This document provides an agenda and overview for a conference session on training staff to effectively connect with audiences. The session will cover how to teach audience connection, planning lessons, communication techniques, addressing different learning styles, and assessing learning. The goal is to help staff make a relevant connection and engage audiences to support conservation efforts. Effective communication, positive teaching methods, and incorporating different learning styles can help audiences develop awareness, knowledge, and a desire to take action to protect natural resources.
1. TRAINING YOUR STAFF TO
REACH THEIR AUDIENCE:
MAKING A RELEVANT CONNECTION
CONFERENCE SESSION
FOR
APPL 2012
Margie Klein
NDOW Conservation Educator
Certified Environmental Educator & Interpreter
Licensed Nevada Teacher
Member, Nevada Storytelling Guild
Winner of the 2011 Conservation Education Award from The Wildlife Society
2. Program description
“Making that all-important connection to the audience is
the goal that every education and interpretation staff or
volunteer strives for. But how do you make a deeper
connection and why do you need to? The information
and instruction we give at our public lands can affect
people’s lifelong attitudes. Reach your public lands
visitors in a relevant way by utilizing some methods from
environmental education, as well as some tips from formal
educators.”
3. Agenda
– Connection – what is it and why do we want it?
– How do we teach audience connection?
– Training/teaching techniques
• Planning
• Communication
• Delivery Methods
– Who is our audience and how do we address them?
• Learning Styles
– Classroom Management
– Tips to make it better
– Assessment
– Along the way…
• Examples
_____________________________________
How do we relate audience connection to our staff?
Through our training techniques.
4. “In the end, we will conserve only what we
love;
we will love only what we understand;
and we will understand only what we have
been taught.”
- Baba Dioum
5. Tilden’s Ideas…
• “Chief aim of interpretation is not
instruction, but provocation.” (4th principle)
• Provocation new information try new
things critical thinking changing
attitudes/behaviors
• Provocation prompts a response
• Provocation via connection
7. Connection – What?
• Getting the audience to develop an
awareness of or sensitivity to their
surroundings
• Our audiences need to be made
aware of the resources we preserve /
conserve.
Environmental Ed precept #1: Awareness
8. Connection –
Relevance to Whom?
• How does it affect them?
• Give information about where
the resource came from or how
it works.
• So they can convey the
significance of our
resources.
Environmental Ed precept #2: Knowledge
9. Connection – How?
• Techniques
• Give them the skills to find out
more on their own
• By relating information, they can
help their audiences find out
more and continue their
interest.
Environmental Ed precept #3: Skills
10. Connection – Why?
• To get others to take action to
protect our lands, if they so desire
Environmental Ed precept #4: Action
11. E D U C A T I O N
origin of the word…
educare (Latin)
“to bring forth from within”
Teaching is helping
another person to learn
new knowledge, skills,
and attitudes.
12. Teaching Techniques
• How to Communicate Effectively
• How to Develop a Positive Classroom
Style
• How to Create an Exciting Classroom
• How Students Learn
• How to Teach Effectively
• How to Manage the Classroom
• How to Use Assessment
13. Getting Started
• Preparations
– Necessary for any expedition
– Necessary for any worthwhile endeavor
• Need to consider:
– Date & time
– Logistics (the site)
– Materials needed
– Followup
14. Materials / Supplies
Teacher’s Kit
The Lessons
Displays
Props
Handouts
Posters
Presentation / electronic media
Student supplies
Giveaways / throwaways
Exams & score sheets
Certificates or cards of completion
Emergency number
…Snacks?
15. Planning the lesson(s)
• Start with a topic
• Do research / get background info
• Make an outline / agenda
– What are the elements you need?
• Introduction, Supporting Evidence &
Recommendations, Conclusion
• Create a presentation
• Write out a script
• Gather materials
• Rehearse
16. Planning the lesson(s)
Lesson planning model:
Warm-up
Introduction
Presentation
Practice
Evaluation
Application
17. Gathering & organizing ideas
• Identify the topic
• Brainstorm the topic
• Assemble related materials
• Separate main and supporting
ideas
• Develop examples
• Organize the lesson
18. It’s All About Communication
“What we've got here is failure to
communicate.”
Captain, Road Prison 36
Cool Hand Luke
19. 7 Keys to Effective
Communication
• Have confidence
• Show genuine interest
• Organize & clarify your ideas
• Be clear about your purpose
• Stay on topic
• Use a questioning strategy
• Listen twice, speak once
20. Start the minute they arrive
• Welcome each individual
• Smile, handshake, enthusiasm
• Make a connection
• Show interest
• Focus on them
• Get their name
21. The personal connection
• Who are you?
– Let your students get to know a little
about you.
