Hi Asif,
I also found the myself uncertain about the "invitation" part of the activity. I chose to think about what the outcomes of my particular activity would be, and then I thought about how the invitation and activity also needed to include things I haven't considered (elements generated by the students).
It was a helpful step for getting it clear in my mind, because I ended up putting some of the outcomes into a "Purpose of exercise" category to share with my triad, and then the invitation itself became longer/more detailed than I'd expected.
My invitation has quite a conversational tone and is aimed at students who may or may not yet be used to considering themselves as "good" students. So this is what I came up with (pasted below). It may be more detailed than what many other invitations would need to be as I'm aiming for confidence-building too.
I don't see it as a marketing blurb if the invitation is within a class that already has students registered. However I do wonder if it would need to use marketing language if it's for a workshop that isn't connected to a larger project/course.
Thinking of it as a question prompt feels too vague for me, at this point. But that may be because this is new territory for me.
I feel I would like a lot more practice to get the hang of writing the invitation component, and I wasn't surprised that it took me a few drafts to decide on what to post.
Meg
"We’ll take the next 50 minutes to explore together some of our feelings, attitudes and experiences around public speaking.
Please think about a time where you spoke in front of a group, and let's say a group = four or more people. It could be simple or formal - a story around a campfire, a toast at a wedding, instructions for beading or sewing, or even a tour if you've worked in the tourism industry.
Each of us will choose a memory about speaking to a group and making a drawing about that experience. Please find some blank paper and writing materials (pen, pencil, markers). We will each create a drawing, using five simple symbols that anyone can doodle. There is no need to be an artist or to make things that look realistic or perfect -- it’s a playful exercise!
I’ll draw the symbols right here on the whiteboard with my mouse, so you can see how easy it is. Next we’ll all try them out, and then we'll jump into drawing our individual stories."