Asynchronous Academy

Personal Improvement Video

Suggested Duration: 5 Hours

"I did then what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better."

Maya Angelou

At the start of this unit, you partnerered with AI to connect the study of literature with your own personal and professional development. You identified a high-value skill (such as leadership, communication, critical thinking, or problem-solving) and set a specific goal to work on throughout your novel study.

Now that you have completed your reading and video diaries, it is time to measure your progress. In this final unit assessment, you will analyze how your chosen novel illustrated or challenged your target skill, and present a showcase of your personal growth.

Step 1: Presentation Script

Before you record your video, you need to write a script. This script will ensure your ideas are organized logically, your arguments are supported by clear text evidence, and your transitions are smooth.

Drafting Your Script

  1. The Hook & Goal: Start with a strong introduction. State the personal skill you chose to develop at the beginning of the unit and explain why it is relevant to your future career or academic goals.
  2. The Literary Connection: Devote the middle of your script to analyzing how your novel explored this skill.
    • Which characters demonstrated strength or weakness in this area?
    • What specific scenes or quotes illustrated the consequences of their actions?
    • What did the author's portrayal of this theme teach you about the skill in real-life contexts?
  3. The Self-Evaluation & Action: Conclude your script by evaluating your own progress. What actions did you take during this unit to practice or observe this skill in your daily life?
  4. Visual & Audio Cues: Include bracketed notes indicating when to change slides, show visual overlays in Canva, use text highlights, or adjust your speaking delivery (e.g., [Show quote slide], [Pause for emphasis]).

Revising & Editing

Before final submission, review your script. Verify that you have used appropriate transition words to connect your paragraphs, varied your sentence structures, and corrected any spelling, grammar, or punctuation errors.

Deliverable:

📤

Presentation Script

Submit your finished presentation script as a Markdown file, containing your full spoken draft along with visual directions and novel quotes.

Step 2: Showcase Video

With your script written and polished, you will now produce a video presenting your growth journey to your peers and instructor.

Speaking & Media Strategies

  • Script Delivery: Use vocal strategies (pacing, tone, and inflection) to keep your audience engaged. Speak clearly and confidently. Do not read your script word-for-word off the screen; instead, use it as a guide to deliver a natural, conversational presentation.
  • Non-Verbal Communication: Maintain strong eye contact with the camera, use natural hand gestures, and pay attention to your posture.
  • Visual Presentation: Use Canva to design clean visual aids (such as a slide deck or text overlays) to highlight your main points, key quotes from the novel, and your growth milestones.
  • Feedback Integration: Show how you have integrated feedback from your earlier Shakespeare and Bookstagram videos. Focus on demonstrating noticeable improvement in your presentation polish.

Deliverable:

📤

Personal Improvement Video

Upload your finished showcase video (3 to 5 minutes) exported from Canva, demonstrating your oral communication skills and visual aids.

Assessment

Pre-Submission

Before you submit, please complete the Pre-Submission Self-Assessment.

What to Turn In

  • 📤

    Your Presentation Script

  • 📤

    Your Personal Improvement Video

💡 A Different Way to Learn

Async Academy courses are inquiry-based. There are no rote answer keys or multiple-choice worksheets here. You learn by exploring, questioning, and building projects you care about.

Because your discovery path is completely unique, you need a human sounding board. Enroll to submit your projects and get personalized video feedback from an Ontario Certified Teacher to guide your work.

Learning Goals

We are learning to:

  • 🎯

    Plan and write a structured presentation script connecting literary themes and character development to your personal skill goals

  • 🎯

    Present and communicate your personal development journey orally, using effective speaking strategies, non-verbal cues, and digital presentation tools

  • 🎯

    Assess and reflect on your progress as a writer, speaker, and independent learner throughout the novel study unit

Success Criteria

I can:

  • ✅

    I can generate, organize, and draft a coherent presentation script that uses evidence from the novel to analyze my personal skill goals

    Expectations Covered: W1, W2
  • ✅

    I can communicate orally in a clear and engaging manner, using appropriate vocal strategies, non-verbal cues, and visual aids to present my journey

    Expectations Covered: OC2
  • ✅

    I can critically evaluate my own growth, identifying strengths, weaknesses, and concrete steps for future improvement

    Expectations Covered: OC3, W4

Rubric

Category Level 4 Level 3 Level 2 Level 1
Knowledge/Understanding Demonstrates a thorough and deep understanding of how literary themes and characters relate to personal growth and skill development Demonstrates a clear and appropriate understanding of how literary themes and characters relate to personal growth and skill development Demonstrates a basic or general understanding of how literary themes and characters relate to personal growth or skill development Demonstrates a limited or vague understanding of how literary themes and characters relate to personal growth
Thinking/Inquiring Analyzes personal progress and novel connections with exceptional insight, critical reflection, and detail Analyzes personal progress and novel connections with clear reflection and appropriate detail Analyzes personal progress and novel connections with some basic reflection, though lacking in depth Analyzes personal progress and novel connections with minimal reflection or detail
Application Applies written revision strategies and oral presentation skills with a high degree of professional polish and effectiveness Applies written revision strategies and oral presentation skills effectively Applies written revision strategies and oral presentation skills with some success Applies written revision strategies and oral presentation skills with limited effectiveness
Communication Written script and oral delivery are exceptionally clear, coherent, and highly engaging for the audience Written script and oral delivery are clear, coherent, and appropriate for the audience Written script and oral delivery are generally clear, with minor lapses in coherence or engagement Written script and oral delivery show limited clarity, coherence, or focus
Knowledge/Understanding
Level 4

Demonstrates a thorough and deep understanding of how literary themes and characters relate to personal growth and skill development

Level 3

Demonstrates a clear and appropriate understanding of how literary themes and characters relate to personal growth and skill development

Level 2

Demonstrates a basic or general understanding of how literary themes and characters relate to personal growth or skill development

Level 1

Demonstrates a limited or vague understanding of how literary themes and characters relate to personal growth

Thinking/Inquiring
Level 4

Analyzes personal progress and novel connections with exceptional insight, critical reflection, and detail

Level 3

Analyzes personal progress and novel connections with clear reflection and appropriate detail

Level 2

Analyzes personal progress and novel connections with some basic reflection, though lacking in depth

Level 1

Analyzes personal progress and novel connections with minimal reflection or detail

Application
Level 4

Applies written revision strategies and oral presentation skills with a high degree of professional polish and effectiveness

Level 3

Applies written revision strategies and oral presentation skills effectively

Level 2

Applies written revision strategies and oral presentation skills with some success

Level 1

Applies written revision strategies and oral presentation skills with limited effectiveness

Communication
Level 4

Written script and oral delivery are exceptionally clear, coherent, and highly engaging for the audience

Level 3

Written script and oral delivery are clear, coherent, and appropriate for the audience

Level 2

Written script and oral delivery are generally clear, with minor lapses in coherence or engagement

Level 1

Written script and oral delivery show limited clarity, coherence, or focus