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

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

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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