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From: Tristan Middleton
Date: 01 Oct 2012
Time: 16:09:18 -0500
Remote Name: 95.149.58.26
I enjoyed reading your paper. As a teacher and senior leader in a Primary School, I often teach /train & present to adults, as well as being the recipient of presentations. I found the personal issues you raised interesting and think they equate to key issues of good pedagogy: You raise the issue of: "Difficulty on reading prescribed text specifically reading verbatim from power point slides." A Power Point slide which the audience are unable to read/access, is not a well designed slide. I have been to presentations where people have read slides and this is not a good presentation style. One would expect the presenter to elaborate on the slide, to ask and respond to questions. You also comment on; "Self anxiety about the audience reaction, related to confidence issues, frustration and feeling ashamed." Whilst it is true that teaching is a social activity and that the personality of the teacher is a key factor in the interface/transaction of learning, the method or mode of transaction is not what is remembered or by the learner. A personable, approachable, engaged and passionate PWS will surely be more likely to teach effectively than a fluent, disengaged speaker who lacks in social engagement. Perhaps the effect of stammering on the PWS rather than the impairment of a stammer could be seen as a possible barrier. As such an approach that you advocate would be a major step in breaking that barrier down.