I'm Dr. Lori and I'm thrilled to share my passion for effective communication with your young learners!  In this course we will use fun activities to learn more about our speaking style and gain the confidence needed to share our thoughts and use our words effectively. Confidence is key and I look forward to helping young learners feel like they are not only learning in a safe and happy environment, but take these skills into their life beyond our classroom! 

What will be taught? Public Speaking Basics including idea organization and how to manage anxiety

Topics Covered? These will evolve each week and include: favorite things, school, pets, games

Class Structure? We will begin each course by introducing ourselves and getting to know each other, I then will cover the basic structure of a speech and how to deal with any nervousness, and the remainder of class will be spent on public speaking drills. 

How do I teach the course? I like to begin with a brief slideshow deck covering basic tenets of public speaking, we will follow that with an activity and I will round out the course by highlighting and affirming what we all did well and what homework we have to make our speaking even better!

Teaching Style? I've been teaching in higher education for the last fifteen years and have worked in youth programs and as a communication consultant for the past decade. 

Interactivity? This class is all about engagement and interaction and I plan to engage with students and have them engage with each other often. 

Prior Experience/Knowledge? None! This class is open to anyone and will cover the basics of public speaking. 

I’ve been teaching for the last decade in higher education and prior to that, spent my time working as a health and medical journalist and technical writer. My specialty areas include leadership, communication, and helping people with their personal brand. I also run camps throughout the year for high school students, undergraduates and graduate students that are immersive brand experiences where students learn about what effective communication and branding are, how to effectively present (the art of the pitch), and create campaigns for actual companies/organizations. I've worked with students in the 9-12th grades for the last 10 years and students at the undergraduate and graduate level for the last 15 years. Professionally, I am a technical writer and leadership coach for several area organizations and consult with training and development for employee professional development programs. 
I view myself as a practitioner-scholar and the work that I do is infused with my classroom experiences. I bring practical, tangible examples to students so that they can immediately apply their knowledge and experiences and grow through application--not just conceptual ideas. I am a life-long learner and work to create learning environments that are engaging and help build a congenial rapport with all involved. Learning happens in many ways, and I value spaces that are accessible for all learners and strive to continue to do so in my faculty life and on Outschool.