Public Speaking and Engagement Techniques Your Students Can Use

Description

Public Speaking and Engagement Techniques Your Students Can Use
3 Inservice Credits/45 hours, Instructor: Evan Behlivanis, November 1-30, December 15-January15, February 1-28, March 1-30, May 1-28

“Speak up!”  “Say that again, please!”  “They can’t hear you on the other side of the classroom!”  A common refrain from educators during discussion, debate or formal presentation is that their students speak too quietly or unintelligibly.  Building presentation and engagement skills with students is an ongoing process for educators.  This course will guide participants to prepare materials and lessons that will help classroom students present ideas verbally, physically and through media.  Participants will learn how to teach students speaking and engagement strategies using a culturally responsive teaching approach that encourages the development of a growth mindset and creative problem solving skills.  Participants will learn how to create activities that engage all learners at all grade levels and content areas.  Throughout the course, participants will benefit from independent research opportunities, access to learning partners, forum discussions with other participants, self-evaluation forms, instructor resources, reflection tasks, and lessons on how to incorporate presentation techniques into their daily lessons.  Participation in this course will allow a shift to take place in the classroom – from teaching students struggling with presentation to a dynamic setting where students discuss and present information formally, demonstrating ownership of academic criteria.

A wide variety of strategies and resources aimed at student presentation, discussion technique and persuasive argumentation will be shared throughout the course.  Participants will design instructional tools for students and parents that enable them to develop speaking to and engaging with groups of people. Participants will also design resources for assessing and supporting presentation techniques in the classroom.  The course will also require participants to create tasks and activities that give classroom students authentic practice to help them best prepare for content area mastery through collaboration and communication. These assignments and others will ensure that participants are well-prepared with a wide array of resources, strategy sheets, lessons, and activities that will empower students to use a variety of presentation techniques to express content-based work.  This course is suitable for all grades in all content areas.