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Show , Spring 2004 page 5 Our Very Own Masters of Creativity BY BECKY JENSEN Stepping into a college classroom for the first time can be difficult for students. Likewise, instructors face similar difficulties. Everyday, professors and graduate students face the challenge of presenting interesting lessons in front of dozens, even hundreds of students. Many professors take the traditional route to present material: lecturing straight out of the textbook. However, some professors on campus take the route less traveled, striving to use as much creativity in their presentations as possible. Professor Geoffrey Klinger, in the department of communication, and Shari Willis, a graduate student teaching in the health education department are two instructors who incorporate creativity into their lessons. It was a seemingly routine day for the students in communication 1270 Analysis of Argument. However, on this fall morning, Professor Klinger, or "Geoff," as he prefers to be called by his students, had other ideas. The class of 100 students meets in a large auditorium complete with a stage on which the professor lectures. Klinger, however, sits cross-legged on top of a table in the middle of the stage. He lectures without notes, and appears comfortable doing so. However, on this particular day, five minutes after class was supposed to begin, the restless class wondered where was their professor. Suddenly from the side door of the stage, walked in Klinger, wearing nothing but a classic Greek toga. The day's lecture was on the history of argumentation and rhetoric in Roman times. Again, no notes were used, and despite the potentially dull material, Klinger made sure to keep the class's attention as he strutted on stage, donning his white toga. This would not be the last of Professor Klinger's creativity in the classroom. His non-traditional lecture style was sometimes difficult for students to follow. Some students complained that the material was not being directly taken out of the textbook and nothing was written on the board. Students not used to the creative approach found it difficult to know what to include in their notes. It was also hard to know what material would be on the test. Professor Klinger believes that students learn best not by taking notes, but by listening and engaging in the lecture. "My favorite students are those who don't take notes, but rather pay full attention through watching and listening." David Reichner, a senior in communication, had mixed feelings about Klinger's creative teaching style. "His attempt to teach was good, but what he was going to be grading on was unclear. He tried to make the class atmosphere very calm and relaxed, but the tests were hard, and down to business." As the history of argumentation lectures continued, so did Klinger's creativity. At the next class meeting, he turned off all of the lights in the room and dressed in a medieval-style hooded robe. He taught by candlelight about how religion and rhetoric were related and represented during early Christianity through the Middle Ages. On this particular day, there were rumblings from the class about not being able to take notes because it was so dark. Many students didn't appreciate Klinger's creative methods of teaching. They felt that they had to write down everything that was said in order to do well in the course. However, there were some students who felt that these dress-up lectures were humorous and more interesting than a professor who might just stand and read overheads or textbook notes. Of all Professor Klinger's creative lectures and class meetings, the one that stood out as being the best attempt at creative teaching for senior Matt Deakin was his final lecture on the history of argumentation. "He really blew us all away with that one. I've never seen any teacher do anything like that." The lecture was based on the controversial theorist Marshall McLuhen, and his book, "The Medium is the Message." Professor Klinger used several mediums that were available to him in the classroom, such as the VHS projection screen, compact disc players, and brought in an additional television and VCR. Again, the lights were dimmed, and Klinger read excerpts from McLuhen's book by candlelight and flashlight. One by one, Klinger turned on the television, played a tape to be shown on the big projection screen, and played songs on the CD players. The point of the lecture was to demonstrate that the public is bombarded with many aspects of the media and through many mediums. All of the televisions and CD |
