Lecture: Still a Great Tool!
In past years, educators of adults have pushed hard for learning to become more active, more interactive, and more self-directed. Some have come to think that lecture has no place in adult education. The reality is that a well-done lecture can be quite powerful, an excellent tool in the adult educator’s toolbox. Indeed, there are times when it’s the best tool to use. When might lecture be the go-to tool for the adult educator? Professor Thomas Kock shows us how we can still make use of lecture as another option in our teaching.




Professor Thomas Kock serves as professor of education and Old Testament at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in Mequon, Wisconsin. He previously served as a home missionary and pastor in Johnson City, Tennessee.
They never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah. Acts 5:42
Adult Education: Additum
In Defense of Lecturing

Excellent lecture sessions raise questions in ways that inspire students to seek answers together. In doing so, lectures also can provide a shortcut for the students through the thicket of detail and argument that presenters already know by heart. Lecture courses by good lecturers can be as exciting as hearing a great violinist play the Beethoven concerto. In this article, Mary Burgan helps us to see the benefits of using lecture as a tool in teaching adults.


Teaching Toolbox
Let's Make Better Slideshows

Whether you use PowerPoint, Keynote, or another presentation program, you will want your slideshow presentation to assist in teaching your material for your learners and not become an obstacle to learning. Jennifer Gonzalez from Cult of Pedagogy has put together a list of seven things you can do to make your slideshows better. 






Curriculum Connection
Luther's Large Catechism

Four hundred ninety years ago, Martin Luther wrote his Large Catechism. This book was addressed particularly to clergymen to aid them in teaching their congregations. If you want to lead people through this valuable and applicable confession of the Lutheran church, consider using the Large Catechism Part 1 and Part 2 studies by Pastor Donald J. Pieper. These studies are organized in a two-column format that presents the complete text of the Large Catechism alongside a unique blend of Scripture studies, life applications, and study questions about Martin Luther's text. The sample lesson provided is the Second Commandment. 



Teaching Tip


When the blahs strike, I try to look for a way to completely—albeit temporarily—abandon correctness, coverage, consistency, or control in favor of getting students engaged. Besides all the good learning that results, I feel a pedagogical rush when my students turn on their brains and produce new knowledge. We all get engaged, and we all move a bit closer to learning “happily ever after.”
 

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E. Shelly Reid
Assoc. Prof. and Dir. of Composition
George Mason University
  Teach the Word  is a collaboration of Northwestern Publishing House,
Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, and WELS Discipleship.