[Genealib] Questions and Answers During a Workshop

[Trevia Beverly]

Probably the best answer is,what's comfortable for you?  If you do allow 
questions during your lecture you must be able to strictly monitor it ... 
are you bold enough to say, for example, "we'll discuss that a bit 
further.would you mind asking your question then?" or if the question is in 
an appropriate place, can you call time? or ask the person to keep it brief? 
or when they begin with 'the whole history' say 'could we discuss this 
latter and let me see if I can answer more fully?"
  If you want to allow questions, tell the group at the onset that they 
should keep their question to the subject at hand, and to make it general 
... in other words,'don't tell me everyone's name and date - don't tell me 
about all six of Uncle John's wives.'

Evaluation forms.  We douse them at the Angelina College Conference - 
http://www.angelina.edu/genealogy.htm - but I never use them for a 'personal 
appearance' of one lecture before a society's monthly meeting, for example.
    While in a conference setting it is good to have feedback ... even 
though we do get some back when it is obvious that  the person was too new 
to know about the topic or grasp the purpose of the lecture. You need to 
keep in mind that  'how does the person coming to learn from you, really 
know if you covered the subject adequately or not?' but we have a pretty 
good idea how the speakers did when we analyze all those from the same 
session together..
   You may want to say Feedback Form rather than Evaluation Form ... the 
first indicates correctly that you are asking for feedback to improve not 
only your lecture but room conditions, etc....  The second indicates that 
the person coming to learn from you is being asked to 'grade' you.

Trevia Wooster Beverly
Houston, Texas



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Nancy Maxwell" <nmaxwell at grapevinetexas.gov>
To: "Librarians Serving Genealogists" <genealib at mailman.acomp.usf.edu>
Sent: Monday, March 24, 2008 3:35 PM
Subject: [Genealib] Questions and Answers During a Workshop


Salutations, Listmembers:

When presenting any kind of genealogical workshop at any level, how do you 
handle questions from the audience? Do you take them as they come, or do you 
ask the folks to save questions until you finish? Is it more beneficial for 
the audience to hear an immediate answer as long as you don't take too much 
time answering it?

Also, do you use evaluation forms to get audience feedback regarding your 
presentation?

Thanks,
Nancy



Nancy Maxwell, Genealogy Librarian
Frances Pittman Malcolm Genealogy Room
Grapevine Public Library
1201 Municipal Way
Grapevine, TX 76051
Voice: 817-410-3429
Fax: 817-410-3084
E-mail: nmaxwell at grapevinetexas.gov

"Any nation, race, or people who ignores its past and becomes callous toward 
its traditions and indifferent toward its heritage will sooner or later 
vanish from the face of this earth."  ~Marderos Deranian


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