October 2015 NewsLinks
(continued from page 1)
their knowledge to speak without notes. For the middle school students who had never engaged in public speaking, this is a daunting task. But by coaching them through it, allowing them to practice in front of the teacher or a smaller group and providing them with advice and encouragement, they became more comfortable. By the time they stepped up to make their speech, their selfconfidence had blossomed. Our students chose a wide range of topics. Some were purely academic such as the history of communism, the importance of art therapy, what STDs are, how to engineer a fast car, and the history of Hollywood. Others were more hands on like robot design, how to tie-dye, and how to operate a flight simulator. When it was time for their presentations, we divided our fiftyfour students into five groups with a
Page 9
Personal Passion Project different teacher supervising each group. Students did peer assessments and then voted for which of the ten students should represent their group in our year-end celebration assembly. There were some tough decisions made, as our students really rose to the occasion and made some fantastic presentations. When the big day arrived, all of our students—as well as parents, teachers, and administrators—learned how to dissect a frog and bake a pizza, how jet engines work, and why female genital mutilation is such a controversial issue here in Egypt. It was wonderful to allow students to not only inject choice into their learning, but also take on the role of teachers, educating their peers about their personal passion. By self-directing their research and making courageous speeches, all of our students gained self-confidence and took control of their learning. c