 | Improved Cookstoves a Training Manual (Peace Corps, 1984) |
 |  | Cookstove project presentations |
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(introduction...)
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TOTAL TIME: |
2 Hours |
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OBJECTIVES: |
* To make an appropriate presentation on a stove: information that
can be included-construction method, ease of use, test results |
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MATERIALS: |
Flip chart, markers |
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Trainer's Note | |
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If possible make these presentations to people from outside the
training. If this is possible you will want to rearrange the session> giving
the trainees one hour to evaluate the stoves they made and the rest of the time
to prepare the presentations. The presentations can be given at another
time. | |
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PROCEDURE: | |
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Step 1 |
5 Minutes |
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Step 2 |
15 Minutes |
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Step 3 |
45 Minutes |
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Step 4 |
55 Minutes |
Extension skills
Important points to be considered for successful education and communication:
1. Be prepared. Know what you are doing, where you are going and what you want your audience to know when they leave. Don't prepare your talk an hour before you give it.
2. Always do a practice run of whatever it is you are demonstrating before you get up in front of the group to teach.
3. Start off with a very small chunk of information to be taught. For example, "How to Build a Stove" would be too broad a topic. Change it to "Building the Base."
4. People learn best by doing. The more concrete you can be, the better. For example, if you are doing a talk on how to make a particular type of soup, have everyone make it and taste the soup.
5. People remember main points better when they are presented with visual aids. illustrate your main points and use the drawings during your talk. Also, people tend to understand complex or abstract concepts if they can visualize them. Remember that points or concepts you find simple, others may find difficult. Be sensitive to your audience and explain points thoroughly.
6. Visual aids and/or graphs should be clear, depicting objects with which the people are familiar. Photographs or pictures cut from magazines are often more easily understood than hand drawn pictures.
7. Changing color and lettering can draw more attention to the visual aids. However, visual aids may be distracting, confusing or misunderstood when they do not mirror people's reality.
8. A vocabulary list of important things, steps and materials in the demonstration can be useful to the demonstrator as well as to the audience.
9. The demonstration should never take place above the audience's line of vision.
10. People remember things that are unusual or make them laugh. But don't overdo it.
11. Physical conditions are important. The demonstration should take place in the lightest part of the room or area. Rooms should be free of all other distractions. Effort should be made to make everybody physically comfortable, etc.
12. It's better to have an active audience than a passive one.
13. Don't read your material.
14. Keep eye contact with your audience. In this way you will build a rapport with them. Also, they will feel like you are talking to them and not at them.
15. Respect the audience members who already know how to do that which you are demonstrating and get them involved in helping you with the presentation.
16. Repeat the main points. For example, state them at the beginning of your talk, in the middle and at the end. Again the next day, repeat the main points or elicit them from your group before you go into any new information. In other words, build on the previous information.
17. Reinforcement activities following a talk can facilitate learning.
18. Always minimize the cost of whatever is being demonstrated, making sure that the people have the economic resources necessary to do it on their own. Try to utilize materials found in the immediate area.
19. When the demonstration involves making something, it is always a good idea to have a finished example to show to the audience.
20. Variety in presentation styles and environment are important.
21. Your talk should contain an introduction that gives a purpose for the information you are going to give. Set the stage for your talk.
22. Try not to use very technical words in the demonstration.
23. Organize your information. For example, time/order, cause/effect, etc.
24. Whenever possible, relate what you are demonstrating to the local customs.
25. Keep your demonstration short and limited to the time of day and amount of time that the people have free.
26. If the demonstration involves several steps, either write or draw them so the audience has something to follow as you go, but be sensitive to the fact that some people do not know how to read or follow diagrams.
27. Try and involve as many of the people's senses as possible: taste, smell, touch, sight, sound.
28. Smile and be friendly.
29. Speak slowly and clearly. You're probably speaking slowly enough when you think you're going too slow.
30. Don't talk down to your audience. Show them the respect you want them to show you.
31. At the beginning of the demonstration, explain briefly what you are intending to do. At the end, summarize what it is that you have done.
32. Be sensitive to your audience. If they are getting restless, you may be going too fast, going on for too long or they may not be understanding you.
