TEDxMJS: Ten Minutes in the Spotlight

A little nervous but well prepared, five MJS eighth graders stood in the spotlight this fall for the first TEDxMJS event. With an audience of 100 friends and family members within an authentic TEDx program, it was a long anticipated moment for each student. Would their hours of preparation pay off?

The event was the culmination of a project that started in the spring their 7th grade year. In lieu of final exams, 7th graders spend the last semester of the year immersed in a self-directed learning experience. This unique multi-faceted project, known as the 7th Grade Culminating project, challenges students to put their research, public speaking and persuasion skills to the test. For the Class of 2016, this project was to write and present an engaging TEDx style talk that posed a question or explored a topic relevant to their lives. Topics included tabletop games, female superheroes, celebrity obsession, vampires in popular culture, and the impact of technology on youth. Students created annotated bibliographies and collected copious amounts of research on their topic. They used the iPad application, Evernote, to hold their notes, which was shared with teachers. Surveys, emails and interviews with experts in the field supported their research. Every 7th grader completed the project, and presented to an authentic audience during the final weeks of the school year with the chance to step into the spotlight in the fall of their eighth grade year.

The five students chosen to present, Bailey Hobey (Religion), Shannon Dilbeck (The Truth about Lies), Peter Evans (The California Drought), Kate Salembier (Growth Mindset) and Olivia Partamian (What Makes an App Addictive?), fine tuned their presentations when they returned to school this September and spent time with drama teacher, Lisa Byrne perfecting their public speaking skills. All their hard work paid off when they finally stood on stage in late October. Informal but informative, in depth and engaging, each found their unique voice and did a great job.

1/4/2016: All presenter TEDx Talks have now been posted online. Please click the linked titles above to view.