Closer to home......
My last post included information on a speakers bureau located in southern California. Right here in our back yard is the University of Wisconsin - Fond du Lac Campus speakers bureau.
http://www.fdl.uwc.edu/com_resources/speakers_bureau.html
There are 20 teaching professionals from a wide variety of disciplines - history, literature, religion, philosophy, art, technology, mathematics, music and theater, and 3 from the sciences. The speakers are available for church groups, school groups, civic organizations, and businesses. This is an excellent way to bring a professional speaker into the classroom for a small fee (usually travel expenses and possibly a little extra).
Professional speakers are a great way to supplement the learning in your classroom. Below is a You Tube video of a great speaker named Bob Mcdonald. He's a Canadian author, science journalist, and commentator for CBC (the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation). Since 1992 he's been hosting a weekly science show, Quirks & Quarks. Take a few minutes and watch this video and you'll see how a good speaker can capture your attention and engage you in the topic.
Brad,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing!! I think guest speakers are a great resource for teachers and schools to utilize. For one, a change of scenery once and a while for the students will definitely keep them attentive. Sometimes hearing the same thing from someone else will make information click.
Another great thing that you highlighted is the public speaking ability. Teachers need to be like Bob McDonald. He added humor to his presentation and talked crisply. He moved around, offered gestures and I was engaged with what he had to say.
Many scientists (and other experts) are very willing to join a class...they just need to be asked! If there is a distance involved, simple conferencing solutions like Skype work great for bringing in an expert.
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