Notes from Lucky Lake
Ray Smilor
Teacher Development Programs
Ray is an award-winning teacher. Over the course of his teaching career, he has taught at every educational level: elementary school for kids with learning disabilities; junior high school; undergraduate and graduate students, including doctoral candidates; and executive education. He is a regular contributor to the Experiential Classroom, the leading faculty development program for entrepreneurship professors and has been a featured presenter for the International Teacher Program in Europe at the London Business School. He has designed and delivered teacher development and training programs not only for university faculty in the U.S. but also for faculty in Russia, India, North Africa and the Middle East.
Presentation Topics:
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1. HOW TO GIVE A REALLY GREAT LECTURE
"Oh, no! I have to listen to a lecture? That's so boring!" Can't you hear students saying this? But it does not have to be this way. A lecture is an important teaching tool that educators can use to challenge and inspire their students. In this session, Ray Smilor shows how to make your lectures surprising, engaging and interactive. You will learn strategies and techniques that can help you prepare and deliver lectures that are not only creative and memorable but also active and enjoyable learning experiences for your students.
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2. INSPIRING CREATIVITY & INNOVATION IN EVERY STUDENT
Faculty learn how to turn their classrooms into laboratories for creativity and innovation. This session focuses on the attitudes and behaviors that help student discover and apply their own creative and innovative talents.
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3. LEARNING STYLES AND THE CLASSROOM EXPERIENCE
Each student has their our own preferred way to learn. Effective teachers tap each style in their classrooms. This session identifies key learning styles, shows how to address them in the classroom, and in the process generates excitement for learning in students.
Testimonial >
Ray’s incredibly engaging and interactive session, “How to Give a Great Lecture”, is a highlight of each year’s International Teachers Program, the leading faculty development program for business school faculty from around the world. It walks his talk, and does exactly what it says in the title. No one who experiences his session will ever ‘lecture’ the same way again.
John W. Mullins
London Business School
4. EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
Learning by doing can be a powerful learning experience for students. This session defines and describes experiential learning, and then shows how to apply it to a teacher's classroom to generate interest in and enthusiasm for the learning process.
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5. EXPERIENCE ON STAGE
How to Use Outside Speakers in the Classroom. Bringing interesting and motivating people into the classroom can be a wonderful way to inform and inspire students. This session helps faculty identify the right speakers, direct their presentations in the classroom, and achieve the faculty member's learning objectives.
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6. IMPROVISATION AND THE DYNAMIC CLASSROOM
Every day, we improvise. This session shows faculty how to use improvisation to better prepare students to solve problems and take advantage of opportunities. Its emphasizes a "yes, and" philosophy and demonstrates fundamental techniques to improvise effectively.