Exercises (coming soon)
Speech Improvisation Syllabus
Course Description:
This course will train students how to think and speak more effectively. Classes will introduce creative and critical thinking processes, public speaking tools, and practical tips on how to adjust to any speaking context. While students will be exposed to both rhetorical and creative theory, the focus will be on application. Classes will incorporate individual and group problem-solving play designed to help develop analytic and synthetic thought processing. I used many of these exercises in the corporate training workshops. Students will also learn to overcome public speaking anxiety while also learning how to present on a moment’s notice. This class will help students become more effective at communicating ideas as well as develop their creative problem-solving skills. Grades will be based upon class participation, presentations, and journal-keeping.
Goals/Objectives:
- Develop effective public speaking skills
- Overcome performance anxieties
- Cultivate creative problem-solving skills
Expectations/Homework:
- Students will be given weekly exercises to complete at home.
- Students will also keep a journal in response to the class and at home exercises, and I will review journals a couple times each semester.
- Students will be expected to participate in weekly creative thinking and presentation exercises.
Required Texts:
The teacher will hand out occasional reading assignments or assign videos to watch.
Class Structure:
Class time will be split between active exercises and reflective instruction.
Creative Process:
The basic four state creative process we will be exploring this year includes preparation, incubation, illumination, and verification.
As we move through each of these phases, students will learn to incorporate all five senses in thinking and speaking; develop skills of analogy, bisociation, storying, language games, etc.; and overcome inhibitions and obstacles to creative thinking and speaking.
