Welcome Letter
June 13, 2016
Dear ‘Ohana of “Speaking with Passion” Classes,
Welcome to Punahou Summer School-2016. We are about to begin an amazing journey of learning and growing this summer. I am thrilled to be here to lead and assist you in your explorations as a person learning to speak with PASSION.
Throughout the five weeks of our summer together, you will encounter many opportunities to build your confidence as a speaker, as well as find passions in life that you feel are worth sharing. As you become more excited about the things that you know enrich your life, you will find yourself giving presentations that people are eager to hear and that you will be proud to share among audiences of your peer groups.
Just for your knowledge, I have taught for over 35 years in a number of different settings. Among my favorite experiences were eight years as a Punahou Junior School teacher, along with another 20 years of teaching summer school at Punahou. This is the third year to be offering the course “Speaking with Passion” and we are excited to bring you a New and Improved version of the class for these five weeks, including opportunities to explore nature in order to find topics of which to speak.
Two of my personal devotions are to teaching and writing, however, you will see that I also love speaking and you might even say that I have a passion for speaking about things that I love! Some of the things I am passionate about are finding what makes people happy around the world, and therefore, I am thrilled with traveling to unusual, hidden places. Reading a variety of genres (including books based on utopian and dis-topian societies is one of my current favorites) consumes my free moments, as well as hiking trails and doing beach walks around O`ahu with my special furry friend, Shaka, a Tibetan Spaniel who has too much energy!
Many of our endeavors this summer will be focused around an opportunity to be a part of TED-Ed Club, which Punahou has been approved to facilitate for the second year in a row. As members of this community of young students, Punahou is honored to join many other cutting edge schools in offering a safe place for students to share their ideas, as well as allow learners to take charge of their own discovery in speaking. Please be sure to look over the Goals of a TED-Ed Club which follows this welcome letter, as well as other details regarding requirements in order to be a participant in this opportunity.
Also, you may wish to know that your child will be guided not only by one adult, but two capable people. Ms. Emily Miller, who is a recent Punahou graduate, will join us as a full-time teaching assistant. Together, we will be able to provide support and knowledge as we journey throughout the summer. Both of our pair of hands will help to assure success as students actively grow in their speaking ability. We will also work closely with other summer school faculty and technology specialist as our learning is completed.
If you have questions or concerns (both students and parents) please feel comfortable contacting one of us either by note or email at [email protected]. Please send a reply to this introductory note through your own email address so we may confirm that we have made contact.
We look forward to working together with each of you.
With warm regards,
Ms. Diane Koushki
P.S.
*Your email reply, parents, is your confirmation that you have received this note.
Thanks for responding with a quick “I have received the Summer School Welcome Letter!”
*Also, please open the TED-Ed Club “RELEASE FORM” and print and sign it. It is to be brought to Ms. Koushki on the first day of class, please. We will need to submit this to TED-Ed in order to comply with their program.
*The copy of the TED-Ed Club Goals are for you to read and keep.
*Finally, a copy of the syllabus for our course will be sent in the next email update.
June 13, 2016
Dear ‘Ohana of “Speaking with Passion” Classes,
Welcome to Punahou Summer School-2016. We are about to begin an amazing journey of learning and growing this summer. I am thrilled to be here to lead and assist you in your explorations as a person learning to speak with PASSION.
Throughout the five weeks of our summer together, you will encounter many opportunities to build your confidence as a speaker, as well as find passions in life that you feel are worth sharing. As you become more excited about the things that you know enrich your life, you will find yourself giving presentations that people are eager to hear and that you will be proud to share among audiences of your peer groups.
Just for your knowledge, I have taught for over 35 years in a number of different settings. Among my favorite experiences were eight years as a Punahou Junior School teacher, along with another 20 years of teaching summer school at Punahou. This is the third year to be offering the course “Speaking with Passion” and we are excited to bring you a New and Improved version of the class for these five weeks, including opportunities to explore nature in order to find topics of which to speak.
