Based on a New York Times article posted April 26, 2010, the use of PowerPoint to deliver complicated presentations is embedded into the military culture. Junior officers spend so much time preparing PowerPoint presentations that they are often called PowerPoint Rangers.

Many military leaders are starting to push back on the concept of delivering complex military information PowerPoint-style. Brig. Gen. H. R. McMaster, actually banned PowerPoint presentations when he led the successful effort to secure the northern Iraqi city of Tal Afar in 2005. McMaster was recently quoted saying “It’s dangerous because it can create the illusion of understanding and the illusion of control.”

Just like in the military, automotive educators need to be careful about trying to deliver complex automotive information via PowerPoint.

Click here, to view the full NY Times article.

You can get additional information and pricing on this video course at this link and an introduction to the course is provided below.

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While the core principles and skill sets of teaching have not changed, the world has. All educators need to be keenly aware of advancements in technology and the changes this places on the  culture.

The Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) and the Pearson Foundation produced a neat video entitled “Learning to Change, Changing to Learn” that takes a look at the changes going on within education and the class room.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Mobility 2088 - Part of Honda's Power the Dream Series

Honda produced a neat documentary where the question was, “What will transportation look like in 80 years? This film is part of their “Dream the Impossible” documentary series. No doubt that digital technology will be a major player.

Honda’s “Dream the Impossible” project is a series of well produced (high dollar) documentaries that are thought provoking. You can view all  the documentaries in the highest available quality at this link.

Dream The Impossible
Documentary Series

Honda is a company founded by a dreamer. And we are a company that believes in the Power of Dreams.

Honda has a rich history of making impossible dreams come to fruition. And because the lessons of the past help guide our future, there is a simple humanity found in even our most complex products.

We wanted to document our advancement as a company through film to give you a better understanding of the people behind our products. Please join us as we uncover Honda through the candid approach of the documentary film process.

View “Mobility 2088″ in the highest quality from Honda’s site

Click here to view the embedded video.

Is Lecturing Obsolete?

Lecturing in a Medieval University by Laurentius De Voltolina (14th Century)

Prior to the printing press, books were hand written and extremely expensive. This meant only the rich (or a university) could afford to own a book. Lectures were given so the books would be read in public so others would have access to the content. There was just no other way to push content to a larger group. In the image to the left, an artist depicted a typical lecture being held in a medieval university around 1350 AD. Looks like a dude on the third row has fallen asleep and they are talking in the back left corner. I guess some things never change in the classroom. Lecturing was the main way that content was pushed to the masses until 1439 when a German goldsmith named Johannes Gutenberg invented the first mechanical system for printing books. The result of the printing press was printed content that was affordable by virtually the entire population. So, why are we still lecturing? If you are standing in front of the class and reading the textbook you are using teaching techniques that were pioneered in medieval times.

Instructor Led Training Vs Lecturing

Hopefully we are all beyond reading from a book and medieval-style lecturing. I like to think of it as “Intructor Led” which includes a wide range of teaching techniques and content delivery systems used by an instructor to deliver a blended learning environment for the students. Then the question still lingers, could well prepared digital content effectively replace an instructor-led class? I think good digital content could beat a bad instructor.

Computer Based Training (CBT)

Kinda like most people remember what they were doing when John F Kennedy was shot, a hard core gear head probably remembers what they were doing on March 15, 1999. GM made a move in automotive training that was the shot heard around the automotive world. Here is an excerpt from the press release:

Raytheon Training, the training arm of Raytheon Systems Co., will take over the design and development of General Motors service training programs and the training of GM dealership technicians on April 1, said Peter Lord, GM executive director of Service Opera-tions. As part of the plan, GM will close 17 of its 23 technician training centers by year-end and turn over the other six to Raytheon, Lord said.

