Teaching

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Teaching

• Art or Science ?

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Objectives

• Discuss different ways to convey ideas.
• Understand how people learn.
• Explore learning methods.
• Discuss various teaching techniques.
• Teaching technique exercise
• Understand how to prepare for the class.
• Discuss tips for teaching outdoors.
• Review some tips for better teaching.

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Different Ways to Convey Ideas

• Training Getting your audience to exhibit a
  certain behavior and implies rote and drill to
  achieve the desired results.
• Teaching Giving your audience knowledge that
  directs them toward a desired behavior because
  they understand its importance.
• Educating Bringing out the latent abilities by
  motivating students to develop their own
  decision-making capabilities. Well educated
  students apply knowledge through developing
  judgment.

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How People Learn

• The Spoken Word About 15 of the spoken message
  received is a result of the meaning of the words
  used. The other 85 is the result of other
  stimuli like voice tone, volume, body language,
  and perspective.
• The Strongest Senses If we can incorporate our
  strongest senses into how we learn, we can
  improve the message transmission. Seeing is our
  strongest sense and 75 of people learn best
  visually and 13 of people learn through
  hearing.

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How People Learn

• Most people favor one sense as a preferred
  learning style.
• We learn best by coordinating the use of all our
  senses seeing, hearing, and doing.
• We develop higher retention through active
  participation rather then sitting, listening, or
  watching.

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Learning Methods

• Learning Method Retention Learning Style
• Reading 10 Verbal (Passive)
• Hearing Words 20 Verbal (Passive)
• Seeing Pictures 30 Visual (Passive)
• Watching a Movie 50 Visual (Passive)
• Seeing Demonstration 50 Visual (Passive)
• Active Discussion 70 Participating (Active)
• Giving a Talk 70 Participating (Active)
• Dramatic Presentation 90 Participating
  (Active)
• Simulations 90 Participating (Active)
• Doing It 90 Participating (Active)

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Teaching Techniques

• Lectures
• Demonstrations
• Activities
• Inquiry
• Teachable Moments
• Storytelling, Skits, Role Playing
• Learning Stations
• Debate
• Dilemma Situations
• Discussions

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Teaching Techniques Applied

• Now as we review a variety of teaching
  techniques, at the end of each technique we will
  discuss which LNT principle or what part of the
  LNT message would/could be best delivered using
  that technique.

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Lectures

• Most efficient means of getting information
  across.
• Presenter has a pre-developed topic/lesson plan.
• Material is read and expanded upon by the
  presenter.
• Primary learning method is hearing/passive.
• Can use visual aids to support the presentation.

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Demonstrations

• Demonstrations create a lasting image of the main
  lesson points.
• Are most effective with audience participation.
• Generally formatted as a watch then do type
  of presentation.
• Requires proper setting and equipment or props.
• Primary learning method is visual/passive with
  the watching followed by participative/active
  in the doing.

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Activities

• Activities are most effective for a variety of
  outdoor skills.
• Includes games, scenarios, and skill practice.
• Presenter follows a well thought out progression
  of information.
• Presenter designs topics to generate questions
  from the audience.
• Presenter needs to allow dead space for
  audience to think about the topic.
• Presenter needs to include a wrap-up/review
  session at the end.
• Primary learning method is participating/active.

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Inquiry

• A method that allows students to use information
  received to form their own conclusions.
• Requires audience with some knowledge of the
  subject matter.
• Usually a series of questions intended to
  stimulate independent thinking.
• Often referred to as guided discussions.
• Students learn from presenter as well as each
  other.
• Primary learning method is participative/active.

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Teachable Moments

• Results from an unplanned opportunity.
• Usually are numerous in outdoor education.
• Educator needs to anticipate these opportunities
  in advance and have some idea of the information
  needed to be communicated.
• Primary learning method may be either active or
  passive depending on the circumstances.

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Role Playing, Skits, Stories

• Important that the goals and objectives stand out
  so as not to be lost in the fun or uniqueness of
  this teaching method.
• Works with a variety of skill and knowledge
  levels.
• Can be used as a part of a larger lesson plan.
• Primary learning method is participative/active.

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Learning Stations

• A very effective way to teach a number of
  different skills.
• Very efficient for large groups.
• Can be designed to fit a variety of
  circumstances.
• Requires students to rotate to each station.
• Stations can utilize hands-on activities,
  demonstrations, mini lectures, displays, and
  browsing.
• Need to employ both active and passive learning
  methods.

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Debate

• Provides the opportunity to discuss controversial
  issues/subjects.
• Presenter acts as a facilitator and a resource.
• Students need to be well versed in the subject
  matter and/or given time to prepare in advance.
• Adds perspective.
• Primary learning method is active/participative.

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Dilemma Situations

• Are scenario based, usually around an ethical
  problem.
• Requires an experienced instructor.
• Usually are most effective if there is more then
  one right answer.
• Students learn by discussion, reasoning,
  defending their choices, and views of others.
• Primary learning method is active/participative.