Two of my personal devotions are to teaching and writing, however, you will see that I also love speaking and you might even say that I have a passion for speaking about things that I love! Some of the things I am passionate about are finding what makes people happy around the world, and therefore, I am thrilled with traveling to unusual, hidden places. Reading a variety of genres (including books based on utopian and dis-topian societies is one of my current favorites) consumes my free moments, as well as hiking trails and doing beach walks around O`ahu with my special furry friend, Shaka, a Tibetan Spaniel who has too much energy!
Many of our endeavors this summer will be focused around an opportunity to be a part of TED-Ed Club, which Punahou has been approved to facilitate for the second year in a row. As members of this community of young students, Punahou is honored to join many other cutting edge schools in offering a safe place for students to share their ideas, as well as allow learners to take charge of their own discovery in speaking. Please be sure to look over the Goals of a TED-Ed Club which follows this welcome letter, as well as other details regarding requirements in order to be a participant in this opportunity.
Also, you may wish to know that your child will be guided not only by one adult, but two capable people. Ms. Emily Miller, who is a recent Punahou graduate, will join us as a full-time teaching assistant. Together, we will be able to provide support and knowledge as we journey throughout the summer. Both of our pair of hands will help to assure success as students actively grow in their speaking ability. We will also work closely with other summer school faculty and technology specialist as our learning is completed.
If you have questions or concerns (both students and parents) please feel comfortable contacting one of us either by note or email at [email protected]. Please send a reply to this introductory note through your own email address so we may confirm that we have made contact.
We look forward to working together with each of you.
With warm regards,
Ms. Diane Koushki
P.S.
*Your email reply, parents, is your confirmation that you have received this note.
Thanks for responding with a quick “I have received the Summer School Welcome Letter!”
*Also, please open the TED-Ed Club “RELEASE FORM” and print and sign it. It is to be brought to Ms. Koushki on the first day of class, please. We will need to submit this to TED-Ed in order to comply with their program.
*The copy of the TED-Ed Club Goals are for you to read and keep.
*Finally, a copy of the syllabus for our course will be sent in the next email update.
What are the goals of a TED-Ed Club?
First Day Communication and Field Trip info, plus Open Ended Syllabus
June 13, 2016
Dear Students and Parents of "Speaking with Passion,"
What a wonderful first day of inspiring people! As our class members began to enter Case 7-106, it became obvious that we are in for a memorable summer together. Students arrived with their ideas, creativity, and obvious desire to grow as speakers. It makes me so excited, as an educator, to be a part of this energetic and promising group of learners.
Many of the students arrived with their TED-Ed Club Release form signed and ready to begin. For the few that did not see the form on the Welcome Letter, we have sent a hard copy with your student to have signed and returned as soon as is possible. As well, we have sent a NEW release form for the upcoming visit we have scheduled for our trip to Lyon Arboretum, which will take place this coming Wednesday, June 15, 2016. We will be traveling by school bus and will be taking photos related to nature and several quotes related to nature. These will be the focus of our first "presentation" which will be given on Friday this week, as a part of a game and discovery experience. Students will be asked to use their own smart phone (or a class camera) to take the photos and will be uploading the photos to our class computers to use within the sharing experience. We will share some of our results with you in our weekly letter on our WEEBLY site which will be up and ready for sharing by the end of the week. You will be given the link to follow for it in our next letter.
For the field trip to Lyon Arboretum, students are asked to wear sneakers (which may get muddy), and also bring a pair of slippers in a plastic bag, so we can change if the weather gives us any challenges. Also, applying sunscreen, insect repellent, and bringing water will be helpful, as well as a light jacket or weather-proof cover. We will have both sunscreen and inspect repellent on hand if students need a "re-application" of either. The trip is fairly short and not too challenging, as we are limited to class time for the experience. We will return in time for students to continue with their regularly scheduled day.
Also, as promised, here is our Open-Ended Syllabus, which will outline our plans for the next five weeks. Students were also given a copy to keep in class so they are aware of our "road map" and expectations for the class. Enjoy!
Open Ended Syllabus for
Speaking with Passion 2016
Week 1: Sharing your passion through visuals
(The Nuts and Bolts of our Summer)
How do I find my passion?
How can I hold an audience’s/person’s attention?
Will I attend a field trip this week? YES!
How can I get past my fear/concern of speaking in public?
