Author Julia Smolkina is an education and program development leader, learning and development expert, and the current Life Skills Product Manager at Alpha School.
At Alpha School, we’ve experienced first-hand how TalkMeUp leverages the power of AI to provide users with the real-time feedback and instant measurements they need to develop their communication skills. It’s a wonderful practice tool with a growing global audience of business leaders and their teams, professionals, teachers, and even college students.
But what if we told you that children are now using this wonderful software to learn communication and public speaking as a life skill?
What? A 5-year-old learning how their facial expressions, enthusiasm, and empathy impact their ability to communicate effectively? A 13-year-old developing confidence in public speaking through AI-powered learning — years before their professional lives begin?
If you’re wondering why this is your first time hearing this, you’re not alone. Ask any professional, and many may sheepishly admit that they didn’t take their first public speaking course until high school or college. By then, they had a steeper hill to climb due to self-image issues and a lack of confidence in their abilities. There are also countless young professionals just now learning how much weight their words carry and how important it is to communicate effectively with diverse audiences and in different settings.
They all know practice makes perfect. TalkMeUp is the ideal partner, and it is quickly proving that you’re never too young to build your communication skills. In fact, the earlier you start building your communication skills in a safe space, the better.
Developing Limitless Communicators At a Younger Age
Alpha School opened its doors eight years ago to provide customized, cutting-edge, and complete learning for children as young as 3 to high school students. Rather than ask students to spend six to eight hours of their day in traditional classrooms, our curriculum starts with two hours of common-core subjects such as math, science, English, and social studies, then gives students an additional four hours each day to dive into an array of life skills.
These life skills run the gamut, but a few include growth mindset, grit, leadership, critical thinking, goal setting, and, yes, communication and public speaking.
This well-organized schedule focuses on mastery and accelerated growth, with Alpha students grasping material two to five times faster than their peers. Real-time data ensures optimal challenges and personalized support for each child. And, of course, our Alpha Guides are with them every step of the way, offering unwavering support, learning structure, and keen attention.
When it comes to public speaking as a life skill, the benefits of using TMU are seemingly limitless for their young minds:
- Improved confidence
- Growth mindsets
- Enhanced ability to speak in front of others at younger ages
- Personalized real-time feedback
- Students are prepared when they need to speak or present something
- Measuring progress and seeing what needs to be improved
- A safe space to practice
We are seeing fantastic results with TalkMeUp, with students showcasing increased skill in all areas of communication, from empathy and facial expressions to vocal impact, emotional intelligence, persuasiveness, and more. As is the case with all our programs, we survey Alpha students every six weeks to gauge satisfaction. Over 90% of students report that they love their school experience and genuinely crave more school time. As you can imagine, this is music to our ears — as well as their parents.
You’re Never Too Young To Be a More Effective Communicator
Communication helps our next generation of leaders lead from the front and inspire others with their words. TalkMeUp is innovative, one-of-a-kind software that profoundly addresses communication shortcomings for users of all ages by leveraging AI for instant measurement, analysis, reporting, tracking, scaling, and more. Students can practice with TalkMeUp repeatedly and track their progress. As they begin to see changes in how they communicate, they’ll gain confidence and an upper hand in their future.
Interested in learning more about Alpha School? Please click here.
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About the Author
Julia Smolkina is an education and program development leader, learning and development expert, and the current Life Skills Product Manager at Alpha School. A fervent advocate for human-centric education and lifelong learning, she brings considerable expertise in program management and curriculum design for individuals of all ages to the table. Her approach incorporates personalization, differentiation, PBL, blended learning, and other effective educational methods to attain learning objectives. Her extensive background includes 10 years in education and encompasses coaching and team management in diverse settings such as private schools, EdTech startups, and individual worldwide projects. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Business Analytics from the Higher School of Economics, including an interdisciplinary degree focusing on computer science, economics, and management.
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