Introduction to MCE

Welcome to Movies and Current Events (MCE) for spring, 2014. This term MCE will focus on the telling of stories about both global and local current events. Click here for a general overview of the course.

In this posting you will find details of the key elements in this course. These include:

1. Show and Tell
2. Voice Thread
3. Scripts
4. Midterm Assignment
5. Final Assignment

Show and Tell Success

What is Show and Tell?

Show and Tell (S&T) is a short student presentation about something personally significant to you and is presented without a script. There is no time restriction, however, shorter is often better. The key to success is to capture the listeners attention by choosing an object/subject that is interesting to you, and that you are excited about sharing.

What works?

• an interesting object.
• a novel idea, app, or event (story).
• NOT using a script.
• relax and use gestures and body language to show your enthusiasm.
• keep it short. Just give the information that makes a good story.
• Speak clearly and loud enough for everyone to hear

What doesn't work?

• Using a script
• talking about an object that is familiar to most people (like a phone, watch, pencil case, etc.)

Purpose

The purpose of S&T is to prepare students for speaking in front of an audience. S&T is the first step towards the final individual presentations at the end of the term. Students will 'take away' how to identify what is/isn't interesting to an audience, practice ways to develop interest and hold audience attention, develop ways to motivate listeners to act, and to become relaxed speaking in front of people.

Assessment

Assessment is from peers only. I will track each students progress in each S&T, but the assessment comes from each of you. During S&T you will practice your own storytelling techniques and actively observe and monitor what makes others successful.

Voice Thread

Voice thread is used to expand the use of English outside the classroom by using technology. Voice Thread is a cloud application to help students to actively engage in asynchronous conversations using text, voice or video. In MCE, students will need to make Voice Thread comments on various topics during the term and create an end-of-term digital artifact of their English proficiency and storytelling acumen.

Scripts

Scripts are only used to create, edit, and practice content for the midterm and final presentations. Scripts are not used during presentations. There are three stages, or drafts, to script creation. The first two drafts are used to get started with an idea and to develop it. Scripts are also a place for the teacher to provide help with spelling, grammar and structure.

Personal Draft

• handwritten or typed before class starts.
• students show that they have an idea or ideas and have started to think about what they want to say.
• the goal is simply to check that all students are initiating progress.
• no grade is given for quality or quantity.

Formal Draft

• complete, typed, and double spaced (to allow room for editing) before class starts.
• *editing focuses on global aspects of writing , then later focuses on local aspects. (www.eslbee.com)
• be prepared to edit (change, correct and rewrite)
• no grade is given for quality or quantity.

Final Draft

• IF THE FIRST TWO DRAFTS HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED ON TIME AND HAVE BEEN CORRECTED, this script is graded as part of the participation grade.
• turn in 2 copies on the day you make your presentation

* Global Aspects of writing:

• The Straight Line of Development stated simply is this: "Tell your readers what you are going to tell them; then tell them; then tell them what you told them." (Joseph Pulitzer)
• Put it to them briefly so they will read it, clearly so they will appreciate it, picturesquely so they will remember it, and above all, accurately so they will be guided by its light.
• See www.eslbee.com for more information and details.

* Local Aspects of Writing:

• These include at least the following: sentences, transitions and connectors and punctuation, subject-verb agreement, verb tenses, etc.
• See www.eslbee.com for more information and details.

Midterm Assignment

The midterm assignment is a group project about a current or recent world event. The class is divided into groups for the midterm presentation project. The purpose of a group approach is to scaffold from the S&T level of presenting to the final individual presentations. As a group, it is expected that each student will take what they need from the experiences of others and apply this knowledge as they create their final presentations.

For the midterm, each group researches and creates a presentation as a group. each member of the group is assigned a job by the group (writer(s), researcher(s), presenter(s), leader) with all members contributing to planning and discussion.

The group is graded on individual participation, presentation originality, attention grabbing, presenter eye contact and body language. 50% of the total grade is from out-of-group peers and 50% from in-group peers.

Final Assignment

The final assignment is a two part individual project about a personal current event. Each student will use the skills practiced in S&T and the group midterm project to help create their own presentation. Each student will present in front of the class plus create a digital artifact of the presentation on Voice Thread.

The live presentation is graded by the teacher. I will be looking at organization, subject knowledge, graphics, mechanics, eye contact, and elocution. (See the rubric for details.) I will be looking for effectiveness, use of available tools, and peer commenting in the digital artifact on Voice Thread. 60% of the total grade is for the live presentation and 40% is for the digital artifact.

Questions?

You can contact me by email, phone, text (see the syllabus for contact info) or by leaving a comment at the bottom of this page.