As a former speech teacher, I can’t tell you how jealous I am that today’s teachers have the ability to provide their young rhetoricians with the tools that the big boys use. When I discovered that tablets like the Xperia can be used as teleprompters, I thought back to all of those student hours spent writing notecards and designing cue cards. I remembered with pain the speeches students gave where all I could see was the top of the speaker’s head. I flashed back to video projects in which the on-camera talent started and stopped over and over because they had not been able to memorize their script. All of that could have been avoided if only we had been equipped with an Xperia tablet, a tablet stand, and a teleprompter app.

The Concept:

A teleprompter takes a text and slowly scrolls the words for the speaker at a pace that is comfortable to read aloud fluently. Teleprompters can be used by individual speakers or by groups in dialogue.

The How:

I’ve run across two teleprompter apps for the Xperia that are very functional and easy to use:

The first is Free Teleprompter. I like this app because it is free, and it does everything a teleprompter should do. It allows me to control the rate at which the script scrolls; it allows me to adjust the color of the text and the background for readability; it allows me to flip the text which is useful if I want to reflect the text using mirrors; and it allows me to control the size and spacing of the text. During the play mode, I can pause the teleprompter and restart when I like. One drawback is that I have to type the text inside of the app, instead of being able to import text, but except for that, this app is an excellent and easy to use tool.

The other teleprompter app that works really well is Android Prompter. This app is also free and has all of the features listed above as well as a couple of nice extras. First, you can use text that you access from outside of the app via the menu button. This is nice because you can pull text from other apps like Evernote. Second, you can pair two devices via bluetooth with this app, allowing you to control the teleprompter remotely. There is a nominal cost per device for the pairing option, but it definitely adds functionality.

The next consideration is to determine how you are going to display the teleprompter for use. It’s very important that the teleprompter be stationary for the speaker. One solution is to use a tablet stand that is within a readable range for the speaker. Generally, that location will need to not obstruct the line of sight between the speaker and the audience, and it should not cause the speaker to look down or away from the audience. When shooting a video, the teleprompter can be located just to the side of the camera. For live performances, consider locating the tablet a few feet in front of the speaker and at about stomach-height. Another possibility is to connect your Xperia tablet via the Multi Port to a projector or interactive whiteboard that can be located behind the audience while still being legible to the speaker.

Some Ideas:

• Use the teleprompter to cue performers during classroom skits.
• Use the teleprompter to guide on-screen talent during class videos or live broadcasts.
• Use the teleprompter to practice fluency for struggling readers or second language learners.
• Use the teleprompter to guide speakers during large group presentations.
• In an acting class, have students take turns reading from the same script as different characters to practice improvisational skills and staying in character.
• Use the teleprompter to help students pace themselves as speakers, especially to help slow down students who tend to speak too quickly when nervous.
• Use the teleprompter to practice speeches, gradually removing text and replacing it with more general prompts to help students move to a more natural form of public speaking.
• Project the teleprompter for additional help during read-alongs and sing-alongs.

I'm sure there are many more applications. Feel free to share them here.