Do I Dare Disturb the Universe?

I’ve found a good theme recently so I’m going to stick with it. I came across this great blog post by “Speaker Sue” in which she points out what Blue Man Group can teach us about - you guessed it! - presentations!

Imagine your classroom (or your next professional development, or your next parent group meeting…) if you had a killer slide deck and you incorporated some of what Sue suggests:

• Get your audience involved bing, bang, bing. Everyone made a head band out of the paper they passed around before the show. No one balked. Some got really creative. We all got involved and the positive energy - read: party - started. They pre-sold fun!
• Design your presentation so that even your least interesting material is still compelling and fun.
• Start and end with a bang. Drums are good though other options exist.
• Be unique. Playing the drums is pleasant. Playing the drums while dressed in blue paint, with vibrantly colored water sloshing with every beat, is fun, funny and unique.

I’m not suggesting that every presentation you give needs to be a “party,” but I think sometimes as teachers we sell ourselves short in terms of how important the human aspect is when communicating with students. I mean let’s face it, if rote memorization was the goal we could all very easily be out of work. The textbook (or the overhead, or the slide deck) brings the content, but it’s the teacher who brings the passion.

Sue’s post really underscores the point that it’s not about the technology.

[via Patrick Rhone]