What is a TED-Ed Club and what will I do as a member?
What do you mean I am going to give my first speech without speaking? How?
Week 2: Grabbing your audience’s attention
(Body language, use of facial expression, movement of body on stage)
How can I get people to really listen when I speak?
Why do I need to consider WHO my audience is when presenting?
View and analyze youtube TED speakers to help discover hints
How can I discover ways to help me develop confidence and poise as a speaker?
How can I maximize facial expression to help others “hear” what I am saying?
How do movement and surroundings help me be “present” with an audience?
Practice, practice, practice makes almost perfect!
Week 3: Adding the spoken word
(Tell what you will share, SHARE, tell what you shared)
Why do I need to look at word choice as a means of improving my communication?
Why do I need to be aware of important words, excitement, and passion, in order to share something worth hearing!
How can I use emotion and logic to help listeners be captured by my speech?
How will I discover how “great speeches pull out the brain to stimulate it and pull out the heart to massage it!”
How can I revise in order to improve my speech by observing a video of myself?
Week 4: Saying everything - just enough - but not too much (Learning to be concise)
How can I analyze other speakers to learn what can help an audience understand me better?
What should I do before I speak that might help me get over nervousness?
What should I do when I start speaking?
What should I do during my speech?
What might I still revise to improve my speech?
Week 5: Surprise ending! (leaving them thinking!)
(Finally, our great works will be video-taped and will be an inspiration for others re: our “Ideas Worth Sharing”)
Why should I plan and practice pauses, enunciation, and even hand movements before I speak?
Am I ready for the BIG-TIME?
Will others leave with my “surprise” in their head?
Have I accomplished my personal goal as a speaker?
How will I use what I have accomplished to impact my life?
NOTE: Several opportunities to “SPEAK/COMMUNICATE” have been built into each of the five summer school weeks. Some of the opportunities will be informal, many will be video-taped, some will be more formal with audiences, and some will be “just for the experience!” Each of the opportunities will help us to grow, trust, and HAVE FUN!
Warm regards,
Ms. Diane Koushki
- To stimulate and celebrate creative ideas put forth by students from all over the world.
- To connect groups of students of all different backgrounds around the world.
- To provide a web platform where student ideas can be featured and shared. To support students in developing presentation and public speaking skills, so that their ideas can be more easily seen, understood, shared and acted upon.
- To make an idea—developed and presented by a student—a valuable reference point on a resume, college, TED application or in a job interview.
- To work with a generation of problem solvers, critical thinkers and innovators to make the world a better place.
First Day Communication and Field Trip info, plus Open Ended Syllabus
June 13, 2016
Dear Students and Parents of "Speaking with Passion,"
What a wonderful first day of inspiring people! As our class members began to enter Case 7-106, it became obvious that we are in for a memorable summer together. Students arrived with their ideas, creativity, and obvious desire to grow as speakers. It makes me so excited, as an educator, to be a part of this energetic and promising group of learners.
Many of the students arrived with their TED-Ed Club Release form signed and ready to begin. For the few that did not see the form on the Welcome Letter, we have sent a hard copy with your student to have signed and returned as soon as is possible. As well, we have sent a NEW release form for the upcoming visit we have scheduled for our trip to Lyon Arboretum, which will take place this coming Wednesday, June 15, 2016. We will be traveling by school bus and will be taking photos related to nature and several quotes related to nature. These will be the focus of our first "presentation" which will be given on Friday this week, as a part of a game and discovery experience. Students will be asked to use their own smart phone (or a class camera) to take the photos and will be uploading the photos to our class computers to use within the sharing experience. We will share some of our results with you in our weekly letter on our WEEBLY site which will be up and ready for sharing by the end of the week. You will be given the link to follow for it in our next letter.
For the field trip to Lyon Arboretum, students are asked to wear sneakers (which may get muddy), and also bring a pair of slippers in a plastic bag, so we can change if the weather gives us any challenges. Also, applying sunscreen, insect repellent, and bringing water will be helpful, as well as a light jacket or weather-proof cover. We will have both sunscreen and inspect repellent on hand if students need a "re-application" of either. The trip is fairly short and not too challenging, as we are limited to class time for the experience. We will return in time for students to continue with their regularly scheduled day.
