Wednesday, June 06, 2012

Oration: It Matters

Today I had the occasion to listen to talented orators.

I was struck by the impact of their delivery.

How often do we give students the chance to orate?

Also, this week two students gave Olympics "ted talks" at our school assembly.  They did an amazing job.

Every year we should give students the chance to speak aloud to an audience. Next year as part of my fourth grade curriculum I'm going to add an "It Matters" unit.  During the unit students will research a topic that matters to them. Then they'll craft a one-three minute "ted talk" about the topic.  They'll practice, and then they'll deliver their speeches.

Oration matters.  In what ways do you give students an opportunity to grow this skill?