April 21, 2016
Ethics Discussion Groups
1. Divide the class into groups of three (I choose the group members).
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April 21, 2016
Muscle Memory – Teaching the Presentation
To teach the poster presentation assignment, I create a poster from the rubric that I will use to grade them. In class, I then present the poster and lead a discussion on the elements of a powerful presentation. The students have already worked on their posters–the media and the message–so I spend a lot of time on the messenger portion. Some students don’t really know what to do with their bodies or voices while presenting. I help them practice right there in class: everyone stands up and practices a strong stance (planting their feet, not shifting weight too much), natural hand gestures, orienting toward the audience, appropriate smiles, etc.
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October 23, 2015
Practice in Evaluating Proposals
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October 23, 2015
Elevator Pitch
After students have selected a topic for their technical report but before they write the proposal memo, introduce the proposal assignment with an elevator pitch. Students imagine that they have 1-2 minutes to persuade their target audience to approve their research topic. The objective of this activity is to create a concise argument. My students work on the report in teams, so this is a team activity. However, it could be adapted easily for individual students; it would just take more time in class.
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August 18, 2014
Common Language & Discourse Community
Before the development of a common medical language, every country, region, city, and doctor would have different terms for body parts and diseases. Observation was a primary method of gathering evidence; however, the scientific community had much difficulty sharing knowledge. And we, as (developing) members of a modern scientific discourse community, have a difficult time understanding the 1860s medical discourse community–our modern values, concepts, culture, traditions, style of communication, and level of scientific understanding all get in the way. As Nuland writes in The Doctors’ Plague: Germs, Childbed Fever, and the Strange Story of Ignac Semmelweis, a course textbook,
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August 18, 2014
Blind Faith
1) Ask for a volunteer. This volunteer will be further referred to in the class meeting as “The Most Motivated Employee in the Company.”
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August 18, 2014
Pillars of Apology
First week of class, this is an icebreaker and community building activity.
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August 18, 2014
Say What? Design and Delivery with PowerPoint
This activity is designed for any class in which students are giving an oral presentation using a delivery aid like PowerPoint. Not only will it help build clear content for visual design, but also will ensure more comfort in delivery. It is essential that each student participate in the sample activity to build comprehension and build the class community.
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August 18, 2014
PowerPoint Prep
This is a classroom-based activity. I usually use this activity before students present in class. This is activity is a good way of helping students to see the problems many presenters must face, but in a tone that lets the students see the problems as comical. The nature of this activity creates a very light and friendly atmosphere in the classroom.
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