Speaking in Education Courses

In education courses (including subfields such as curriculum and instruction, physical education, secondary and elementary education, and educational administration), the most common speaking assignments focus on teaching and related instructional tasks, such as giving a lecture or demonstrating an activity. In a mathematics education course, you may prepare a mini-lecture on a particular geometric theorem. In a learning-styles course, you may tailor an activity to a variety of different learners.

Delivering a Lecture

A lecture is an informational speech for an audience of student learners. Standard lectures range from thirty minutes to one hour in length; a mini-lecture presentation, designed to give students an opportunity to synthesize information in a shorter form, generally lasts about fifteen to twenty minutes. Typically, lectures include the following:

  1. Clear introduction of the topic (see Chapter 14)
  2. Statement of the central idea of the lecture
  3. Statement of the connection to previous topics covered
  4. Discussion of the main points
  5. Summary of the lecture and preview of the next assigned topic
  6. Question-and-answer period

Facilitating a Group Activity

In the group activity presentation, the speaker describes an activity to be completed following a lecture. Typically this short presentation includes the following:

  1. A brief review of the main idea of the lecture
  2. An explanation of the goal of the activity
  3. Directions on carrying out the activity
  4. A preview of what students will gain from the activity and what the discussion following it will cover

Facilitating a Classroom Discussion

In the classroom discussion presentation, the speaker leads a discussion following a lecture, offering brief remarks and then guiding the discussion as it proceeds.

  1. Begin by outlining critical points to be covered
  2. Prepare several general guiding questions to launch the discussion
  3. Prepare relevant questions and examples to use during the discussion

Preparing Effective Presentations in Education

Good presentations in education are marked by clear organization, integration of the material into the broader course content, two-way communication, and student-friendly supporting material. Effective lecturers actively engage students in the learning process, pausing to pose questions about the topic, allowing time for discussion, and incorporating short activities into the mix.8 Rather than delivering a monologue, focus on engaging student participation.