• Keep the conversation limited
– Give them a story they can relate to
• Not storytelling hour
– Not the place for tall tales or fish stories
– Or your life story
• Remember to ask them about
themselves
22. Listen
• Remember, we have two ears, one
mouth
• Give them a chance to ask questions
– No such thing as a stupid question
– Repeat their question so all can hear
– Ask others for their input
23. Clear & correct ideas
• Make sure you know your ideas ahead of
time
• Stay on topic
• Guide any discussions
• Gently correct misconceptions
• State facts
• If you don’t know the answer, tell them
• Don’t make things up
• Be “in” the moment
24. The “parking lot”
• In-depth discussions can take
place outside of the classroom
26. Positive vs. negative styles
Positive Negative
Welcoming Cold
Friendly Doesn’t listen to others
Interested Arrogant
Patronizing
Genuine
Unsure
Confident
27. Verbal communication
The way you speak
Tips:
Think before you speak
Choose neutral and understandable language
Vary the tone of your voice
Restate questions
Allow student feedback
28. Nonverbal communication
The way you act
Tips:
Eye contact
Smile
Open gestures
Be relaxed but confident
Move around the classroom
29. Use 7 principles of instruction
• Encourage student – instructor
interaction
• Encourage cooperation
• Encourage active learning
• Give prompt feedback
• Emphasize time on task
• Communicate high expectations
• Respect different learning styles
30. Being fair and objective
• Leave your personal opinions at home
• A teacher is a facilitator of learning
• Not the place for war stories, brags, or
sermons
40. Learning Styles
Learning styles are the means by which
learners extract information from their
surroundings through the use of their five
senses.
How will they learn what you have to teach?
42. 4 main learning styles: VAKT
• Visual: “I can see it.”
Academic
• Auditory: “I can hear
it.”
• Kinesthetic: “I am
doing it.” Practical
• Tactile: “I am
touching it.”
43. Techniques for the 4 styles
• Visual
– Note-taking
– Presentations
– Body language
44. Techniques for the 4 styles
• Auditory
– Lectures
– Discussions
– Speakers
– Speaking methods
• tone of voice
• repetition
• questioning
45. Techniques for the 4 styles
• Kinesthetic
– Hands-on
– Moving
– Sharing
– Volunteer for
participation
46. Techniques for the 4 styles
• Tactile
– Handling items
– Interacting with objects
– Taking things apart
47. Each student or every student?
• Include some of each in
every class:
– Reading materials
– Lecture
– Displays
– Videos
– Discussions
– Hands-on
demonstrations
Use a combo of techniques to
cover all learning styles – Practice sessions
48. Teaching Techniques
& Strategies
Direct instruction Guided Instruction
- Grab their attention -Discussion sessions
- Tell them what they need to -Case studies
know
-Learning centers
- Model concepts & skills
- Check understanding -Simulations
- Tie things together -Practical applications
- Apply new knowledge
50. Focus
• Follow agenda & goals
• Stay on topic
• Guide discussions
• Keep pace
• Control distractions
“Tell them what they need to know,
tell them again,
then ask them what you told them.”
51. Pacing
• Check the time
• Check the agenda
• Try to keep on schedule
• Wrap up or add a discussion to speed
up or slow down
• Flexibility ok – address goals
54. Teachable moments
• Take advantage of spontaneous
occurrences
– Something unexpected
• May illustrate a concept
• Gets students to think
• Adds to understanding
– The AHA moment
• They GET it
56. What can you do?
• Set up the classroom so you can
see what’s going on
• Tell students what they’ll be
doing ahead of time
• Move around the class to check
student interactions
• Have rules for movement in and
out of the classroom and for
behavior
• Stick to the rules
• Monitor results and adapt
techniques
57. Assessment
• Who / What • When / How
– The students – Before class
– The course – At the beginning of
– The instructors class
– During class
– At the end of class
– After class
Assessment = Evaluation
58. Have they acquired
the following?
• Awareness
• Knowledge
• Skills
• Ability to take action
A combination of
techniques assesses all
of these.
59. Pre-test / Post-test
How much do you know about
the subject before the class?
How much have you
learned from the class?
A survey of knowledge
60. Question & Quiz
as you go along
Tell them, tell them again,
then ask them what you
told them.
Checking comprehension
61. Practical experience
“Tell me and I'll forget; show me and I
may remember; involve me and I'll
understand.”
Chinese proverb
Help me to do it.
Checking application of
knowledge to skills
62. Evaluation
• Let your students tell you:
– How was the site?
– How was the overall atmosphere?
– How did the teaching techniques work?
– Were the props / handouts useful?
– Did they learn what they expected to learn?
– Did they learn something new?
63. Retrofit
• Instructors review:
– Logistics
• Classroom set-up
• A/V materials
– Content
• What went well
• What didn’t work
• Student comprehension
– Classroom management problems
– Communication
MAKE CHANGES
64. Final thoughts…
• Pump up the Connection
– Teaching Tips
– Storytelling Secrets
– Polishing the Performance