SELECTING COMMUNICATION "TOOLS"
|
Visual Aid |
General Description |
Recommended |
Advantages |
Disadvantages |
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Chalkboard |
Rigid surface painted green or black on which one can write or
draw with chalk |
10 to 30 people. If used with more, a large board is needed and
careful audience placement is necessary |
inexpensive. Can be homemade, easily maintained, minimum of
preparation. Used day or night. Audience participation. |
Transport can be difficult in remote areas. Limited to the user's
artistic ability. |
|
Flannel Board |
A piece of flannel, flannelette, terry cloth or felt cloth
attached to a rigid surface on which cut- out figures will adhere if backed with
flannel or felt cloth, sand paper or glued sand. |
15 to 20 people. Audience size depends on the size of the flannel
board and the size of the figures that are being used. |
Inexpensive. Easily made from local materials. Easily maintained
and transported in remote areas. Figures can be used in different presentations.
Ideal for showing "sequence of events" and reviewing lesson, as figures can be
brought back on the board. |
Requires considerable advance preparation. Difficult to use out of
doors if there is any wind. Some artistic ability is required if making homemade
figures. |
|
Posters |
A message on a large sheet of paper, and with an illustration and
a simple written message. |
No limit, because it is not necessary for everyone to look at a
poster at the same time. |
inexpensive. Easy to make. Requires a minimum amount of time to
prepare and use. Easy to transport. |
Deteriorate rapidly. Can confuse audience with too much or too
little information. Need some artistic ability if making own
posters. |
|
Flip Charts |
Illustrations on paper or cloth, usually larger than 21 cm by 27
cm; bound together with rings or string. They flip over in
presentation. |
15 to 30 people. Audience size depends on the size of the flip
chart illustration. |
Inexpensive. Can be homemade and can be easily transported. Good
way to give information in sequence; because they are bound, illustrations stay
in sequence. |
Deteriorate with constant use. Some artistic ability required if
making homemade flip charts. |
|
Flash Cards |
Illustrations made on heavy paper that is usually smaller than21cm
by 27cm. The illustrations are not bound but are arranged in
sequence. |
5 to 15 people. Be- cause the illustrations are small, no more
than 15 people should be in the audience. |
Inexpensive. Can be homemade. Very easy to transport. Good way to
give information in sequence to small groups. |
Deteriorate with constant use. Some artistic ability required if
preparing homemade flashcards. Easy to get out of sequence. Limited to small
groups. |
|
Bulletin Boards |
A surface, at least3/4m by 1m, into which stick pins can be
placed. Drawings, photos and lettering can be displayed on the
board. |
No limit, because it is not necessary for everyone to look at the
bulletin board at the same time. |
inexpensive. Can be homemade from local materials. Good way to
present a "changing" message in areas where people gather. |
if out of doors, weather damage can occur. Constant sup ply of
good education al material to put on the board is needed. |
|
Demonstration |
Using actual ingredients, tools or land, the educator shows how
something is done. Either at that time, or soon afterward, each audience member
displays an ability to do the new thing. |
1 to 30 people. Because it is difficult for an educator to follow
up on more than30 persons, this is the recommended limit. |
Excellent way to use actual materials in a real situation. Uses
local materials. Easy to understand by people not used to looking at |
Takes a lot of planning and preparation. |
|
Film |
Color or black & white, 16mm or 8mm cinema film, with sound,
projected on a screen or wall. |
30 to 100 people. Groups can be larger - but it is difficult to
have any discussion with larger groups. |
Dramatic and gets the audience's attention. Shows motion and
therefore helps explain step-by-step and time sequence very well. |
Very expensive; requires expensive equipment, electricity and dark
projection area. Difficult to transport and operate. |
|
Slides |
35mm film in plastic or cardboard mounts 5cm by 5cm. In color or
black & white, they are projected on a screen or a wall. |
About 30 people. Though slides can be used with more people, the
educator can stimulate better discussion among a smaller group. |
Dramatic, less expensive than cinema film, excellent way to bring
distant things to audience and to show time sequence. Battery- operated
projectors available. Local photos easily made. |
Easy to damage, easy to get out of sequence and project upside
down or sideways. Requires projection equipment, needs electricity or batteries
and darkened projection area. |
|
Filmstrips |
Strip of 35mm film, color or black and white. Photographs in
sequence. Filmstrip projected on screen or wall. Uses projector with filmstrip
adapter. Filmstrips horizontal or vertical format. |
About 30 people. Though filmstrips can be Used with more people,
the educator can stimulate better discussion with a group of this
size. |
Dramatic, less expensive than film and slides. Once inserted
correctly in projector, impossible to get out of sequence. Can show photos of
the real thing and shows sequence in time. Battery-operated projectors
available. available. Relatively easy to transport. |
Requires projection equipment, can be damaged, requires either
main or battery supplied electricity. (Sometimes batteries are expensive.)
Requires darkened projection area. Limited appropriate
filmstrips |
Adopted from WORLD NEIGHBORS IN ACTION newsletter.