This was the start of a rush towards replacing OEM instructor-led training with CBT training. Almost all OEMs have replaced some of their instructor-led training with CBTs and some manufacturers have pushed almost all academics to CBT and only use the OEM training facility to evaluate the techs performance. Certain types of training (like hybrid with your potential exposure to 500 volts) really lends itself to instructor-led training! I understand that all Toyota’s hybrid training is instuctor-led.

College Level Online C0uorse

The hot topic in post secondary education over the last 5 years, or so, is online classes. In many schools there is a big push from the administration to offer more and more online classes. They generate a lot of enrollment revenue without putting a strain on phsical resources (class rooms. parking lots, etc) So, what are the best parctices for an automotive online course? Can an automotive class be totally replaced by an online course? I don’t think so, but a web enhanced course is the beswt of both worlds. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of online content delivery and then let’s start a conversation about this challenge.

Pros

• Very well prepared online content will beat a standard lecture any day for delivering raw content to a student. Try to explain something as simple as how a clutch engages/disengages using a white board or show them this video from within an online course. Which one do you think they will remember. And don’t forget they can view this video anytime they want as often as they want.
• Content that is now being delivered in the classroom that could more effectively be moved over to online delivery can open up more time for hands-on work during the class period.

Cons

• There is a natural tendency for an instructor to look at online instruction as a way to reduce class time, not as a way to enhance the overall learning process.
• Hands on skills, that are required by NATEF, and need to be performed under supervision cannot be effectively performed off campus; therefore, most “online” classes will actually be web enhanced classes.

In Summary

So, let’s start a conversation about how we can web enhance automotive courses. I would like to be able to produce a document based on this conversation that could be used by automotive educators as a best practices guide.

Non-Interactive Presentations (PowerPoint)

Since 1990 we have sat through many PowerPoint presentations and have likely given many PowerPoint presentations. PowerPoint used properly is still a viable presentation tool, but it can also be lethal, hence the saying “Death by PowerPoint”.

Some of the more common mistakes made in PowerPoint presentations are:

• Too much text information on one slide
• Too many different page transitions and animations used to add objects to a slide.
• The presentation is basically pages of notes to keep the presenter on topic. Why not keep your note in front of you and use the screen for graphics and illustrations?

This biggest drawback of a typical PowerPoint presentation is that it does not naturally include the audience’s input. It takes a talented presenter to keep the audience engaged during typical a PowerPoint presentation.

Interactive Presentations

Turning Point Audience Response Unit

PowerPoint has been given a reprieve with the new add-ons that make it an interactive presentation tool. Two of the more popular products are Quizdom and TurningPoint.

We use TurningPoint at GTC,C where I teach; however, I have had a chance to use both in the past and my nod goes to TurningPoint.

TurningPoint is a true PowerPoint add-on. When you install TurningPoint it puts a tool bar at the top of your PowerPoint application. You then add interactivity to your existing PowerPoint slides by simply clicking on the TurningPoint tools in the tool bar.  You can add all types of questions and polls directly to any slide and the audience interacts with these slides with their response unit (like show in the image).

This system is relatively inexpensive to deploy since the software and USB receiver (also shown in the image) used on the instructor’s computer costs about $200. While you can buy enough response units for all the students, there is a clever “book store” program. You can have the book store sell these units directly to the students. They are not particularly expensive (approximately $25) and then you don’t have to give out the units and take them back up in every class. This also means you don’t have to find the funds in the department’s budget to buy the response units.

By making a presentation interactive, the students will pay closer attention to the presentation. Consider this scenario. You state in the course syllabus that 10% of the final grade comes from an average of all presentation embedded questions. If they are not paying attention and do not know the answers to the questions in the presentations this cuts into their grade. This is all easy to pull off since the software will automatically score all answers and place all presentation results into a grade book program.

Annotated Handout

Example of an Annotated PDF Doc

This is a technique I often use, especially if I hand out supplemental information that I want to go over in class.

