We wanted to use improvisation techniques to teach effective speech in preparation for the students to deliver their business pitches to our Fish Tank entrepreneurs. In conversation, the theater teacher and I discussed how the students should be able to speak confidently and extemporaneously, should know how to use voice and body posture/movement effectively, to be able to respond well to questions, and understand their role in a group presentation.
I also wanted to continue with the basic skills and themes of our project-based course - student-derived rubrics, peer and self-assessment, and useful scaffolding to bridge the stages of learning.
We created a rubric after looking at videos of effective, ineffective, and downright horrible speech, and our daily routine was devoted to each of the steps in the rubric.
Each day featured improv activities (discussed and filmed at the project blog) and student work (explained below)
Activity 1 was simply practice at using voice and posture correctly, and featured the students delivering nonsense speeches while concentrating on effect and persuasive speech.
The students then filmed each other giving speeches, which they later critiqued (both peer and self) w/r/t to the rubric component for oral presentation skills
Activity 2 was practice with content - delivering a speech about something they actually kew something about, with the intent, again, of marrying persuasive speech skills to actual information
The students then filmed each other giving speeches, which they later critiqued (both peer and self) w/r/t to the rubric component for oral presentation skills
Activity 3 was practice with specific content - this time, of aquaponics itself.
The students then filmed each other giving speeches, which they later critiqued (both peer and self) w/r/t to the rubric component for oral presentation skills and the rubric component for content
Activity 4 was practice with structure - delivering a speech that had an opening statement that was powerful and direct, and with three points of evidence that helped define a narrative
The students then filmed each other giving speeches, which they later critiqued (both peer and self) w/r/t to the rubric component for oral presentation skills, the rubric component for content, and additionally, the component for structure.
Activity 5 was practice in group support and handling questions effectively. The students practiced effective group presentation behaviors and responding to questions, aside from hitting the usual rubric targets from activities 1 - 4.
The students then filmed each other giving speeches, which they later critiqued (both peer and self) w/r/t to the rubric component for oral presentation skills, the rubric component for content, the component for structure, and now, the component for group support and question responsiveness.
For Activity 6, the student teams will present their elevator speeches to their peers and respond to questions. This is the final opportunity to receive peer feedback. The final exam, as it were, will take place at the Fish Tank entrepreneurs panel April 22nd
I also wanted to continue with the basic skills and themes of our project-based course - student-derived rubrics, peer and self-assessment, and useful scaffolding to bridge the stages of learning.
We created a rubric after looking at videos of effective, ineffective, and downright horrible speech, and our daily routine was devoted to each of the steps in the rubric.
Each day featured improv activities (discussed and filmed at the project blog) and student work (explained below)
Activity 1 was simply practice at using voice and posture correctly, and featured the students delivering nonsense speeches while concentrating on effect and persuasive speech.
The students then filmed each other giving speeches, which they later critiqued (both peer and self) w/r/t to the rubric component for oral presentation skills
Activity 2 was practice with content - delivering a speech about something they actually kew something about, with the intent, again, of marrying persuasive speech skills to actual information
The students then filmed each other giving speeches, which they later critiqued (both peer and self) w/r/t to the rubric component for oral presentation skills
Activity 3 was practice with specific content - this time, of aquaponics itself.
The students then filmed each other giving speeches, which they later critiqued (both peer and self) w/r/t to the rubric component for oral presentation skills and the rubric component for content
Activity 4 was practice with structure - delivering a speech that had an opening statement that was powerful and direct, and with three points of evidence that helped define a narrative
The students then filmed each other giving speeches, which they later critiqued (both peer and self) w/r/t to the rubric component for oral presentation skills, the rubric component for content, and additionally, the component for structure.
Activity 5 was practice in group support and handling questions effectively. The students practiced effective group presentation behaviors and responding to questions, aside from hitting the usual rubric targets from activities 1 - 4.
The students then filmed each other giving speeches, which they later critiqued (both peer and self) w/r/t to the rubric component for oral presentation skills, the rubric component for content, the component for structure, and now, the component for group support and question responsiveness.
For Activity 6, the student teams will present their elevator speeches to their peers and respond to questions. This is the final opportunity to receive peer feedback. The final exam, as it were, will take place at the Fish Tank entrepreneurs panel April 22nd
speech_activities.key | |
File Size: | 200 kb |
File Type: | key |