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Discussions

• Rely on group participation and interaction to
  explore ideas and issues.
• Can be free form, structured, or guided the
  presenter decides which format is best for
  meeting the objectives.
• Presenter may need to act as facilitator or
  mediator.
• Works best with lead time for students to prepare
  in advance.
• Primary learning method is active/participative.

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Other Teaching Strategies

• Team Teaching employs 2 or more teachers
  working together on the same lesson, each
  presenting different segments or components.
• Peer Teaching utilizes the students to teach
  each other.
• Guest Speakers provides a different perspective
  for both students and teacher. Can be an outside
  expert. Needs to have clearly defined objectives
  and expectations from the teacher to be
  successful.

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Teaching Methods Exercise

• You are assigned a group to develop a teaching
  assignment for. The target group will vary in
  age, size, experience level, and previous
  knowledge of the subject matter. Based upon your
  target group select the most appropriate teaching
  method to utilize in developing a presentation on
  LNT.

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Teaching Techniques Exercise continued

• Group Age
• Little kids age 6-8
• Young kids age 8-12
• Kids age 12-14
• Youth age 14- 16
• Young adults age 16-18
• Adults over age 18

• Group Size
• Small group less then 10
• Medium group 10-15
• Large group over 15

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Teaching Techniques Exercise continued

• Experience Level
• Day use only
• Some overnight
• Urban parks only
• Car camping
• Backpacking

• Previous Knowledge
• No LNT knowledge
• Some exposure
• Good familiarity with LNT
• Well versed/Trainer level

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Preparing for the Class

• There are several steps to preparing for the
  class
• Organizing the material,
• Preparing a lesson plan,
• Sizing up the audience.
• Selecting the appropriate teach technique for the
  material and the audience,
• Site preparation either classroom or outdoors.
• Now lets examine some of these steps.

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Organizing the Materials

• Look for recurrent themes and natural transitions
  between sections or topics.
• Utilize the lesson plan to formalize and organize
  these ideas.
• Develop training aids drawings, posters, maps,
  props, videos, slide shows, etc.

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Preparing a Lesson Plan

• Parts of a Lesson Plan
• The goal or desired outcome. For example
  Master Educators will recognize the need to teach
  LNT skills to as many trainers and BSA units as
  possible.
• Objectives define specifically what you expect
  the students to be able to do/perform after the
  class. Objectives need to be measurable and have
  observable outcomes.

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Parts of a Lesson Plan continued

• Example Objective After participating in a
  mound fire building activity each student will be
  able to build, explain, and demonstrate proper
  mound fire technique.
• Lesson Introduction. Allows the presenter time
  to meet, greet, and trade basic information about
  each other and evaluate/size-up the audience.
  Needs to include an overview of what you intend
  to present.

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Parts of a Lesson Plan continued

1. Motivator a means to move from the intro into
   the actual lesson plan. Motivators can be in the
   form of stories, analogy, quotes/readings or any
   other method aimed at capturing the audiences
   attention.
2. Body of the Lesson describes the main content
   for the lesson in an organized progression.
3. Conclusion Is the Take Home Message.
   Presenter summarizes key points.
4. Evaluation Is needed to determine whether or
   not the students have met the objectives of the
   class.

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Preparing the Class Setting

• Prepare the classroom setting ahead of time if
  indoors. This includes arranging tables and
  chairs, display areas, AV equipment, lighting,
  ventilation, know where the bathrooms and break
  facilities are, and have student materials ready.
• If an outdoor setting, plan ahead for proper site
  selection, durability, size, etc.

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Outdoor Teaching Tips

• Noise avoid teaching next to streams, rivers,
  or windy places.
• Comfort plan for student comfort shade if its
  sunny, sun if its chilly, and dont have
  students face into the sun.
• Durable class setting avoid fragile sites,
  utilize existing campsites, rocks, stumps, downed
  logs for seating. Naturalize the area after the
  session.

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Tips for Better Teaching

• Rehearse your Lesson Plan Practice makes
  perfect. Improves delivery, smoothes out the
  presentation and provides confidence.
• Delivery Utilize all the components for a
  successful delivery. The Components are
• Voice use your natural voice but use
  varied inflections to keep things interesting.
• Volume and Projection Projection is
  generally necessary, but even more so in an
  outdoor setting. Use your audience for clues.
  Vary the volume for emphasis either loud or
  soft.

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Tips for Better Teaching continued

• Tone Use a friendly, relaxed tone to ease
  the audience.
• Interact with Audience This is a key element to
  a successful presentation. Utilize these
  components to improve interaction
• Eye Contact this is essential to
  establishing a relationship with students. Avoid
  staring or singling out a few students. Make a
  conscious effort to look at each and every
  participant.
• Asking questions another good way to
  interact with audience as well as evaluating the
  success of the delivery.

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Tips for Better Teaching continued

• Movement movement by the instructor helps
  heighten audience focus, awareness, and
  engagement. Dont stay in one place and dont
  pace move towards audience or side to side.
• Body Language Be cognizant of your posture,
  hand gestures, mannerisms, and expressions. Be
  aware of cultural differences if teaching a group
  from a variety of cultural backgrounds.