Speak Up & Speak Out! Project
S. Laurence
Student as Content Produces PD
Student work days observations:
-The project was announced and explained two days before we started to give students time to think about their choice of topic. Most students did not have any problem identifying an interest to pursue, but a couple of students had great difficulty with this. These particular students are generally less motivated than the others, and I was not terribly surprised by this obstacle. One student was reluctant to name even a hobby, let alone a “cause” he would consider important or one worth any time. I made several suggestions to him, but it was a struggle I had not foreseen.
- On day one of the project, a few students needed assistance with formatting and some tools like inserting a portion of a video into slides or editing a photo. Most students were familiar with the general layout and creation of basic slides. When it was explained that they would be presenting this slideshow to try to get others interested in their cause, it motivated a few, and made some very nervous. Students were asked to consider how the slides would appear to an audience who was not close to the Smart Board and think about how large to make images and font size.
-I also included a discussion about media bias and used a media bias chart to show students how important it is to use reliable and moderate or unbiased media sources when conducting research. Some were surprised to see the placement of certain media outlets on the chart. They hadn’t considered how slanted the viewpoints of “news” sources can be. It was a good opportunity to discuss bias in corporations, media and ourselves.
- Day two of the project proved to be the best workday of the three provided for work time. Students spent their time sorting through sources and looking for graphics, videos and photos that would lend themselves best to a google slide presentation. The bulk of questions were regarding the validity of sources and quality of graphics.
-Presentations occurred over a couple of class days. As with any project, some were above average, and some were lacking. Some students took it seriously, and others not as much. Overall, though, I was happy with the level of engagement and the enthusiasm of some students for their topic. I think the project felt accessible and “doable,” and only one student did not complete the project on time.
Student feedback about the project:
- “I like that you didn’t give us a list with just five or ten choices for our topics. We could choose just about anything we wanted. It is easier to talk about something if you actually care about it.” - “The use of class time being graded was something that made me try to get more done while I was at school instead of waiting until the last minute at home.”- “The media bias chart was something I had seen last year in another class, but I hadn’t thought about it again until now.”- “ I was nervous about presenting in front of the whole class, but having slides with graphics and videos made it a little easier. I feel like explaining what was on the slides was better than standing up and just making a speech or something like that.”- “I think the directions were too open. I need something more specific. I also had a hard time picking a topic since it had to be a cause instead of just something I like.”- “It felt kind of like a regular report but just broken into slides instead of paragraphs. But using a video and photos for some slides was good.”
Considerations / Reflections :
I will definitely do this again. I think students enjoyed creating a slide presentation rather than writing a traditional style essay. The style of research is the same, but because the product is in a digital format and varied in style with the inclusion of graphics, photos and videos, the students were more engaged. I think I will add another element next time and give each student an opportunity to earn points for being audience members while others present.
I will also likely assign more points to the verbal presentation aspect of the project. In ELA, speaking is an important component of the curriculum that often gets overlooked. Not all students choose to take public speaking, but it is something that all students benefit from.
I hope to videotape student presentations next time. None of my students this year consented to be photographed or videotaped, but I completed this project in my Alt Ed class, and many of my students this year are shy or self conscious. I think if they could view themselves as presenters, many of them would surprise themselves with how effective they were.
Students as Content Producers- Part 1
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