A Way With Words
A Way With Words
A New Way of Learning English Comp
by: Rebecca Richardson
“Our students are no longer writing for a small audience, but for the community. It makes writing real and valuable and provides them with the chance to gain real world skills that will benefit them outside of the classroom.” – Dr. Susan Hillabold
Students gather at the beginning of every semester, eager to hear what they will learn over the course of 16 weeks. English 110 and 111 students are in for a challenging treat. Last year a new concept came to the classroom, one that is stretching English students outside of the traditional composition box and into a new realm of learning and engagement. Professor Susan Hillabold explains:
“Stephanie Guedet, a professor here at ICC in EHLS introduced the concept of performing TED talks as a semester long project for English students. The English faculty loved the concept and it became a campus wide event. This is more than a standard English assignment, it is a semester long project that challenges students to find different ways of communicating their voice”.
The “Way with Words” project has several parts. First students brain storm concepts and come up with an idea that they will focus on throughout the remainder of the semester. They write scaffolding assignments that build towards the final project, an 8-minute TED style talk that they present to their classmates. According to Hillabold “They need to think about their purpose, context, and audience. The final projects are presented to the class and one student from each class is then selected as the guest speaker at the end of the semester.”
The benefits to a project like this are many. Students learn how to critically think through a specific area of interest, they devote time to research and learning about the subject at hand. They gain valuable public speaking skills along with the opportunity to shine as a representative of their class. Hillabold states “Our students are no longer writing for a small audience, but for the community. It makes writing real and valuable and provides them with the chance to gain real world skills that will benefit them outside of the classroom.
The “Way with Words” project while utilizing technology in the form of music and visuals, also brings students back to the old fashioned concept of face-to-face interaction with their peers and cohorts.
Student Maggie Oedewalt, who represented her class last semester said: “Someday I hope to be a teacher. I want to inspire my students to be better people through learning and helping them form their own ideas worth spreading. That’s what TED talks are all about. They are filled with passion but they educate as well. This experience taught me how the importance of always learning something new and that communication is the best tool we can equip ourselves with when it comes to creating change in our world.”
The final project culminates on April 29th in the Lecture Recital Hall where selected students, their teachers and community members will gather to hear the speeches that won the most votes. Students have the opportunity to dress up, and follow in the footsteps of countless TED talk speakers, share a single idea that can motivate, inspire, and create change.