I will take the handout material and convert it to a PDF document. I then use the Acrobat PDF program (not the free PDF Reader) and annotate the key points. While Acrobat offers a full suite of annotation tools, I like to use the highlight annotation tool. This tool make it looks like you highlighted the test using a regular yellow highlighter.

The students know the highlighted information that I have highlighted is key information that I expect them to know and they will likely see it on a test one day. Most of them bring a highlighter to class and mark up their copy of the handout to match my annotation. This is a sneaky way to keep them engaged in the presentation. They also can make any additional notes right in the margins of the paper.

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In Summary

What are you using to make your presentations interactive? Post your comments to this page and lets start a converastion about this, so we can all learn how to be a better teacher.

Keeping the Alligators at Bay – Some Survival Tips

No matter what they say, no one can teach you HOW to teach. They can instruct you on lesson planning, classroom management and course management, but every teacher is going to develop an individual style that works for them. That style will be a composite of life experiences, personality, emotions and that certain personal agenda that drew them to teaching as a career. That style will be continually changed and refined over time, but will always have some constants that form a foundation upon which to build a successful teaching career.

These are some personal observations that formed part of my “teaching style”. These may or may not work for others – but I think they are important enough to share.

The First 25 Years Are the Toughest

The first time you teach a course, it is new and fresh and exciting. If you did an adequate job of preparing at this point you will have a solid foundation on which to build your program. The second time, you will probably discover a number of things that should be changed or refined, or perhaps even eliminated. This is a time when you might feel that maybe you shortchanged that first class a little. Don’t dwell on that – if you did a job you were satisfied with, rest assured that the students have benefited from it more than you may realize. The third time, you’re on a roll – and a little occasional fine tuning is all that will be needed.

Redneck Rampage

Every once in a while, you’re going to run across that individual in the classroom that is going to want to challenge you. There will be a strong temptation to use a quick put-down to try and end that situation. The moment you do that, everyone loses. You will have definitely lost the student, but more importantly, you will have lost the respect of the other students who will now be apprehensive about being the next target. The solution? Take the individual aside at that very point (just outside the classroom door is good enough) and have a short heart to heart talk with them about the disruption. The main reason for that disruption was probably attention seeking on their part – and you have satisfied that need without losing face. That student will probably end up being one of your best advocates in future situations, and you will have gained the respect of the others.

I Don’t Get No Respect!

I’ve never heard of a teacher who didn’t want to be “liked” by their students. I have seen teachers who go out of their way to try and achieve that, and eventually discover that what they have done is create a short term solution and a long term problem. The key is to have students RESPECT you. If you do that, you will find that you have formed an important bond that will cause them to see you as an important and persistent factor in their life, and someone they will remember for a lifetime. There are many keys to gaining that respect – and I have touched on some of those in other sections.

First of all, be knowledgeable about your subject material. Always be properly prepared for every class. Sometimes, because of time pressures or personal needs, there will be that temptation to just “wing it”. Some people can be comfortable with that, and if they have had a lot of experience in that particular area, may even be relatively competent at it. On the other hand, it could blow up in your face and you’ll find that “crow” is a very difficult meal to digest.

Second – be fair to your students. There is always a temptation to treat some students differently from others, particularly if they are brighter or more involved in the classroom discussions. Draw those wallflowers out, and get them participating. Not only will that introverted student come to respect you, but the rest of the class will as well because they will see you as a person who cares about them as individuals.

Third – don’t bore the hell out of them. You will find that if you maintain as much eye contact with students as is physically possible, you will be able to immediately sense when you have lost them. At that point, nobody is learning and you’re no longer teaching. To them, you’re probably the Miss Peach voice from Charlie Brown’s classroom. Stop and reassess. Get a discussion going, or even take a short break to change the topic for a while.

Mistakes? We Don’t Make No Steenkin Mistakes!!

You’re going to screw up. Own it, live with it, and move on!