Also, as promised, here is our Open-Ended Syllabus, which will outline our plans for the next five weeks. Students were also given a copy to keep in class so they are aware of our "road map" and expectations for the class. Enjoy!
Open Ended Syllabus for
Speaking with Passion 2016
Week 1: Sharing your passion through visuals
(The Nuts and Bolts of our Summer)
How do I find my passion?
How can I hold an audience’s/person’s attention?
Will I attend a field trip this week? YES!
How can I get past my fear/concern of speaking in public?
What is a TED-Ed Club and what will I do as a member?
What do you mean I am going to give my first speech without speaking? How?
Week 2: Grabbing your audience’s attention
(Body language, use of facial expression, movement of body on stage)
How can I get people to really listen when I speak?
Why do I need to consider WHO my audience is when presenting?
View and analyze youtube TED speakers to help discover hints
How can I discover ways to help me develop confidence and poise as a speaker?
How can I maximize facial expression to help others “hear” what I am saying?
How do movement and surroundings help me be “present” with an audience?
Practice, practice, practice makes almost perfect!
Week 3: Adding the spoken word
(Tell what you will share, SHARE, tell what you shared)
Why do I need to look at word choice as a means of improving my communication?
Why do I need to be aware of important words, excitement, and passion, in order to share something worth hearing!
How can I use emotion and logic to help listeners be captured by my speech?
How will I discover how “great speeches pull out the brain to stimulate it and pull out the heart to massage it!”
How can I revise in order to improve my speech by observing a video of myself?
Week 4: Saying everything - just enough - but not too much (Learning to be concise)
How can I analyze other speakers to learn what can help an audience understand me better?
What should I do before I speak that might help me get over nervousness?
What should I do when I start speaking?
What should I do during my speech?
What might I still revise to improve my speech?
Week 5: Surprise ending! (leaving them thinking!)
(Finally, our great works will be video-taped and will be an inspiration for others re: our “Ideas Worth Sharing”)
Why should I plan and practice pauses, enunciation, and even hand movements before I speak?
Am I ready for the BIG-TIME?
Will others leave with my “surprise” in their head?
Have I accomplished my personal goal as a speaker?
How will I use what I have accomplished to impact my life?
NOTE: Several opportunities to “SPEAK/COMMUNICATE” have been built into each of the five summer school weeks. Some of the opportunities will be informal, many will be video-taped, some will be more formal with audiences, and some will be “just for the experience!” Each of the opportunities will help us to grow, trust, and HAVE FUN!
Warm regards,
Ms. Diane Koushki
Week 1 Communication
June 18, 2016
Dear Parents and Students of "Speaking with Passion,"
What a full first week of summer school for the "Speaking with Passion" class! Both students and teachers took time to experience getting to know each other through activities that were fun, as well as thought provoking, at times. To see some of the smiling and puzzled faces, please view our webpage at speakingwithpassion.weebly.com and click on photos. We also enjoyed a very focused field trip away from the classroom as we visited The Lyon Arboretum, for the first class (8am) and Foster Gardens, for the second class (10:10am) where we discovered and took photos that inspired us. As well, we had an opportunity to learn to quiet our mind through a meditation experience. Using these photos, students worked in pairs to create a "Speech without Words" as their first sharing, although they also spoke in front of their peers as they shared how they selected the scenes as a way of explaining a quote related to nature. The photos, as well as the meditation moment, will be useful to us as we work throughout the summer.
As we continue our five weeks together, we will participate in other fun activities in order to build trust within our group. Our intention is to create a climate in which we can feel comfortable when delivering our "Ideas Worth Sharing" with each other, as well as the people we do not know. Other moments this week included learning what it means to be a member of the TED-Ed Club and how that will be used to give us a safe, wider audience in which to share our ideas.
Many of the students are learning to take new risks within the supportive environment we are building, and we look forward to another great week starting Monday morning 6/20/16. Throughout week two, we will be considering how to get the attention of our audience, as well as learn techniques for calming our jitters when speaking. We will be ready to share our first speech toward the end of this week as we begin selecting and sharing our ideas that represent our passions.
