Noel Studio Continues Work with Regional School District Programs, Emphasizing Verbal Communications/Public Speaking

The Noel Studio for Academic Creativity is continuing its collaboration with Williamsburg Independent Schools to develop and implement writing and communications plans through professional development programs.

The new program emphasizes verbal communication and public speaking, in addition to writing. The Noel Studio is providing guidance and training to teachers (elementary through high school) to help them teach and evaluate student presentations.

Approximately 65 teachers recently attended a professional development training session in Williamsburg that modeled strategies for implementing information literacy and critical and creative-thinking skills through active learning. The session was co-facilitated by Noel Studio team members Dr. Russell Carpenter, director; Trenia Napier, research coordinator; Shawn Apostel, communication coordinator; and Leslie Valley, writing coordinator.

“The professional development sessions were the first chance for our faculty and the Noel Studio staff to learn more about each other,” said Loren Connell, director of instruction with the Williamsburg Independent School District. “This initiative will take multiple school years to fully develop and we look forward to an enduring relationship with the Noel Studio. Our school is committed to finding unique and cutting-edge opportunities for student learning. We think that the experiential learning opportunities through our relationship with the Noel Studio will be second to none and impact students at every grade level.

“Very soon, our students will be able to showcase their communication skills to professors at the post-secondary level and receive immediate feedback to assist them in acquiring the skills they need to become college ready,” Connell added. “The ability for both Williamsburg and EKU to utilize interactive television and videoconferencing will give our students a truly unique opportunity to receive a portion of the college experience while they are physically still in the comforts of our school building.”

The partnership is part of the Noel Studio’s efforts to support regional stewardship by extending information fluency, critical and creative thinking, and communication to the University’s service region.