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As teachers, we need to create content for our courses, talks, workshops and just for our own notes. Making content stand out is not only about what you say but its about HOW you say it. Luckily, there are many different ways to express what you are trying to say. So, consider the following strategies -
Strategy #1: Emphasize relationships not just the words
Concept maps are a great tool for showing concepts that are related. Related concepts can be used to tell a larger story. Concepts that can be woven into an overall scenario are much easier to understand and remember.
Tools to try:
Wordle.net - http://www.wordle.netMindmeister - http://www.mindmeister.com
Wordle allows you to make word clouds from typing in related concepts. I often use Woordle when describing concepts that make up a complex topic. I also use this tool to show students keywords that they need to remember about a topic. With Mindmeister, I can actually map words to show the relationships between concepts. I can present hierarchies by breaking a topic down into its subtopics.
Strategy #2: Visualize ideas instead of just stating them.
Consider using infographics to show how ideas lead into one another. Personally, I prefer to learn visually although much of my formal education in math, computers and business was taught in a non-visual way. In an infographic, you can show different ideas in a very visual manner thus making them more digestible. I've taken the most boring topics in computers and turned them into infographics. Students instantly want to learn about the topic because of how "pretty" the infographic looks. One of my favorite assignments for students is to first present an infographic for a new topic or question and then have the students create an outline after reading the infographic. This way, students can create their own lesson based on how their own understanding of the topic.
Tools to try:
PiktoChart - http://www.piktochart.com Easel.ly - http://www.easel.ly/
Both of these tools are easy to use and give "free accounts" for you to make your infographics with. There are great templates at both sites for you to use if you don't have the time to create one from scratch.
Stategy #3: Illustrate concepts and allow the audience to interpret them.
One of the best ways to illustrate a concept to students is to show an example of the concept in action. The easiest way is to show a video and then ask students questions that lead them to develop an understanding of the concept(s) that were applied. This is called a constructivist approach to learning. When students discover concepts for themselves, they have more meaning.
Tools to try:
YouTube - http://www.youtube.com
There are many other video sites to find instructional videos. When on YouTube, I use a filtered search to find exactly what I need. Short videos are great for in class discussions and for posting on your website.
If the course material can be demonstrated, then you might actually want to make your own videos. This works great if you are showing students how to work out problems in courses such as math, computers and accounting. Many tools for video creation have real-time capability such as http://www.tutorsbox.com which allows you to share a link with your students to view what you are doing.
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