Class presentations are a nightmare for many students from elementary school to college. The speaking part of a presentation all too often makes up at least half of the points for that project, and for many students, public speaking is extremely difficult, making a low grade inevitable. Whether because of deep-seated anxiety or simple stage fright, class presentations make an otherwise simple project a daunting task for these students, which brings up an obvious question: why assign presentations at all?
Senior Taylor Thomas said, “Class presentations use class time that could be better used in other ways. I don’t think anyone, for the most part, learns better when they’re being lectured to by a student rather than a teacher who has a degree in what they’re teaching.”
Even though so many dread class presentations, they are typically part of the core curriculum, forcing teachers to incorporate them into lessons. Some teachers see benefits in class presentations and believe they help prepare us for our future professions.
For instance, Mrs. Cesia Heinlein, a Spanish teacher at Bowling Green High School, believes that class presentations are a good way to develop social skills. One type of presentation she uses is a one on one with the student where they have a conversation in Spanish. This puts less pressure on the student because it isn’t in front of the class.
Mrs. Heinlein said, “I think class presentations are great. I know that is not the opinion of a lot of students, but I think that it is a good thing for kids to develop oral presentations because you have to talk to people outside of the workforce.”
Recently, FlipGrid has become a popular substitute for presentations. It allows a student to film their presentations an unlimited number of times rather than having only one try in a classroom setting. This creates a more relaxed environment for students because other people aren’t watching them give their presentation.
“I love FlipGrid.” said Heinlein. “I think that it’s a great alternative, especially those kids who have really bad anxiety.”
Many students prefer to have a choice rather than be forced to present in front of the class. Paige Madison, a freshman at BGHS, said, “A solution I would offer would be to let the students decide what they are comfortable with. Whether that’s writing an essay, or giving a presentation in class, each student is a different individual and comfortable with different things.”
Class presentations put tremendous amounts of pressure on students while not effectively teaching them the subject matter at hand. Because of Common Core requirements, teachers can’t forgo the concept of the class presentation altogether, but alternatives such as FlipGrid could give the needed experience in presentation and speaking and allow them to better grasp the required concept. With the help of technology, no student needs to endure the torture of the class presentation - if their teachers are willing to release them from it.
Senior Taylor Thomas said, “Class presentations use class time that could be better used in other ways. I don’t think anyone, for the most part, learns better when they’re being lectured to by a student rather than a teacher who has a degree in what they’re teaching.”
Even though so many dread class presentations, they are typically part of the core curriculum, forcing teachers to incorporate them into lessons. Some teachers see benefits in class presentations and believe they help prepare us for our future professions.
For instance, Mrs. Cesia Heinlein, a Spanish teacher at Bowling Green High School, believes that class presentations are a good way to develop social skills. One type of presentation she uses is a one on one with the student where they have a conversation in Spanish. This puts less pressure on the student because it isn’t in front of the class.
Mrs. Heinlein said, “I think class presentations are great. I know that is not the opinion of a lot of students, but I think that it is a good thing for kids to develop oral presentations because you have to talk to people outside of the workforce.”
Recently, FlipGrid has become a popular substitute for presentations. It allows a student to film their presentations an unlimited number of times rather than having only one try in a classroom setting. This creates a more relaxed environment for students because other people aren’t watching them give their presentation.
“I love FlipGrid.” said Heinlein. “I think that it’s a great alternative, especially those kids who have really bad anxiety.”
Many students prefer to have a choice rather than be forced to present in front of the class. Paige Madison, a freshman at BGHS, said, “A solution I would offer would be to let the students decide what they are comfortable with. Whether that’s writing an essay, or giving a presentation in class, each student is a different individual and comfortable with different things.”
Class presentations put tremendous amounts of pressure on students while not effectively teaching them the subject matter at hand. Because of Common Core requirements, teachers can’t forgo the concept of the class presentation altogether, but alternatives such as FlipGrid could give the needed experience in presentation and speaking and allow them to better grasp the required concept. With the help of technology, no student needs to endure the torture of the class presentation - if their teachers are willing to release them from it.
By Addison Kolzow and Emma Hines