Pedagogy.

I was wondering to myself today about the limits of my teaching experience, and how I could present information in my tutorial section in a diverse manner.  The prof that I TA for strongly encourages using PowerPoint and having access to the Internet during the sessions.

 However, I have mixed feelings about PowerPoint presentations:

Pros:  1) Clearly presents a large amount of information in an efficient and accessible manner. 2) Provides an overall guide to presentation content for presenter, without using paper and 3) Interactive medium, with quick, easy access to visual aids

Cons: 1) Students fixate on writing entire slide content- neglecting to listen, or write  supplemental notes. Conversely, traditional “lectures” force students to furiously write down while being dictated to.  2) Students use these presentations as “crutches”- referring back to them for answers, not guides for organizing their own ideas, opinions, and critical thinking and3) Students can use these PowerPoints, if published, as leverage- additional  information mentioned in class may not be accounted for, and students could argue that it was not formally presented, etc.

Programs such as this, they are teaching tools, but I don't want it to become my 'crutch'. So, I wanted to throw out some questions regarding pedagogy and communication:

1. What methods or techniques allow you to learn best?

2. Do you prefer a predictable presentation or a diversity of techniques?

To sort of answer my own questions, I generally prefer a well-prepared PowerPoint over a rambling lecture.  I have had too many upper division courses that could have benefited from a basic structured lesson- organizing thoughts, ideas, examples, etc.  I do enjoy having key visual aids and multiple examples. Sometimes, subject content cannot allow that, granted.

For my tutorials, the information is pre-determined by the professor to complement his lectures. I just have to take my own creative inspiration and make a 50 minute discussion period. I try to use a plethora of high-quality images from the Internet, and break up the time into three components- 1) the “boring” stuff- definitions/methods, 2) the more interesting stuff- theory/application, and 3) the marrow- the group discussion.  It worked out fairly well this week.

I generally do not like a significant amount of diversity in environment- I'm fairly predictable in my learning style. I like taking the same comfortable seat by the same students. Oddly, I'm not in favor of slap-dash decisions to lecture outside- I would plan ahead to make notetaking easier, for example.

Please feel free to toss ideas my way concerning teaching, style, presentation, etc. It'd be much appreciated! :D