Tweaking Through Reflection

I have been teaching a fairly 'unchanging' session for about a year now for my digital imaging classes. They have always seemed to work pretty well - I can see for certain that students have learnt, and that they are applying new techniques and outlooks to their photography. I also know that students enjoy the course from the feedback they have given me, and by their general communication with me throughout the sessions.

However, after being observed (not assessed!) by Russell last week, I've been having a bit of a re-think. Although my sessions work, I'm 100% positive that they can be improved. I will be working on session one in the near future, using Russell's observations, but as I have session two tomorrow I will be tweaking that now.

Russell's report is at the bottom of this blog. His main points for me to work on are as follows:

• Dan's speech could be a little slower at points in the presentation, this speed seems brought on by a silence from the students at points where he pauses. I think this could be helped by asking them questions at these ‘points of silence’.
  

A simple but very valid point. Tomorrow I will consciously speak more slowly. Sometimes I feel pressured to carry on the session after asking a question with the worry that no-one will actually offer up an answer. A bit of self-confidence should enable to pause for any length of time until a student offers an answer!

• At one point Dan is introducing his website and says “ you might not be interested but...” whilst showing its different sections. This was definitely not justified as his work is interesting and the students were clearly glad to see the work, on the same note it would have been good to see individual images for a little longer. Dan could possibly have picked one from each section before hand and lingered on it longer.
  

This is only really relevant for week one, but is duly noted.

• A little longer pause after questions would be good, if a pause isnt long enough, some questions can seem rhetorical and therefore not provoke a response.
  

This was addressed in my first point. 

• I think the presentation worked best when slides were referred to rather than images which were not present, Dan has spent time putting together a bold and interesting slideshow of images. I don’t see a need to deviate from it.
  

Another very true observation - sometimes I will think of another example on the spot and talk about it, or try to describe it, when I actually have a perfectly good example on the projector! I will thoroughly go through the images in my slideshow and make sure that I am happy and confident that they are the best examples to use in my presentations. 

• When making statements such as “maybe you like this, maybe you hate it” I think it could be put to the students.
  

Yes....I do do this...it not only sounds a bit pessimistic and sometimes nonchalant about the subject, but it could also be used as a great way of getting students involved, and getting their feedback on photos, quite possibly starting a discussion within the entire group of 12.

• Multimedia and ICT is limited in many ways and restrictive of time, but if possible, a slideshow of the photographs the students take during the activity time could be a great closing focal point where all students could see each others work.
  

This point is actually addressed in my previous post. 

To sum up, I will be assessing all of my current slides, trying to find spots for more questions and opportunities for discussion, making sure I stick to my plan, leaving enough pauses where necessary, and S P E A K I N G   M O R E   S L O W L Y . . .

After it's tweaks I shall post up the PowerPoint. 

Here's Russell's full report (to see full size click on 'view on Slideshare' at the bottom right, and then 'full screen when a new window opens):

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