Thank you to the many families for your positive feedback and comments, so far. We are excited to move forward with many more chances to build our confidence as effective communicators.
Warm regards,
Ms. Diane Koushki and Ms. Em Miller
June 18, 2016
Dear Parents and Students of "Speaking with Passion,"
What a full first week of summer school for the "Speaking with Passion" class! Both students and teachers took time to experience getting to know each other through activities that were fun, as well as thought provoking, at times. To see some of the smiling and puzzled faces, please view our webpage at speakingwithpassion.weebly.com and click on photos. We also enjoyed a very focused field trip away from the classroom as we visited The Lyon Arboretum, for the first class (8am) and Foster Gardens, for the second class (10:10am) where we discovered and took photos that inspired us. As well, we had an opportunity to learn to quiet our mind through a meditation experience. Using these photos, students worked in pairs to create a "Speech without Words" as their first sharing, although they also spoke in front of their peers as they shared how they selected the scenes as a way of explaining a quote related to nature. The photos, as well as the meditation moment, will be useful to us as we work throughout the summer.
As we continue our five weeks together, we will participate in other fun activities in order to build trust within our group. Our intention is to create a climate in which we can feel comfortable when delivering our "Ideas Worth Sharing" with each other, as well as the people we do not know. Other moments this week included learning what it means to be a member of the TED-Ed Club and how that will be used to give us a safe, wider audience in which to share our ideas.
Many of the students are learning to take new risks within the supportive environment we are building, and we look forward to another great week starting Monday morning 6/20/16. Throughout week two, we will be considering how to get the attention of our audience, as well as learn techniques for calming our jitters when speaking. We will be ready to share our first speech toward the end of this week as we begin selecting and sharing our ideas that represent our passions.
Thank you to the many families for your positive feedback and comments, so far. We are excited to move forward with many more chances to build our confidence as effective communicators.
Warm regards,
Ms. Diane Koushki and Ms. Em Miller
Beginning of Week 2 and GROWTH GUIDES:
June 22, 2016 Dear Parents and Students, I wanted to let you know that our second week is off to a wonderful start and we are in the process of developing/designing our first real speech to be shared with our classmates this Friday. Students are not to expect perfection, at this point, but will be given a gentle opportunity to become comfortable in front of their peers. We will be sharing and videoing each other in pairs in order to see where changes and improvements might be warranted. Also, I wanted to share a copy of the Growth Guide which will access how your young adults are progressing this summer. The Growth Guide will be sent to you upon the completion of our summer experience, however, I wanted to share the specifics of it so both parents and students will be aware of the ideas that will be our focus as we work together. If you have any questions related to the Growth Guide or any other concerns or questions, please feel free to contact me through this email address. Warm regards, Ms. Diane Koushki Please view Growth Guide below: |
Week 2 Communication
June 26, 2016
Dear Students and Parents of Speaking with Passion,
Our second week of summer school is now history and I must say it was such an incredibly successful week for our students. Of the 37 students registered for our class, 26 have completed their first speech commanding our audience’s attention with amazing confidence. I commend them for their dynamic composure and the passion with which they shared their information. The reason all students have not shared, at this point, relates to factors beyond the students’ control, including running short of time on Friday for members of the 8:00 am class for 6 students and 10:10 am class for another 5 students, personal absences due to trips/illness, and two students who just arrived from out of the country. We look forward to each student having their first sharing completed, and also are anticipating even more memorable experiences for speaking over the next three weeks.
The “Ideas Worth Sharing” that were selected by the students were definitely of high quality and showed what is truly important to our youth. The ideas included such topics as having fun in life, being the person you were meant to be, hobbies, sports, reading, cooking, protecting our oceans and environment, video games and violence, sharks, searching for your destiny, and many more thought provoking topics. As you can see, these are students who have deep concern and interest in creating a better world and we must be feeling confident that they will be the people who will offer solutions for some of our most concerning global issues.
