decided to combine two of my favourite things: Disney movies, and Greek mythology. Admittedly, for the purpose of my Digital History class this idea kind of missed the mark. It did not really have a strong enough historical connection, and as much as I did a lot of research on the myth itself, and how Disney changed it to fit their movie, I fell into the "So what" trap, where the things I was saying did not REALLY matter. Something I learned here, is that if you are going to take the time to do a podcast, you need to make sure you come up with an idea that both appeals to you, but also has a strong message or point.

Step Two: Complete your Research
Before I wrote any kind of script, or began even thinking about recording I had to know what I was talking about. Fortunately for me my undergraduate degree was in Classical Studies and Religion, and I still have most of my textbooks. This gave me an easy resource for researching the Herakles myth , and making sure I had all my facts right. As for researching the film, this was done with a bowl of popcorn, a notebook to mark down whenever I saw a discrepancy or heard a soundbite  I could use later.

Step Three: Write a Script
While sometimes I am a huge fan of the strategy of "winging it", this is not advisable for a podcast. It will increase recording time, editing time, and afterwards there is a good chance that you will not like what you are saying. Even with writing a script I ended up re-recording my podcast three times...I am maybe a bit of a perfectionist. With that being said, sometimes the way you write will not be the way you speak, and remaining flexible and relaxed while recording will help! It is also advisable to practice your script prior to recording, because this allows you to work out your kinks before you go anywhere near a microphone.

Step Four: Record
It is a really good idea to learn the program you are going to use to edit your podcast before you start recording. This will save SO much time when you are editing! I learned this the hard way. When recording, it is also a good idea to leave a bit of time without talking at the beginning, as it is useful in the editing stages. Make sure you speak regularly as well, instead of trying to rush your way through the script. Learning the equipment you are going to be using is a good idea as well, as there are many different types of microphones available, and some are better then others when trying to get a good sound quality. One thing I learned during recording (all three times), is that tone matters. After my first attempt, I got home and realized upon review that I sounded very monotone, and slightly bored with what I was saying, even though as I was speaking I thought I was sounding professional and academic! I also realized that an academic tone did not suit my topic, which was a lighthearted look at Disney movies and their sources in history.

Step Five: Edit
Editing takes the longest of any of the steps, so do not leave this until the last minute! For a good podcast it is a good idea to take out background noise, normalize your vocals and equalize them so that your sound levels remain regular. I also included sound clips from the film, but this takes longer! Other classmates of mine chose to do an interview for their podcast, but this also takes longer in the editing stage. There are also a lot of tutorials online which can show you how to do a lot of cool effects, how to edit out certain sounds or inflections, or how to smooth out or strengthen your voice.

Step Six: Listen and Enjoy
Here is a link to my newly produced podcast! I would love if you had a listen!
Debunking Disney: Hercules

Enjoy!

Balloons...Who Knew pt.2

I have finished Richard Holmes book Falling Upwards and I must say, I really enjoyed it! For my second post on the fascinating subject of balloons I am going to be looking at the role of women in ballooning near the end of the nineteenth century.

Apparently, as ballooning became more established in Europe, particularly France and Britain, people began to be bored of a simple balloon just floating in the air. What was once a marvel became mundane, so people began to push the envelope for what could be done with these floating sacks of hydrogen gas. In Britain, the aerial champagne culture produced an avenue for women to begin the risqué tradition that was already popular in France; the spectacular and dangerous parachuting, trapeze and acrobatic performances by female aeronauts. This was the fin de siècle of ballooning. Female aeronauts began to frequent fairs and festivals, executing acrobatics while floating in the air

Fanny Godard sitting in her balloon

and releasing aerial fireworks displays. What began with Sophie Blanchard, continued and to a greater extent. Some of the most famous names in Britain were Maude Brooke, Cissy Kent and Marie Merton and Fanny Godard. As was the case with the male balloonists, the threat of injury was always great, and these women had to be careful.

One of the most famous Edwardian balloon girl was twenty one year old Dolly Shepherd. Much like Sophie Blanchard, she was fearless and regularly pushed the limits of safety to achieve a good show. Her biggest trick was truly terrifying. She would climb several thousand feet in her balloon hanging from a trapeze beneath. When she reached her desired height she would pull a special release cord and be dropped to the earth by parachute. In addition to this terrifying stunt, she was made famous by her costume which was very scandalous for the time! She was dressed in a blue trouser flying suit with a little cap placed on her head and tight lace up boots that showed off her legs. Unsurprisingly she had many male admirers, and offers of marriage, but more significantly she had a large following amongst young working class women, and she was regarded as a potent figure in women's rights. Dolly's greatest scare happened in 1908 when she ascended with a twin parachute

Dolly Shepherd in her risqué flying suit

harness with her friend Louie May. Louie's harness failed to release her when they went to drop, so Dolly had to transfer her friend to her own trapeze while thousands of feet in the air and still attached to the balloon. She managed to hook Louie up to her harness, and the two of them reached the ground safely with one parachute. Louie was unhurt, but Dolly suffered a spinal injury which left her temporarily paralyzed, and in a wheelchair for several weeks. After she recovered she returned and performed for several more years.

Severe injuries such as this were an expected part of the job as ballooning became part of the festival circuit. Displays and presentations had to become more daring to attract crowds, but this also placed the acrobats in a great amount of danger. According to Dolly most of the parachutists that she worked with eventually just disappeared, be it because of an injury that prevented them from jumping anymore, or sometimes because they did not survive. These risks were increased because there were no regulations or licensing for these kinds of displays and no insurance on the lives of the performers. It was not until the First World War that these festival demonstrations stopped. These young performers were the last representatives of the great nineteenth century tradition of ballooning as entertainment in Europe and marked the end of a glorious and dangerous era.