Laughing and Learning: An Alternative to Shut Up and Listen

Transcription

1 Laughing and Learning: An Alternative to Shut Up and Listen Peter M. Jonas, PhD Chair, Doctoral Leadership Studies Department Cardinal Stritch University Copyright [Peter M. Jonas] [2009]. This work is the intellectual property of the author. Permission is granted for this material to be shared for non-commercial, educational purposes, provided that this copyright statement appears on the reproduced materials and notice is given that the copying is by permission of the author. To disseminate otherwise or to republish requires written permission from the author.

2 Laughing and Learning A different way of teaching/learning

3 Remembering Speeches After 10 min. 10% will be drifting off After 15 min. 10% more will be taking mental vacations After 20 min. another 25% will be dreaming of sexual fantasies So, I have no apologies for the pleasure I am about to give 25% of you. (I expect a standing ovation at the end.)

4 BOHICA

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6 What is the connection between humor, leadership, and learning?

7 First of all Education is the key

8 Once you get people laughing, they re listening and you can tell them almost anything. --Herbert Gardner

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11 Leadership, Learning, and the Brain

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13 Cognitive Emotional Reflective The Brain

14 SIGHT Memory HEAR TOUCH SMELL Immediate Memory Working Memory Long Term Storag e TASTE SENSORY REGISTER OUT OUT Cognitive Belief System

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18 Using Humor at All Levels 1. Culture 2. Instruction 3. Team work and relationships 4. Communication 5. Reduces Tension and Stress 6. Creativity and Divergent Thinking 7. Helps Maintain Interest at Work 8. Helps Adjust Student Behavior

19 1. Humor Builds Culture

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27 Good work, but I think we might need just a little more detail right here. Then a miracle occurs

28 Communication Words are 7% effective Tone of voice is 38% effective Non-verbal clues are 55% effective

29 Video is the technology of electronically capturing, recording, processing, storing, transmitting, and reconstructing a sequence of still images representing scenes in motion. Pedagogy: The term generally refers to strategies of instruction, or a style of instruction.

30 Examples of Videagogy

31 OK, How am I doing so far talk among yourselves The Answer = Excellent

32 3. Team work, socialization, and/or relationships

33 Proverb from Ghana: Tell the truth and run. Let me tell you a story about Trust and the Truth

34 4. Communication = speaker + symbol + receiver

35 But, this is what most people hear

36 WHAT leaders say is not nearly as important as HOW they say it! A dull message delivered by a charismatic leader will be more readily accepted. However, an excellent message delivered by someone who is not interesting, will not engage the audience.

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38 5. Humor Reduces Tension and Stress

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40 POSSIBILITIES Use your PDA or iphone to store funny top ten lists, jokes, cartoons, pithy sayings etc. to use when they fit the content of meeting or class. Present funny awards at meetings. Bring in funny and motivational speakers. Tell humorous stories to make your point and allow students and staff to tell stories or jokes. Let students use rap songs in class. You can use rap in speeches or meetings. The funnier the better get you material on YouTube.

41 Look spontaneous Be prepared

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43 The attached photograph shows two almost identical dolphins leaping out of the water side-byside. It is a picture used in a study of stress levels at major hospitals. The study had subjects look at the picture and describe any differences they observed between the two dolphins. The closely monitored study revealed that a person under stress would find differences between the virtually identical dolphins pictured. Moreover, subjects experiencing a great amount of stress found many differences between the two dolphins. Now look at the following photograph. Do you observe notable differences between the two dolphins?

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45 6. Creativity and divergent thinking

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54 Use cartoons, electronic clip art etc. at meetings as a humor break, to set a good tone, or to get everyone s attention.

55 The only person who does not fear change is a baby with wet diapers.

56 7. Humor Helps Maintain Interest at Work Commitment: The story of breakfast

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58 If the horse is dead Dismount

59 POSSIBILITIES Find humorous electronic books for class, e.g. Statistics for Those Who Think they Hate Statistics. Use exaggerated speech, facial or expressions. Directing and participating in learning-related games that give risk-free practice is typically a successful teaching tool. Have your staff read humorous books that have a message. Books like, Leadership by Attila the Hun, The Art of Being Lazy, or any book by Scott Adams, the creator of Dilbert, can be both clever and informative. Instead of professional development have a comedy troupe come in. Wavelength from Chicago is entertaining, funny, and they have a message.

60 8. Helps Adjust Student Behavior

61 You can always count on people to do the right thing after trying everything else.

62 If you dig yourself into a hole, than the least you can do is stop digging for a minute.

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65 Final Thought: Don t Sweat the Small Stuff and Everything is the Small Stuff --- Always Have Fun

66 Ten Laws of Humor by Jonas 1. Develop a database of jokes, stories, saying etc 2. You do not have to re-invent the wheel. Search the internet remember, research is nothing more than legalized plagiarism. 3. Always look for connections with your material. 4. As you complete the lesson plans, be sure to plan out the jokes, stories, or humorous activities. 5. Collect overheads and be sure to label them or categorize them.

67 Ten Laws of Humor by Jonas 6. Keep track of the reactions you get with various jokes, stories, and activities. 7. Look at reality for some of the funniest things to discuss and use. 8. Do not be afraid to encourage individuals to develop a sense of humor in your organization. 9. Just do it. Don t be afraid to make mistakes. 10. Be sure that you have tenure, or another job, before you try any of the suggestions.

68 Pick any number between one and ten

69 Orange Kangaroo from Denmark

70 How to change with a slight adjustment