Our activities this week included many opportunities to speak candidly in front of peers to gain confidence, as well as learn to be able to “speak on our feet” in an impromptu fashion. We also previewed several TED talks in order to discover what really works for speakers in order to captivate their audiences. We watched the following: Caine Monroy’s Idea Box Arcaide; Logan LaPlante’s Hack-schooling Makes me Happy; Sarah Kay and Point B encouragement, as well as several TED-Ed Club lesson video spots. Through these amazing people we have been able to learn many hints that we are considering as we become more powerful speakers.
We also continued to “have a little fun” while learning more about our classmates and teachers by way of activities such as “Fear in a Hat” and video-taping and reviewing ourselves while preparing for our speeches using iPads, and learning to use power poses to increase our confidence before speaking.
In the coming week, we will work on expanding our speeches by reflecting on our previous accomplishments which were videotaped, and then making revisions by adding new excitement, further examples and details where warranted, better hooks for beginnings and endings, and eliminating non-essential words like “um, ahhh, and other filler words.”
On Friday, July 1, students will again have an opportunity to share their “NEW AND IMPROVED VERSION” of their speeches before taking off for their July 4th holiday on Monday. Remember, please, that we will not have school on Monday, July 4, 2016 in order to commemorate our Independence Day! Have a terrific week and safe and memorable holiday.
Warm regards,
Ms. Diane Koushki and Ms. Emily Miller
June 26, 2016
Dear Students and Parents of Speaking with Passion,
Our second week of summer school is now history and I must say it was such an incredibly successful week for our students. Of the 37 students registered for our class, 26 have completed their first speech commanding our audience’s attention with amazing confidence. I commend them for their dynamic composure and the passion with which they shared their information. The reason all students have not shared, at this point, relates to factors beyond the students’ control, including running short of time on Friday for members of the 8:00 am class for 6 students and 10:10 am class for another 5 students, personal absences due to trips/illness, and two students who just arrived from out of the country. We look forward to each student having their first sharing completed, and also are anticipating even more memorable experiences for speaking over the next three weeks.
The “Ideas Worth Sharing” that were selected by the students were definitely of high quality and showed what is truly important to our youth. The ideas included such topics as having fun in life, being the person you were meant to be, hobbies, sports, reading, cooking, protecting our oceans and environment, video games and violence, sharks, searching for your destiny, and many more thought provoking topics. As you can see, these are students who have deep concern and interest in creating a better world and we must be feeling confident that they will be the people who will offer solutions for some of our most concerning global issues.
Our activities this week included many opportunities to speak candidly in front of peers to gain confidence, as well as learn to be able to “speak on our feet” in an impromptu fashion. We also previewed several TED talks in order to discover what really works for speakers in order to captivate their audiences. We watched the following: Caine Monroy’s Idea Box Arcaide; Logan LaPlante’s Hack-schooling Makes me Happy; Sarah Kay and Point B encouragement, as well as several TED-Ed Club lesson video spots. Through these amazing people we have been able to learn many hints that we are considering as we become more powerful speakers.
We also continued to “have a little fun” while learning more about our classmates and teachers by way of activities such as “Fear in a Hat” and video-taping and reviewing ourselves while preparing for our speeches using iPads, and learning to use power poses to increase our confidence before speaking.
In the coming week, we will work on expanding our speeches by reflecting on our previous accomplishments which were videotaped, and then making revisions by adding new excitement, further examples and details where warranted, better hooks for beginnings and endings, and eliminating non-essential words like “um, ahhh, and other filler words.”
On Friday, July 1, students will again have an opportunity to share their “NEW AND IMPROVED VERSION” of their speeches before taking off for their July 4th holiday on Monday. Remember, please, that we will not have school on Monday, July 4, 2016 in order to commemorate our Independence Day! Have a terrific week and safe and memorable holiday.
Warm regards,
Ms. Diane Koushki and Ms. Emily Miller
Communication for Week 3: July 1, 2016
Dear Families of "Speaking with Passion" class members,
First, I hope that you are ready for a wonderful Independence Day weekend and will enjoy a safe and restful break from the busy summer. It has been a full and energetic few weeks for all of us involved in the "Speaking with Passion" class.
