Brainstorming and Discussion: Ways to engage

In the previous post I took a look at Tate's preface to her book '"Sit and Get" Won't Grow Dendrites: 20 Professional Learning Strategies That Engage the Adult Brain.' Then I delved straight into chapter 1.

The chapter focuses on brainstorming and discussion; ways to bring this into the classroom and how it can engage your students. Tate mentions classes or workshops where the teacher serves as "the fountain of knowledge" and lectures on the subject that entire time. I'm sure it varies from discipline to discipline but here in the field of Communication, I can't imagine why an instructor would want to do that when it seems getting the students communicating among themselves would be the best way to learn and engage.

In fact, Tate uses research to back up her reasons why brainstorming and discussion can be of great aid to learning. Sharing and interpreting ideas, participating in dialogue with fellow students and asking questions - I won't list them all here but, suffice it to say, there are many, many reasons why it seems scholars agree that talking about the subject helps students to understand it.

Here are my three favorite ideas Tate puts forward as ways to promote brainstorming and discussion:

1. Participants circulate around the room and discuss a topic. She recommends students discuss their expectations for the course, but I think it would work for another topic as long as the instructor is specific.
2. Participants are given a question to which there are multiple answers. They brainstorm to generate multiple answers using DOVE guidlines: Defer judgement when others respond, One idea at a time, Variety of ideas given and Energy directed to the task.
3. Participants are given two minutes to brainstorm as many concepts as they can remember from a previous class session. They can then compare with a classmates. A point is given for each concept the other partner did not get.

Do I look like I'm supposed to be here?

Staring my foray into this semester of learning and teaching, I read the preface of what promises to be an interesting book:

'"Sit and Get" Won't Grow Dendrites: 20 Professional Learning Strategies That Engage the Adult Brain' by Marcia L. Tate

The author recounts her own experience of both a bad presentation and a good presentation to show her inspiration for becoming a good presenter. Her bad experience resonated with me because, like many others, I've been there before.

"The presenter, a disheveled, middle-aged man ..."

Well that made me laugh right off the bat, I can just imagine him! I know this isn't the case for everyone, but appearance is something I find very important in a presenter. Not how good looking a person is, but how they present themselves, how they are dressed, how they carry themselves. If a person is "disheveled" I find myself distracted by their lack of care in their appearance and my first impression is that they don't want to be there and that they don't belong.

This semester I'm teaching Communication 101 and I made an effort to dress professionally on the first day of class to present a good impression. For me, the students I'm teaching are mostly around 5-6 years younger than me and some are older than I am, so it seemed important to separate myself as the instructor through my dress.

Tate continues to recount her experience, saying the presenter apologized for not having enough time to prepare. To me that seems like a recipe for a self-fulfilling prophesy; now the audience will expect him to be unprepared throughout the presentation and that is what they will see.

The author then recounted her most memorable presentation. The room was ready ahead of time and the presenter greeted each audience member at the door as they arrived. She had the audience break into groups for discussions and only lectured in 5-7 minute intervals. Now that sounds like a presentation I would be engaged in!

The idea of the short lectures especially resounded. When I lecture in my classes I can feel the students' attention start to wander if I go on for too long. I'll have to start timing myself to see when that point is and try to break up the lectures a little more.

Now, onto the next chapter ...