The Value of an Elevator Speech

There is obvious importance to being able to communicate effectively. This is evident even without going into how frequently communication is mentioned in the Common Core or ISTE NETS. Students communicate with each other well enough, but I am not so convinced when it comes to their ability to communicate their ideas in other scenarios like writing or in a presentation. I have seen many student presentations where the students simply talk without any real direction or purpose. This is an area where discussing the concept of an elevator speech could be very valuable. For the record, an elevator speech is when a student has to explain what they are doing in their work quickly and concisely. The scenario behind this activity is that they get into an elevator with their boss or supervisor and the person asks them what they are doing. They have to explain it before the elevator gets to the next floor and the person gets out. I had to practice this with my dissertation when I was pursuing my doctorate. I had to explain my research, my findings, its value without droning on and losing the person’s interest. It is harder than it sounds, especially when you are either really interested (my topic at the time) or really disinterested (some students regarding their assigned topic). Practicing an elevator speech can help provide focus for the student. A written version of this might be a Tweet on Twitter since Tweets are limited to 140 characters or less. Follow me on Twitter @JoshuaElliott3 for more tips and ideas.