During our third week of our summer experience, students reflected on their previous speeches and were asked to make revisions related to a "New and Improved Model" of what they would share. Some students considered stronger beginnings and endings or added humor, some looked at how to bring a more dramatic or dynamic message to their audience, and a few even decided to change their topic completely. The revised speeches, which were given and video taped on Friday, were evidence of the growth these speakers are continuing to make and we are looking forward to continued refinement, as we get ready to begin video recording in a new setting in week 4.
On Tuesday July 5, 16, we are going to be able to explore some of the ideas that represent hints in further refining our speeches, as well as our presenting skills. On Wednesday and Thursday of next week, we will be doing the first of several recording opportunities with members of the skilled Punahou Video Production team. Our venue will be the Luke Auditorium, which is a little larger in space, and will give us a chance to feel like budding orators.
Each of the experiences for speaking in new places and with peer audiences, over the next two weeks, will help us in creating the "BEST" speech to be shared through our TED-Ed Club private youtube creations. The URL for the final speech of each individual who has signed a "RELEASE" will be shared specifically with that student via email at the end of summer school. During the past two years, some of the students’ videos were recommended for greater viewing by the TED-Ed team and were shared with other TED-Ed Club members via their blog. If any of our team members receive that honor, they will be contacted directly related to the airing.
We look forward to another great week and will keep you informed on our progress.
Warm regards,
Ms. Diane Koushki and Ms. Em
Dear Families of "Speaking with Passion" class members,
First, I hope that you are ready for a wonderful Independence Day weekend and will enjoy a safe and restful break from the busy summer. It has been a full and energetic few weeks for all of us involved in the "Speaking with Passion" class.
During our third week of our summer experience, students reflected on their previous speeches and were asked to make revisions related to a "New and Improved Model" of what they would share. Some students considered stronger beginnings and endings or added humor, some looked at how to bring a more dramatic or dynamic message to their audience, and a few even decided to change their topic completely. The revised speeches, which were given and video taped on Friday, were evidence of the growth these speakers are continuing to make and we are looking forward to continued refinement, as we get ready to begin video recording in a new setting in week 4.
On Tuesday July 5, 16, we are going to be able to explore some of the ideas that represent hints in further refining our speeches, as well as our presenting skills. On Wednesday and Thursday of next week, we will be doing the first of several recording opportunities with members of the skilled Punahou Video Production team. Our venue will be the Luke Auditorium, which is a little larger in space, and will give us a chance to feel like budding orators.
Each of the experiences for speaking in new places and with peer audiences, over the next two weeks, will help us in creating the "BEST" speech to be shared through our TED-Ed Club private youtube creations. The URL for the final speech of each individual who has signed a "RELEASE" will be shared specifically with that student via email at the end of summer school. During the past two years, some of the students’ videos were recommended for greater viewing by the TED-Ed team and were shared with other TED-Ed Club members via their blog. If any of our team members receive that honor, they will be contacted directly related to the airing.
We look forward to another great week and will keep you informed on our progress.
Warm regards,
Ms. Diane Koushki and Ms. Em
Communication - Week 4 - July 10, 2016
Dear Passionate Speakers and families,
Week four was filled with final preparation and practice of our “passionate speeches” as we began the first two of three opportunities to share what has been created this summer in a new venue. The students confidently entered Wo Center’s Luke Lecture Hall and delivered some of the most impressive messages we have heard from students of this age group. It was easy to see that they “stepped up” and felt the greater level of importance in delivering what they felt was an idea worthy of sharing. Although our video taped speeches are now available for our classroom viewing and critiquing, they need to be edited and final touches will be added before we are ready to select the best of the tapings to share with you. We will be supported again by the “Video Production Team” as we give our speeches in Luke Auditorium on Tuesday, July 12, 2016. Any modifications in visual slides, as well as alterations in our messages, will be made on Monday before our final video production is completed by the end of the week and yes, by the end of summer school for our class.
We also ask your patience and support of the students as they give it their all, and know that each person in our class has worked with determination to create the “best” speech that was possible. In every case, it is obvious that the students have taken their summer challenge seriously, and we know you will be proud of the incredibly mature thoughts that have been shared.
We look forward to sharing our work with you as we finalize our last week of our journey, and we know the outcome will be spectacular!
