Original Post: January 09
As I am preparing for upcoming conferences, and viewing conferences that are being shared on the internet.....I am wondering how effective are presentations.
Is it better to saturate?
Meaning:
Throw out over 20 tools in 60 minutes and hope one or two stick.
Is it better to cultivate?
Meaning:
Stick with one tool but show a variety of ways it can be used with your curriculum.
As I look through the sessions I have and will be presenting, my preferences lean more towards cultivating rather than saturating.
I can see how both are necessary.......but I am still in wonderment over saturation. If the audience becomes overwhelmed, do they tune out, and perhaps in that tune out........do they perhaps miss the best possibilities. Or, do they perhaps see one and want to see that more!
For instance, I just sat through a session (via ustream) that over 15 ideas were shared. (honest, if you blinked, you missed one). At the end of the session -- 15 people came up to the speaker to have him RESHARE one of the tools he had whizzed by. All of them were interested in that one tool.
It was good to see that the speaker did take the time to go over the tool slowly and shared it again and took time to answer the questions. But often that opportunity is not always an option. Often times, the next presenter is there ready to set up.
So I am wondering a few things:
1. If 15+ people really were interested in ONE tool......is that enough to possible create a session to cultivate that in such a way that teachers can see ways to use it within their curriculum besides just being an "OHWOW!" Even though these teachers came up to learn it again -- will it really ever be used with the classroom? Just wondering.
2. If no one asked about the other 14 tools, is it because they are already being used or the value or the possibilities of the tool were not shown and if so -- could they be eliminated from the conversation??
I guess I really want to see us cultivating more and sharing, helping, reinforcing, examining, evaluating, using, refining, etc tools more -- rather than just flinging 15 or more so out to hope one sticks. And really sitting down and saying "lets get past the "ohhh factor" and get into how this will be effective within your classroom.
In no way am I saying that throwing out tons of ideas is a horrible idea and I know our desire (when presenting) is really to make the most of the time we have.
I am just wondering where we go after those ideas are thrown out there.
Hmmm - just thinking out loud.
Jen
As I am preparing for upcoming conferences, and viewing conferences that are being shared on the internet.....I am wondering how effective are presentations.
Is it better to saturate?
Meaning:
Throw out over 20 tools in 60 minutes and hope one or two stick.
Is it better to cultivate?
Meaning:
Stick with one tool but show a variety of ways it can be used with your curriculum.
As I look through the sessions I have and will be presenting, my preferences lean more towards cultivating rather than saturating.
I can see how both are necessary.......but I am still in wonderment over saturation. If the audience becomes overwhelmed, do they tune out, and perhaps in that tune out........do they perhaps miss the best possibilities. Or, do they perhaps see one and want to see that more!
For instance, I just sat through a session (via ustream) that over 15 ideas were shared. (honest, if you blinked, you missed one). At the end of the session -- 15 people came up to the speaker to have him RESHARE one of the tools he had whizzed by. All of them were interested in that one tool.
It was good to see that the speaker did take the time to go over the tool slowly and shared it again and took time to answer the questions. But often that opportunity is not always an option. Often times, the next presenter is there ready to set up.
So I am wondering a few things:
1. If 15+ people really were interested in ONE tool......is that enough to possible create a session to cultivate that in such a way that teachers can see ways to use it within their curriculum besides just being an "OHWOW!" Even though these teachers came up to learn it again -- will it really ever be used with the classroom? Just wondering.
2. If no one asked about the other 14 tools, is it because they are already being used or the value or the possibilities of the tool were not shown and if so -- could they be eliminated from the conversation??
I guess I really want to see us cultivating more and sharing, helping, reinforcing, examining, evaluating, using, refining, etc tools more -- rather than just flinging 15 or more so out to hope one sticks. And really sitting down and saying "lets get past the "ohhh factor" and get into how this will be effective within your classroom.
In no way am I saying that throwing out tons of ideas is a horrible idea and I know our desire (when presenting) is really to make the most of the time we have.
I am just wondering where we go after those ideas are thrown out there.
Hmmm - just thinking out loud.
Jen