Show some emotion. Immerse yourself in the presentation. Be excited but do not become so animated that you distract attention from the message. Lead them. Periodically check up on the progress. And, evaluate outcomes.

Up front the teacher must establish set. This has been translated as “Tell them what you are going to tell them.” But it is a bit more than just to tell them. It must be to immerse your audience into the context of the presentation. It is to give them some association with the essential points.

For example, if the presentation is about global warming, paint a situational picture to which everyone might be connected. It may be a little dramatic. Nonetheless, create the context. Put them into the scene. Thus, each individual should be encouraged to become emotionally positioned in the presentation. Each individual should somehow feel attached. In that state, attending is enabled and listening is engaged. And, the “Keep it simple” adage is appropriate. As said by Albert Einstein, “Make everything as simple as possible but not simpler.”

Periodically, connect those in the audience with summary statement that give everyone a mental rest and an opportunity at recall as they begin to configure a series of elements into thoughtful images and concepts. Remember, the mind can absorb only as much as the seat can stand. A moment of pause is good. Make it count.

Start again by cueing up the audience for what is to follow. Make the connection to what went before and what will follow. Put them into the context.

Along the way, eye contact encourages continuous involvement. And, it says without a spoken word, “You matter. I care about you.” Everyone gets an attached good feeling.

Vary the pace of delivery. Reinforce elements with stories or anecdotes that can be used as a hook for audience attachment. Relevant stories are truly engaging. They may lighten the moment and bridge a relationship. Appropriate illustrations and pointed examples also enhance presentations. They should clearly support making a point. Be on target in every element that is utilized.

Attention getting gestures may be captivating but be thoughtfully deliberate. Too much of a “good thing” may be mistaken, wasteful of energy, and even annoying. And, if props of any kind are used, command individuals to look and see. Again, be deliberate.

In addition, by all means ask questions, questions for feedback, questions to guide and to provoke though, questions that lay the groundwork for the formation of concepts that are crucial as an outcome of learning. You need not expect an answer for every question. Some should merely point the way or create a place in which a concept might form. Note that questions may be categorized as (1) probing whereby individuals are led through a sequence of associated ideas or points and (2) higher order questions that require individuals to have made some attempt at analysis, evaluation, assimilation, and synthesis.

And, make room for individuals in the audience to initiate questions. These should be both welcomed and motivating because they convey association, involvement, and engagement with the presented remarks. Listener initiated questions imply that the message was received. It gives a sense of satisfaction to the presenter knowing that the presentation was provocative.

Now, the job is done only when closure is provided, the audience is reminded of what they have been told. A short but thorough summary and overview are a must. It serves for the incorporation of all that was presented, every major insight, into a single capsule.

Lastly, in teaching, effectiveness can be discovered only with an assessment of outcomes. The instruments have to be carefully constructed. Its purpose should focus on information gathering. Therefore, it must be reliable and valid. It should provide insight into the difficulty level of every element and it should enable performance discrimination among individuals. It must not intentionally include anything that might be intended to “sort and the wheat from the chaff.” This would be wrong though at least some believe that it is the purpose of every evaluation tool. Evaluation should always have an honest purpose.

Creation date : 11/04/2006 @ 05:05
Last update : 11/04/2006 @ 05:05
Category : Restructuring and Transforming Education
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