6340: Week 5 Making Connections

Making Connections

Making the abstract concrete

Burmark (2011) discusses two opposing teaching techniques usually known as inductive and deductive reasoning. Depending on the circumstances, either method may apply, but she believes the teacher should always go from the concrete to the abstract when introducing fresh material. I have had a methodology for years that I espouse for teaching the uninitiated audience. My technique is called “Going from the familiar to the unfamiliar” to introduce abstract concepts. We both seem to agree on this point, but use different words to express it.

Building on prior knowledge

The classroom teacher has the advantage of building a knowledge base before moving on. A presenter only has one shot to get their point across. Because of the limited time framework, the presenter has only one chance to get through. They must use activities to engage the audience from the start. Burmark (2011) discusses nebulous images, humor, sequencing events and digital flashcards with opposing words as possibilities. I am an image learner and for years have benefited from the consumption and production of cartoons, sketches, or simple maps to etch the broad overview of a new development into the learner’s mind.

10:2 take a break

In an educational setting time must be allotted for adsorption and processing of new material. Gimmer Elementary School uses a style of cyclical sessions with 10 minutes of teaching, followed by 2 minutes of pause time. It is an overlooked process, even by professional presenters. My favorite examples are the insurance company advertisements that digitally remove all pauses and speed up the word rate. They leave the mind fully scrambled without any pauses, an extreme opposite of the 10:2 procedures.

Compare and contrast

One of her favorite ways of introducing new concepts is by visually comparing and contrasting side-by-side pictures. This idea is a generalization of an earlier concept that she presents using simple flashcards. I have not personally used this technique, but I can see its application in limited circumstances.

Everybody knows your name

Burmark (2011) explores a couple of ways to help retain the names of students in large classes. She mentions photo expansion of name and face and using Wordle to create a character model of the student. While definitely advantageous and courteous in school situations, it also readily lends itself to large venue gatherings, also.

Physical distance

It is indispensable to connect with the audience and nothing is more glaring than the physical distance from the front row to the speaker. I frequently, and jokingly, use a scale like this for measuring meeting success. I have noticed that if a corporate officer is presenting, the room back fills. If a comedian is presenting, the room front fills. You can usually pre-judge the way a speech will turn out by taking an empty row count.

References

Burmark, L. (2011). Making Connections. In They snooze, you lose: The educator’s guide to successful presentations (pp. 69-92). San Francisco, CA: Josey Bass.