Online
Current Events & Public Speaking Class
For Middle and High School Students
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Contributive, participative, discussion-based learning model.
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Small class size
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One weekly class for four weeks
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Class type: Online
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Between classes, students research and engage with each other and the instructor.
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At the end of each term, we'll hold a public event to demonstrate progress.
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Student assessment can be provided for independent learners, home-school students, and those who request it.
Summary
​Session Dates​
High School
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All High School classes happen on Tuesdays from 9:00 - 10:00 am PST.
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Term 1: October 3 - October 24, 2023
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Term 2: November 7 - December 5, 2023
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Term 3: January 9 - January 30, 2024
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Term 4: February 27, 2024 - March 19, 2024
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Term 5: April 2, 2024 - April 23, 2024
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Middle School
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All Middle School classes happen on Thursdays from 9:00 - 10:00 am PST.
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Term 1: October 5 - October 26, 2023
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Term 2: November 9 - December 7, 2023
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Term 3: January 11 - January 31, 2024
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Term 4: February 29, 2024 - March 21, 2024
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Term 5: April 4, 2024 - April 25, 2024
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We'll develop these skills​
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Analyzing your audience
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Expressing informed knowledge and opinions
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Speechcraft
- Creating talking points
- Body language
- Media literacy
​Course Description
Two Decades Academy's method is to teach discussion techniques and current events in a way that helps students develop public speaking skills while learning about the most important issues of our time.
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The interest of each student will drive their selection of their weekly area of study, with guidance provided on media literacy, research, presentation, and analysis. In addition, TDA selects the most important current events and trends driving change and conducts special briefings and debating items.
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With each current event, we extract the moral decisions at stake, and challenge students to place themselves in a position of leadership and as members of a democratic society.
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This class functions on a participative and discussion-based model, in which students will spend asynchronous learning time researching, collaborating with other students, and engaging with instructors. Class time is reserved for discussion, analysis, and debate. Feedback and individual guidance are provided asynchronously, to reserve class time for discussion and displays of learning.
This 4-week session culminates with a live online event to which parents and guests are invited. Students will prepare for and participate in a formal, recorded 30-minute Current Events Round Table in which they will display the knowledge they have gained. This event is a separate event from our weekly classes.
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This course incorporates some of the best practices of online and offline learning and is designed for students seeking enrichment courses, international students seeking to further their English practice, and homeschooled students. ​