Learners ages 14-18 will practice the critical thinking skill of thinking on their feet by responding to prepared questions and statements at the spur of the moment. I will allow learners to work in groups and/or individually to prepare what they need to say, and then present their response to the class. During this course, your learner will practice spelling, grammar, reading, and public speaking skills. *Social/political/religious topics will not be addressed as topics during this course.* The structure of this course will give the learners a chance to work in teams as well as individually, depending upon the time. I always like to encourage a positive & engaging learning atmosphere, and that will be done during this course. We will begin each class by going over course expectations (practicing courteous classroom behavior, positive online etiquette, time limits, topics, etc.). Learners can attend as many or as few classes as they wish; there is no need to attend them all or attend them in order.

During each meeting, we will practice critical thinking through one or more of the following style of activities:
1. Using alphabet flashcards to come up with as many words as they can pertaining to a given topic in one minute (i.e. "Foods that begin with the letter 'b'). Students will read their findings aloud. 
2. Students being given up to five minutes to write about a topic given to them (practicing creative writing skills). The students will then orally present what they wrote.
3. Students will be placed into groups to brainstorm ideas related to a specific topic given to them. The groups will then orally present their findings.
4. Students will be given a random set of impromptu topics. They will choose one topic and have a limited amount of time to respond to the topic (giving reasons supporting the topic, examples of the topic, etc.) by giving a brief oral speech.
5. Other similar activities.

Some students may be intimidated by speaking in front of others, especially on camera. This class is meant to help with that! As a speech & debate teacher, I want students to be comfortable with speaking & interacting in front of others. One of the goals of this class is to help ease those fears!