Today, is day 10 of this series on How to Create a Successful College Hybrid Class. My goal is to create a successful hybrid speech communication class at the college level which I can teach many times over the next few years.
You know the song, “It’s all about the Bass”? I would call this post “It’s All About Working Together”.
Can you envision five college kids huddled in their overcoats checking their cell phones rather than speaking to one another.
The students are assigned to create a group presentation speech. It started off well.
However, when the students don’t communicate in person I begin to think nothing is occurring.
Somewhat I’m correct about this.
Our hybrid class hasn’t met since last Friday. the students were given all weekend to work on their section of the group speech.
It is Wednesday.
Today, the students were given the entire class period to work on their speech together.
Notecards were to be ready, a bibliography, outline, a visual aid and manuscript of the speech were to be finished up.
We are twenty minutes into class and three of the five students are ready to go.
Two others looked perplexed. Oh, we had to have everything ready today?
Those two pulled out note cards and jotted down their notes.
The group leader has emailed me several times expressing her frustration with the quality of the speech. I assured her she wouldn’t be penalized because of this. Mind you, everyone in this group is plenty capable of “A” work if they so choose.
It is very quiet in here. I guess the three finished are waiting for the other two.
I broke this project into five parts:
Introduction (one person)
Body (three people)
Conclusion (one person)
Each person in the project had other responsibilities as well:
- the one who introduces leads the group
- the one who concludes creates the visual aid slides
- the three who have written the body of the speech–time, create the bibliography and the speech outline
This hybrid class is being developed to answer the need for those seeking classes over a short time.
Since this is a commuter college, it is difficult for the students to get together. I gave them this class period to practice the speech.
I’ve moved to a computer lab. If I’m in the room, it’s too easy for me to step in and correct or suggest anything.
I want their speech to feel like one of other students’ group projects in a regular classroom.
Today, I learned communicating is one of this generation’s biggest challenges. They simply don’t talk to one another. It has become so second nature to them, it’s a cop out now. Why speak to the kid in your group when something is lacking in their speech if you can just email them?
Except they were to include me in all email.
Yeah, that hasn’t happened.
My goal is still the same–to create a hybrid speech communication class.
I’ll have to think about how to fix this problem. I think there is a way to create a group for them to speak on line which includes me. Not a forum, but a different sort of configuration. Hmmm.
Contact me at Dhcbaldwin@gmail.com or DeborahBaldwin.net
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