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What If There Was No PowerPoint?
We've all experienced sitting through a class that is the infamous "Death by PowerPoint". (Some of us may even have taught a few using the famous technique.) However, for a brief second... let's assume there is no such thing as PowerPoint (and no overhead projectors or 35mm slide projectors for that matter). You had to deliver a cognitive class using no technology. How would you do it? Let's say you had to solely base your classroom time on your teaching skills and engaging the student. How would it look... how would it take place? Let me hear your thoughts....
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Greenman on
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I have often wondered what GEN George Patton would have thought about Powerpoint, or Ike for that matter...How in the Hell did we ever win WWII without Powerpoint?!?!
When I have to give classes "in the field" I use a page out of my Army days and "Sand Table" the class. All you need is a flat table, or the ground and a few objects, such as wedges or pebbles, to represent people, furniture, cars or whatever else you need to illustrate your point and a little imagination.
We also used the Crawl-Walk-Run method where we first Sandtabled the action, then walked through it at half-speed, and once everyone knew what they were doing at half-speed, we would go through at full speed (aka "combat speed"). The biggest problem I've found with Firefighting classes is they skip the "walk" phase and try to go straight from Sandtabling/chlkboard/powerpoint slides straight to full-speed and the instructors can't figure out why the students can't do it right the first time!
It's worked for everyone from Roger's Rangers through to today's Army and it works for Firefighters too!
Greenman
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Permalink Reply by Jason Koontz on
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I was just thinking the exact same thing! Sand table exercises are great for engaging students, and very cheap to build. Some matchbox cars, a piece of wood, and some other little props, you can have any incident or scene you can imagine! LOL, and I especially love the reference to Rogers Rangers! Remember, "Don't ever forget nothin'"
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Permalink Reply by Rich Mistkowski on
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You need to get them engaged and keep them engaged. Based on your comments about being in a lecture situation, I might try creating real scenarios for the students. Ask them about situations and have them respond with the possibilities about that particular situation. You get the "ball rolling", then sit down and let the next student get up and provide the real life scenario. Let them start, you offer guidance, and suggestions. By providing a framework like this, you might possibly keep them engaged and thinking.
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Permalink Reply by ECB on
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I think we over use powerpoint. The slides get more and more complicated; we add fly ins, emphasize words, none of which really does anything to enhance the training. I have to admit I use PP every day, but only to give the topic or to show a picture/example. The picture is used to generate discussion, and the discussion creates the right environment for training.
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