Author Archives: Erik Palmer

About Erik Palmer

The #1 language art is speaking. By far. I'm committed to promoting the teaching of oral communication in all of its forms.

But what about the introverts?

Posted on June 4, 2021 by Erik Palmer

I get this question a lot when I do workshops. In my presentations, I point out that speaking well will benefit all students for their entire lives; I share a framework that makes the complex art of oral communication simple … Continue reading →

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Never make a slide like this.

Posted on May 19, 2021 by Erik Palmer

I show people how to be more effective oral communicators. Part of that job is to make the complex simple. What does it take to deliver a talk well? What are the essential skills? How can those skills be condensed … Continue reading →

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Shortchanging Speaking

Posted on May 18, 2021 by Erik Palmer

A student turns in this paper: many people think that we should not have ginetticly modifyed foods we could be having health problems in the future if we eat them, Some studys say that they cause cancer. we should pass … Continue reading →

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Instead of an essay

Posted on April 20, 2021 by Erik Palmer

“What does democracy mean to you?” That was the writing prompt I gave to my class. I was expecting a three-paragraph essay about the rights, duties, and responsibilities of citizens. Ryan asked if he could make a video. Of course, … Continue reading →

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Listen to the Rough Draft of the Talk. Yes, LISTEN…

Posted on April 17, 2021 by Erik Palmer

Do you ever ask to hear the rough draft? Yes, you read that correctly. I want to hear my students’ rough drafts. Every day, students are speaking in class. Often, teachers assign some talks with higher stakes than the daily … Continue reading →

Posted in Media Literacy, Speaking | 1 Comment

Essays Muttered Aloud!

Posted on March 30, 2021 by Erik Palmer

The annual convention of the largest association of English teachers in America. The president of the organization addresses the thousands in attendance. A keynote address? Not exactly. More like reading an essay at the audience. That’s not a typo. She … Continue reading →

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What the Oscars can tell us about speaking

Posted on March 14, 2021 by Erik Palmer

Are you going to watch the Oscars this year? In the Before Times,  I attended an Oscar party. As the guests came into the party, we were given an Oscar “ballot.”  Each of us marked off our predicted winner for … Continue reading →

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Student Voice! You don’t have it if you don’t speak well.

Posted on January 21, 2021 by Erik Palmer

voice The sound produced in a person’s larynx and uttered through the mouth, as speech or song. https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/voice Student voice. What a hot topic! Educational conferences have themes such as “Raising Student Voice” (NCTE) and “Speak Up! Finding and Using … Continue reading →

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“Fake News” is frightening…but not the way you think it is

Posted on January 16, 2021 by Erik Palmer

Millions of Americans do not believe Joe Biden was elected president. Every election until now reported results and every citizen accepted that those results were accurate. How did we get to a point where millions of us do not believe … Continue reading →

Posted in Media Literacy | 1 Comment

Give Students a Digital Voice First

Posted on December 15, 2020 by Erik Palmer

You want students to speak to the class. Maybe students are reciting poetry or participating in a mock trial or presenting their research reports or giving a book talk or making a podcast. Every teacher has speaking activities. I’ve written … Continue reading →

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