Aloha,
Ms. Diane Koushki
Dear Passionate Speakers and families,
Week four was filled with final preparation and practice of our “passionate speeches” as we began the first two of three opportunities to share what has been created this summer in a new venue. The students confidently entered Wo Center’s Luke Lecture Hall and delivered some of the most impressive messages we have heard from students of this age group. It was easy to see that they “stepped up” and felt the greater level of importance in delivering what they felt was an idea worthy of sharing. Although our video taped speeches are now available for our classroom viewing and critiquing, they need to be edited and final touches will be added before we are ready to select the best of the tapings to share with you. We will be supported again by the “Video Production Team” as we give our speeches in Luke Auditorium on Tuesday, July 12, 2016. Any modifications in visual slides, as well as alterations in our messages, will be made on Monday before our final video production is completed by the end of the week and yes, by the end of summer school for our class.
We also ask your patience and support of the students as they give it their all, and know that each person in our class has worked with determination to create the “best” speech that was possible. In every case, it is obvious that the students have taken their summer challenge seriously, and we know you will be proud of the incredibly mature thoughts that have been shared.
We look forward to sharing our work with you as we finalize our last week of our journey, and we know the outcome will be spectacular!
Aloha,
Ms. Diane Koushki
Final Communication 7/18/16
Dear Parents and Passionate Speakers,
Our final taping of our "Speaking with Passion" speeches are now complete and have been received from the Video Production Team at Punahou and have been screened for which of the three speeches was the best “ take" and are presently being uploaded to the TED-ED Club team. Once they have received this and the video has been documented, a URL address will be forthcoming. We will be sending these to each of you in the next two days, hopefully. Please watch for the email update.
During the final week of school, we have seen some of the most impressive sharing by your young adults. Their level of personal commitment, as well as passion, has exceeded our expectations, and we truly hope you will be so proud of the work that has been accomplished by your student. Please join us in praising them for a job well done, and let them know that their messages are important to you, as well. As you receive the URL address, in the near future, it is fine for you to share this with your personal family and friends, at your own discretion, however, unless your student's work is selected by TED to be shared on their weekly blog throughout the year, this will be the only sharing of their work. If your child's video is selected, you will be notified by TED-Ed Club, and by me before publication would go further. Over the past two years, of the nearly 80 students who took Speaking with Passion, more than ten of the students were honored with airing on the TED-Ed Club site through their blog. We would again be so honored if some of these videos were to be shared with a wider audience because their messages are "Ideas Worth Sharing!”
As we have now completed the summer session, I wish to take this time to personally thank each of you for allowing us the opportunity to work closely with your "pride and joy." It has been a pleasure to meet each of you through email and/or in person, and we hope to share a future learning experience soon.
Warm regards and aloha,
Ms. Diane Koushki
Dear Parents and Passionate Speakers,
Our final taping of our "Speaking with Passion" speeches are now complete and have been received from the Video Production Team at Punahou and have been screened for which of the three speeches was the best “ take" and are presently being uploaded to the TED-ED Club team. Once they have received this and the video has been documented, a URL address will be forthcoming. We will be sending these to each of you in the next two days, hopefully. Please watch for the email update.
During the final week of school, we have seen some of the most impressive sharing by your young adults. Their level of personal commitment, as well as passion, has exceeded our expectations, and we truly hope you will be so proud of the work that has been accomplished by your student. Please join us in praising them for a job well done, and let them know that their messages are important to you, as well. As you receive the URL address, in the near future, it is fine for you to share this with your personal family and friends, at your own discretion, however, unless your student's work is selected by TED to be shared on their weekly blog throughout the year, this will be the only sharing of their work. If your child's video is selected, you will be notified by TED-Ed Club, and by me before publication would go further. Over the past two years, of the nearly 80 students who took Speaking with Passion, more than ten of the students were honored with airing on the TED-Ed Club site through their blog. We would again be so honored if some of these videos were to be shared with a wider audience because their messages are "Ideas Worth Sharing!”
As we have now completed the summer session, I wish to take this time to personally thank each of you for allowing us the opportunity to work closely with your "pride and joy." It has been a pleasure to meet each of you through email and/or in person, and we hope to share a future learning experience soon.
Warm regards and aloha,
Ms. Diane Koushki