This Chapter was a bit hit and miss for me. I am a vocational instructor. I have clear goals around teaching the theory of a concept, demonstrating the practical applications, and then having students practice and develop skills to competently do a task. It's a fairly consistent and linear process. There is not a lot of abstract and higher level thinking because of the vocational nature and the level of my students. Frequently, there is a right way and a wrong way and not a lot of philosophical discourse around the theory portion of a lecture.
I heartily agree with the concept of chunking the lectures into smaller, focused periods on specific topics. As an instructor I need to change up the activity and energy level in the room by adding in demonstrations, hands on exercises, role play, and simulation. I need to use video to enhance the verbal presentation. I do try to move around the room because it will change the focus and energy level in various corners. I am fortunate that my class sizes are very small (usually less than ten) so it is easier to transition from instructor focused activities to student focused and active learning activities like working in small groups or practicing with models and simulators.
When it comes to lectures in the vocational classroom, less is more. Get through the theory and move on to the practice.
References
Brookfield, S. D. (2015). The Skillful Teacher: On Technique, Trust, and Responsiveness in the Classroom. John Wiley & Sons.
I heartily agree with the concept of chunking the lectures into smaller, focused periods on specific topics. As an instructor I need to change up the activity and energy level in the room by adding in demonstrations, hands on exercises, role play, and simulation. I need to use video to enhance the verbal presentation. I do try to move around the room because it will change the focus and energy level in various corners. I am fortunate that my class sizes are very small (usually less than ten) so it is easier to transition from instructor focused activities to student focused and active learning activities like working in small groups or practicing with models and simulators.
When it comes to lectures in the vocational classroom, less is more. Get through the theory and move on to the practice.
References
Brookfield, S. D. (2015). The Skillful Teacher: On Technique, Trust, and Responsiveness in the Classroom. John Wiley & Sons.