When students practice speaking skills they gain a deeper understanding of the relationships between letters and sounds. The four language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) are interconnected. If students are proficient in each they will be well-rounded communicators. Distinct advantages in society are gained by speaking skillfully; the abilities to persuade, inform, and direct are highly valued in the workplace. A confident speaker will stand out and acquire a reputation for excellence. To develop effective speaking skills students practice maintaining eye contact while being attentive, yet relaxed.

With Bloomz providing a ready and willing audience, students have the opportunity to practice speaking skills with family members. This past Mother's Day, I asked my students  open-ended questions related to their moms and facilitated them in expressing these thoughts and feelings via Bloomz. I asked them to consider what they love about their moms and to come up with a message they'd like to say to her - in a video. My students were excited to know I would post the video in their Bloomz Portfolio and on the class news feed for families to see.

This past Mother's Day my students conveyed a message in a passionate, thoughtful, and convincing manner to our Bloomz community. Because students knew the audience was their family members they felt safe practicing oral presentation skills. Bloomz provides students an opportunity for real life experience in communication. Their words are reaching beyond the classroom with this technology. How else can teachers utilize the video and post feature in Bloomz to showcase student speaking skills? Please comment in the section below.

Photo by Antoine Beauvillain on Unsplash