5389- Promoting Alternative PL: Collaborative Discussion Options Menu: Forum

More often than not, the focus is always directed at how students learn. Little attention has been directed at how teachers learn, and this is why I found this class to be intriguing and insightful. One of the principles of professional development states that teachers should not be passive participants in the learning process (Gulamhussein, 2013). Instead, they should be active learners in order for them to understand how to apply the new knowledge they have acquired as effectively as possible. One of the ways of making teachers active learners is by telling them a story. More importantly, the story should be about the teachers as opposed to the educator. One of the rules of making world-changing ideas is treating the audience as the king (Duarte, Inc., 2009). The audience should be the focus of the presentation. According to Nancy Duarte, the audience of a presentation should be the hero as opposed to the presenter (TedxTalks, 2010). In her presentation, Nancy Duarte tells the story of how her family is involved in collecting vintage European posters. She goes ahead to narrate her experience with her two children in one of her vintage posters collecting endeavors in Maui in a very humorous way. I intend to make my audiences the king by including some of their experiences, worries, concerns, and aspirations in my story. For instance, I can include in my presentation the struggles the teachers encounter trying to meet the educational targets of their schools and districts.

My story is about blended learning. This is a method of teaching in which digital media and technology are integrated into traditional instructor-led classroom endeavors. My story should encompass not only what the teachers should do while using the blended learning approach but also the don'ts. Removing distractions is one of the ways of making an effective presentation. One of the ways of removing distraction is only including a saying that comprehensively covers everything that one wants to talk about. For my presentation, I can start by asking my audience a rhetorical question that makes them think about their experience of sitting in a classroom, workshop or seminar in which the presenter did not incorporate any form of technology such as PowerPoint, videos, or audios.

According to Nancy Duarte, a great story should comprise a series of moments in which the status quo is contrasted with 'what it could be' (TedxTalks, 2010). It is human nature for people to hold onto the status quo, and it is the presenter's responsibility to challenge this perspective. I find Freytag's dramatic structure to be an effective approach as well. The approach includes five stages: exposition, inciting incident, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution, and denouement (TedxTalks, 2010). In the exposition phase, I can provide a quote, saying or statistic that makes the audiences think about their teaching experiences. This will help me set the scene for the presentation. In the inciting incident phase, I can include in my story statements, references or even data that makes the teachers hopeful that their challenges can be solved. This will be followed by statements or even narrations that make the teachers realize that the problem they are seeking to solve is a bit more complex. In the climax stage, I will introduce the concept of blended learning to the teachers, and how it works. I will then read the audience’s body language to decipher the extent to which they feel hopeful about their ability to implement this teaching technique.

The best way to start a presentation is by an analogy or a metaphor that captures the idea that one wants to convey (How to Begin Your Presentation with Simon Sinek, 2017). I can include the analogy of learning as sharing many similarities with construction work, where the student is the builder while the teacher is the foreman. To be a good foreman and builder, one needs to be skilled in the use of a variety of technologies as well as hands-on skills, and this is the essence of blended learning. Apart from an analogy or metaphor, a person should also include thought-provoking videos and graphics that help the audience get attracted to one’s presentation. I can start my presentation with a saying or quote. For instance, George Cuoros once stated, "Technology will not replace great teachers (or trainers) but technology in the hands of great teachers can be transformational" (A New Spring, n. d.). This proverb will erase any concerns and hesitancy that some teachers may have about integrating technology into their classes.

References

A New Spring (n. d.). The ultimate guide to blended learning for training. https://www.anewspring.com/solutions/learning-methods/blended-learning/

Duarte, Inc. (2009). Five simple rules for creating world changing presentations. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hT9GGmundag

Gulamhussein, A. (2013). Teaching the Teachers: Effective Professional Development in the Era of High Stakes Accountability. National School Board Association, Center for Public Education.

http://conference.ohioschoolboards.org/2017/wp-%20content/uploads/sites/17/2016/07/

1pm111317A114Job-embedPD.pdf

How to Begin Your Presentation with Simon Sinek. (2017). https://youtu.be/e80BbX05

TedxTalks. (2010). Nancy Duarte Uncovers common structure of greatest communicators. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nYFpuc2Umk