Technology has changed the way we learn, access and store information, and how we communicate personally and professionally.  In the corporate world, PowerPoint is an expected feature of presentations.  However, most PowerPoints are poorly designed with long lists of bullet points and slides crammed with text.  This interferes with and distracts from facilitating communication.  Michael Hyatt, the President of Thomas Nelson, lists Five Rules for Better PowerPoint Presentations on his blog called Working Smart.

His blog entry includes links to other helpful websites and several good, common-sense tips…

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Because I love to cook but am often short on time, I long ago developed a set of “bases” I use to make some staple dishes; I have a cookie “base,” a bread “base,” a soup “base” and so on.  By adding a few different ingredients, I can make two completely unique dishes using the same base.  But since I’m not here to teach cooking (and am known to be selfish with my recipes), let’s talk about what this has to do with learning.

Like cooking, great learning tools can be developed from a few simple base ingredients.  Any number of exciting student activities start with a good base.  One of my favorites is the Scavenger Hunt.

A Scavenger Hunt can be structured to relate to a number of topics.  For a course on technology, it might be structured as a list of tasks the students must accomplish using tools available on various Web sites.  For ethics, this might involve the students finding the specific Articles and Standards of Practice at issue, given a certain scenario.  For contracts, students might have to find a specific clause or group of clauses dealing with a given topic – the possibilities are endless.

The best part is, you don’t have to be an expert to master the use of simple activity bases.  Tons of examples are provided courtesy of Sivasailam Thiagarajan, Ph.D. – luckily he is known simply as “Thiagi” (pronounced “Tee-ah-gee”) – on his Website.  You can find a list of sample activities and games HERE.  Good luck with your hunt!

Elizabeth Hurd is a freelance coursewriter and curriculum developer.  For information on your specific education and training needs, call 843-442-0441 or use the Contact Form to be contacted directly.

Recently, as I finished reading a book to my almost-2-year-old, I encountered something strange.  Now, she loves to be read to.  Normally, finishing a book is followed by loud cheering and prompt demands for a repeat performance.  This time, though, she just sat there, waiting expectantly.  After a minute or two, it dawned on me that this particular story didn’t include “…and they lived happily ever after” – she was still waiting for the rest of the story.

This got me thinking about how the vast majority of books I read as a child began with “Once upon a time” and ended with “…and they lived happily ever after.”  Now, I’m not sure how this started or why it is, but someone somewhere decided (once upon a time) that it was important to frame stories within this standard beginning and end.  And for my little girl, this establishes her story time comfort zone – the “once upon a time” lets her know it’s time to sit and listen, and the “happily ever after” is her cue it’s over.

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I was watching a movie last night on television and at certain times when the actors were speaking at low volume, my wife and  I were unable to clearly hear the dialogue. I find this very frustrating. I don’t want to miss something that may be important! Who wants to invest a couple of hours in a movie and not receive all that the screenwriter, director, and actors are trying to convey?

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As I set up the electronics for the audio-visuals, the students began to arrive. Placing the LCD projector on the table, I went back to the packing box for the power cable. You know the one… it’s the cord with the unique female plug that connects the projector to the wall outlet. It was not there. Can you believe it? An essential part for the class is missing. Whoever used it last forgot to put the cord back with the projector. What do you do now?

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Being born in the ’70s, teaching computer skills was an idea that was not yet in vogue by the time I entered junior high. Nevertheless, I went to one of the few schools that offered a class in computer programming, and I can remember hovering for hours over my workstation, glued to the glowing green type. I meticulously followed the directions to write my very own program, which would eventually – with only the click of a button – add up 2 + 2 on its own and produce the answer. (The fact that we already had calculators to perform this function did nothing to dampen my enthusiasm at the time.)

Ah, how times have changed! Technology has since become a runaway train – you can either hop on or be left in the dust.

No longer the novel idea it was in the ’80s, technology is now embedded as an integral part of almost every course offering, regardless of the subject matter. We teach students how to use the Internet and tailor their Web content to stay on top of current market trends and reach today’s consumers. What’s interesting is that we’re just now starting to apply the approaches we’ve been telling our students about to how our own courses are designed, taught and offered.

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I had thought through, many times, all of the points I wanted and needed to make. It was good material. Moreover, the PowerPoint slides were top-notch. Minimal text and attention-getting graphics, well-matched to the key points in my presentation. And I had timed it almost perfectly. I wrapped up my talk within a few minutes of when I had planned.

All in all, it was a good package. And yet, while my delivery was (objectively speaking) probably a little better than average, I knew from watching the eyes in my audience that something just wasn’t right.

It wasn’t the presentation I SHOULD have made…

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The classic question from the back seat concerning the destination and the estimated time of arrival is one that we have all experienced. Imagine the reply from the driver is something like, “Well…to tell you the truth, I am not even sure where we are going.” It might be time to get out of that vehicle.

Some instructors are content to just “drive around” within a topic without a specific destination in mind. Example: If the class is on Fair Housing, it’s not enough for the instructor to just fill the allotted time with information related to the topic. He needs to have an objective in mind. The objective should be specific and measurable.

Here is a simple and effective template for writing objectives and focusing on the learning.

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How many times has a student been told that class will start back in 10 minutes and find that 15 minutes later, the instructor is in a sidebar conversation with someone and has lost track of time?

I have been that waiting student and…yes, I have been that instructor!

Is it a big deal? Maybe it is not a big deal if it happens once but I find that it often happens again and again. Recently, I had the opportunity to take a class just for the learning.

I observed another fellow student who was in her chair at the appointed time looking around to see when the class would resume. Seeing that she was one of the few honoring the clock, she took out her phone and started a new text message. After she finished that short task, I took the opportunity to ask her how she felt about returning on time to be put on hold for an indeterminate period.

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Drumroll, please…

10. It cuts down on those pesky drool stains on the desks.

9. It’s a chance to actually use the jokes flooding your inbox…the clean ones, anyway.

8. Laughing is better than crying.

7. It may create the illusion of a sense of humor.

6. It’s good practice in case you ever decide to pursue a second career as Jimmy Kimmel’s sidekick.

5. It boosts your self esteem. (Some students may be under the impression they are required to laugh.)

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