Woodlynde School newsletter

Head of School
Newsletter – Fall 2015
Public Speaking Class Uses Corporate
Presentations Tool to Prepare Students
for Success
Woodlynde’s new Upper School public speaking elective
has teamed with Presenter’s Pal, a presentation app and
iBook used by large corporations such as Hilton
Worldwide, to help students gain confidence with public
speaking. Developed by Karen Friedman, mother of Alec
Kravitt ’15, and Cindy Hoffman, Presenter’s Pal has never
been used in a school setting prior to Woodlynde.
It all started with the merging of two ideas. During his first
year at Woodlynde, Upper School Teacher Gabriel Robison
noticed that many Woodlynde students were nervous and
uncomfortable speaking in front of a class, and he searched for a way to teach students the skills that would help them become
more confident in that area.
Around the same time, Friedman was helping executives at large corporations find confidence in their public speaking skills
by introducing them to Presenter’s Pal. It was then that a lightbulb went off.
“Being familiar with Woodlynde since my son went there for many years, I knew that a tool to help students organize and
present their thoughts would be hugely beneficial at Woodlynde where students often struggle with organization,” Friedman
recalls.
From there, Friedman and Hoffman showed Presenter’s Pal to Woodlynde, and everyone agreed that it was a great fit.
Woodlynde’s first Public Speaking classes launched this fall, and students are using Presenter’s Pal on iPads to help them with
almost every step of the presentation process.
With the program, students are guided through how to create compelling presentations from beginning to end. Presenter’s
Pal prompts students to think about their presentation’s purpose, audience, and key message and then delves into selecting
appropriate ways to bring their presentation to life.
“It provides an easy-to-follow template that is adaptable to different situations and takes the stress out of writing talks and
presentations,” says Friedman. “It really compliments what Mr. Robison is teaching and allows students to continually apply
and practice what they are learning in the classroom.”
And Robison’s classes are all about practice. Meeting every other day for the entire school year, the two sections of Public
Speaking offered this year focus on practicing body language, voice, and gestures to build confidence.
“The more they stand in front of a class and give a presentation, the more comfortable they will be,” says Robison.
He also adds that the class doesn’t always practice with one person standing in front of the class; they also practice as a group
to allow them to try using gestures and other tactics without feeling singled out or put on the spot. So far, the class is going
well.
“I can see that the students are becoming more comfortable in front of the room. They are expanding out of their comfort
zones and are showing more excitement and emotion when they present,” says Robison.
Friedman is excited about the course’s progress thus far as well, adding that Presenter’s Pal will be seeking feedback from the
students to customize the program further so that it can become an even more valuable tool for students.
“We want to help make students more successful,” says Friedman. “Not just in school, but also in life.”