There are many components to being a GEM and communication skills are essential for all of them. Two of the aspects of communication that GEMs often find challenging are:
The activity below is intended to help you practice both in a slightly lower pressure setting.
Step 1: Take a minute to think of something that's been on your mind lately that you wouldn't mind sharing with the group. It does not need to be related to MaGE, or even to your school work. Consider the how you would summarize this topic and what it is about this topic that you find interesting or concerning.
Step 2: Get into pairs. You will each have 5 minutes to gather informationabout your partner's topic. Feel free to ask questions to get a more complete picture. (Note taking worksheet)
Step 3: After you have each had 5 minutes to learn about your partner's topic, you will have an additional 2 minutes to organize your thoughts and figure out how you would briefly explain what you learned.
Step 4: We will split the class into 2 groups, you will be in one group and your partner will be in the other. Within your group, you will go around and each person will take 60 seconds to present what they learned about their partner's topic.