Public Speaking

So as you grade 12  kids know I am trying to get you some public speaking experience (as I am/ will be with my other classes as well.  The list we looked at for top ten personal fears got a few laughs today.  Here is another one with similar results but the same message, people fear public speaking more than death!  As I said in class, one can usually recover from a bad public speaking experience, death not so much.


http://www.selfhelpcollective.com/top-10-fears.html

Corresponding to this are the top three things that students in grade eleven and twelve identify as the things they hope to improve on in English class (in order of most frequently identified):
1. grammar
2. public speaking
3. essay writing

Therefore we will be looking at and looking for tips on how to improve on these things throughout the semester.  If you have found a site, a you tube video or another resource to help with these, please let me know / post them here so we can see about using them to help my students to get better!

Metacognitive mumbo jumbo

     So, you came to check out the blog?  Thanks.  I was a little lonely out here in cyberspace. I wanted to comment on a couple of things.   First, I went to a conference called Byte 2011 in Portage La Prairie which was really good for a couple of reasons.  One, I got to hear a message about 21st century learners that made sense.  I'd heard the message recently at another conference, but since the depth of these thoughts and the large shift in thinking that they conveyed was new to me the first time, it was a lot to byte off (sad pun intended).  This time, I got to think a lot more about what I can do in my classroom to take what I've learned and create a better learning environment for my students.
     Therefore be forewarned, if you are my students you will be my guinea pig for the next little while as I try to incorporate those things that are important to know and learn and be, and blend it in with the English curriculum and all of its glorious outcomes.  Oh, and I'll be around all week this week (yay or boo at your own discretion!)
Mrs. H.

p.s.- don't be scared, this means lessons are more about you and what you need to know today, and less about what someone thought you needed to know way back then.