From time to time, everyone realizes that some of the material they have presented to students is not correct. The easy way out is to forget about it – but when you do that, you have cheated those students and, in the long run, yourself as well. Admit the error to the students, correct it – even discuss it with them if necessary – but NEVER leave them with false or erroneous information.

You’re going to be asked questions that you don’t have the answer for. Admit that you don’t know – don’t make a wild-assed-guess that may leave them with inadequate or incorrect information. Involve the students in discovering the answer – make it a shared adventure. Students will respect the fact that you are willing to admit that you don’t have all the answers – that you are as human as they are.

You Can’t Save All the Puppies

Inevitably, you’re going to come across students with personal problems, be it physical, mental or emotional. Empathize with them, be fair with them, and make some concessions if necessary, but NEVER become emotionally involved in trying to “save” them. It’s not what THEY need and most certainly is not what YOU need. If necessary, refer them to other sources such as counseling or agencies equipped to handle their problems.

Never give them your home number – you’ll be married to their problems for life if you do that. Make sure you have time set aside during the week where your office door will be open to anyone who needs assistance with the course or just needs to talk for a few minutes. Maintaining some professional detachment will be healthier for them, and for you.

You’ll be surprised at how students will respect that detachment, but at the same time realize that you have helped them in some way. If you’ve made a positive impact on their lives you’ll probably hear from them in the future when they’ve got their lives straightened out – and it will be a special moment for both of you.

Those Your Bags Over There?

After a little time and experience, you will begin to realize that you are required to be as much an actor as an educator. There are some days that you’re going to be dragging some physical or emotional baggage along on that drive to work. Leave it at the door. You are going to have to do a terrific acting job to keep from passing those negative feelings on to your students. You’re not going to share your problems with them, and if they sense that there is something wrong, you run the risk of having them think that the problem is them. This is by far one of the most difficult things that a teacher is required to do – and it takes a lot of personal skill to pull it off. Some teachers are unable to cope with these moments, and take personal time off to deal with it. If that is what is needed – then so be it, but keep in mind, with you gone (unless they have the option of canceling a class for that day) some one will be filling in that may not adequately cover the material, creating even more work for you when you return.

It’s an Incredible Journey – Hang on and Enjoy Every Minute!

There is no “perfect teacher”. We all have our strengths and weaknesses and hopefully we can utilize these to become an effective instructor. Teaching is NOT easy – and anyone who says it is can’t teach. The one thing that teaching WILL be – if you are knowledgeable, confident and competent – is a LOT of fun. You will be a large influence in the future lives of your students. Teaching has few intrinsic rewards – but from time to time you’ll come across a former student, or have a former student contact you, or drop in at the school – and they will tell you how you have been an important and meaningful part of their lives. This doesn’t happen often – but it’s like the tip of the iceberg. If you KNOW you’ve touched one person, there are many others who just haven’t mentioned it.

Many years from now, when you have made that decision to retire and move on to something new, you will look back on your teaching career and think – “Man! That was one HELL of a ride!”

Gordon Worobec
Educator/Instructor – Retired
Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada

So, What advice can you give a new automotive teacher? Lets start the conversation and help the incoming teachers to help shorten their learning curve. Post your advice in the comment box below

I surf the TED site from time to time to see if I can round out my cultural side. Most of the presentations are over the top for me and I have only found about 10 that I watched all the way through and felt like I was the better for it. This post is about my favorite presentation from TED.

This presentation is made by Sir Ken Robinson and is entitled “Are Schools Killing Creativity”. The bulk of his presentation was about how schools try to make students conform to a rigid set of rules and if they don’t, then there must be something wrong with them. I like his British humor but the hook for me was a story he told towards the end of the presentation about a girl that would not fit in. When he told the story about the dancer I could not help but think about young “gear heads” that also do not fit. By the time a post secondary educator gets these students a lot of them have been beat up pretty bad by the system.

It really made me think about the traditional education system.  Well, you take a listen and see what you think. Remember you can post comments to this post by simply registering with the site.