Special Assignment Lesson Plan - Oral Communication

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this lesson's material, students will be able to:

• Prepare an oral presentation on their specific topic.
• Create a week planning form and set up the environment and materials accordingly
• Comunicate with families about what his happening in the classroom
• Plan a family night that relates to the theme

Teaching

The definition of oral communication is a prepared, purposeful presentation designed to increase knowledge, to foster understanding, or to promote change in the listeners' attitudes, values, beliefs, or behaviors according to the Association of American Colleges and Universities. For this assignment, students will be performing an oral presentation to increase families knowledge of the specific topic teams were assigned. The information shared will foster a new understanding of why the topic is important to a family’s child and the ways it is used in a classroom environment.

When giving an oral presentation there are several processes to follow. At the beginning of this lesson there was a graphic to describe one process.

Step 1

Generally the first step is to determine the goal or objective of the presentation.

Step 2

Determine who is going to be in the audience. Think about the education level of people attending, the cultural backgrounds involved, the age of the audience (Grandparents, teen parents, or seventh child parents), and families home language (are interpreters needed).

Step 3

Structure your presentation. The grouping and sequencing of ideas and supporting material in a presentation are essential to the cohesiveness. An organizational pattern that supports the effectiveness of a presentation typically includes an introduction, one or more identifiable sections in the body of the speech, and a conclusion. An organizational pattern that enhances the effectiveness of the presentation reflects a purposeful choice such as a chronological pattern that makes the content of the presentation easier to follow and more likely to accomplish its purpose. The grading rubric will offer guidance for this oral presentation.

Step 4

Prepare your notes and visual aids. This is essential to the flow of the recording. The audience will appreciate the materials being readily available to be seen and explained with no gaps as items are being searched out.

Step 5

Practice your presentation. This step is one of the most important steps. Practice makes perfect. The more times words and actions are practiced, the easier they will flow and the better it will look for families. It is important to remember that in teaching one learns more about the information they are teaching about. This newly learned information will aide in a better understanding for families.

Step 6

Deliver the information. The cohesiveness of the presentation will also be graded. Does the presentation have a flow? Does the listener gain a full understanding of the evening’s event and the entire process leading up to it?

Assessment

STEP ONE

Pick a theme that relates to STEM. Keep in mind that you will need to write an entire weekly planning form around this STEM topic and create a family engagement night that inform and engage families around that very topic. This topic idea will need to be cleared with your instructor before moving forward!!!!!

Submit this to the Assignment Drop Box - Step One

STEP TWO

Get started on your weekly planning form and filling in your activity ideas. Search internet for "weekly preschool planning forms" to help you develop YOUR OWN planning form. It MUST include Domain, activity idea, when (circle time, large or small group etc.) and where (inside, outside etc.).

Submit this to the Assignment Drop Box - Step Two

• Create two activities for each day related to your theme. (these activities would hypothetically be teacher led, and geared towards a goal) YOU MAY use your activity ideas from previous lessons as long as they relate to your theme for the week.
• Fill in the other interst areas ideas of how to arrange materials/furniture to relate to the activities and theme. It is OKAY that some squares be blank. However, there should be AT LEAST five interest centers filled out for every day.

For example....

I am planning a week of technology -

1. On Monday I am going to plan TWO activities.
   • Activity 1 - During circle time I am going to read the book, Incredible Inventions by Lee Bennett Hopkins.
   • Activity 2 - I am going to place pictures of different technology related inventions in the writing area to inspire children to start sketching out their own inventions. I will place myself in the area to ask thought provoking questions.
2. Then I will plan the following environment/materials changes to encourage technology thought processes
   • blocks - add motorozed vehicles
   • dramatic play - add cameras phones, tape recorders
   • listening center - related books about technology

STEP THREE

Create a letter or newsletters to be sent to the famileis inviting them to a family night. You must include:

1. What is the theme of the week that leads to this family night? (for Example, I would write..... Next week the class will learning about technology and we cordially invite you to our technology night to show you all of the great things your children have been working on. OR, i might say, "Please join us at the beginning of technology week to kickoff a fun week of learning how things work!")
2. Date, time, location
3. What skills the children have been learning during your themed week and how. (for example I might write..... During technology week the students will be learning about how things work and why. We will read, Incredible Inventions by Lee Bennett Hopkins to introduce the idea that technology goes beyond electronics.)
4. Include a fun fact. (For example, "did you know..... Technology is one of many tools that young children can use to carry out their play ideas, acquire knowledge and skills, and solve problems. Using technology is an interesting end in itself (discovering how it works), as well as a means to an end (extending role play, solving problems).")

Submit this to the Assignment Drop Box - Step Three

STEP FOUR

Create an activity idea for family night. This activity should be one that can carry over INTO the home, be respectful of family culture and enhance your classroom curriculum. (For example, I will do an activity with toothpicks and playdoh and let the children make representations of favorite technology piece. Then they will take pictures of their work. I will print out the pictures before the families leave to take home along with additional blank pages and instructions on how to make a "family fun night" book. Also included will be a playdoh recipe so they can do the activity at home at any time!) Use the lesson plan format in the resource folder. It will be graded according to the lesson plan rubric.

Submit this to the Assignment Drop Box - Step Four

STEP FIVE

Reference the teaching section to assure your oral presentation is most successful! All of your information will then be presented as described below

Submit this to the Assignment Drop Box - Step Five

Online Version of this Assignment

Each of you will develop a presentation on an approved topic. Ultimately you will produce a video/slide show that contains graphic elements (slides) and a voice-over (you talking over the slides, much they way you would do in a face-to-face classroom.)

There are a number of tools that you can use to create voice over presentations:

• Powtoon - This is a free website that allows you to create animations and add a voice over. It is a bit more complex to use, but it is very cool. Click HERE to view my Powtoon tutorial.
• Prezi - This is another free online tool. Click HERE to view my Prezi tutorial.
• Using an iPad you can use the following apps to create slides and a voice over:
  • Adobe Voice
  • Explain Everything
• On your own computer (not iPad) you can also record a voice over using Keynote (Mac) and Power Point (PC or Mac) and save the file as a video.

 
Recording a Voice over in Keynote (Mac)

 
Recording a Voice over in Power Point

Face to Face version of the assignment

Organize your information and present to the class. You must include a visual! this could be handouts, a powerpoint or poster. Every Step must be visually present through one of those methods.

The following rubric will be used for face to face AND online presentations.