TEACHSOC: lousy lecturing

[Marty Schwartz]

Gerry said:
<snip> And again, I would put forth for argument the idea that the
problem isn't the lecture hall, but lousy lecturers.  (One more bad
Powerpoint presentation, and I will trash someone's computer for sure.)<snip>

Gerry - as a friendly request -- with all of the Del's name calling, Del obfuscation, Del gobbledegook, etc. I seem to have lost track of what is going on.  Of course, being reduced to tears seems to me a perfectly normal reaction.  But, in your sentences above, what exactly IS the problem to which we are all referring?  Maybe I live in some kind of la-la land, but while I certainly know a few irresponsible teachers, I find myself mostly surrounded by very hard working people who do fantastic jobs teaching.  Maybe it is who I talk to, but I go to national conferences and am always inspired by what others do in their teaching (I am running a little nickel and dime workshop at ASA featuring the noted teachsocer Angus Vail, for example).  Often the community college people tend to be even more dedicated and better at their task than we are (even those paid at the same level as cafeteria workers).  Personally, I have won a stack of teaching awards, but as someone who is primarily a publishing researcher I am always in total awe of the teachers I meet (including, of course, Profs. McKinney and Ballentine!).  

As to PowerPoint, which I love, I agree that too few people know how to use it.  Perhaps a positive note might be to start getting our regional and national associations, and our graduate schools, to start teaching people how to use it?  Management schools, PR schools and others now do this regularly.  But in
Sociology I've never met anyone who took a lesson, or even had access to a lesson, in the style and design of PowerPoint (as opposed to the mechanics).

Cheers.  

Martin D. Schwartz
Professor of Sociology
Ohio University
119 Bentley Annex
Athens, OH 45701
740.593.1366 (voice)
740.593.1365 (fax)
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