Silent or Discovery Demo
Picture a teacher standing at the front of a classroom, perhaps at some sort of table or bench, surrounded by a mound of materials, objects, or equipment. A group of well-behaved, fully attentive students listens in silence as the teacher gives a running commentary (in precise, deliberate, and carefully sequenced language) to describe events that are transpiring during the presentation. When this show and tell demonstration ends, the teacher asks probing questions to elicit student reactions to what they just observed. Time is made available for students to ask their own questions. This is what we all recognize as a classic demonstration. In it, the teacher is the principal worker and students are passive observers.
There are many reasons that justify using teacher demonstrations with students. They can save instructional time, address equipment limitations and possible safety issues, and clearly they activate observation skills. And, if the goal is to model thinking processes (i.e., think aloud) then demonstrations are ideal. Good demonstrations, even traditional ones, can be creative, entertaining, and help students to grasp important concepts.
Now in contrast, visualize an alternative form of classroom demonstration that actually promotes student inquiry. The teacher repeats the same steps as above with one major exception… the entire event is carefully orchestrated without using words. It’s done in complete silence. Students, now the active observers, are challenged to carefully identify the salient features that the instructor hopes will be gleaned from the demonstration. Taking notes is permitted; talk is not. Discussions that follow silent demos are when genuine opportunities for discovery emerge. Because silence leaves gaps, these demonstrations prompt questions and create rich contexts for learning in which minds are actively engaged in the search for personal understanding. In contrast to the traditional demonstration, the key to success resides with the learners.
Medical schools use this type of instructional experience to heighten learning among future doctors. Here are some directions medical students might receive before watching their instructor suture a wound: “I am going to suture this wound. I want you to watch carefully. When I have finished I am going to ask you for a full description of what I did. While you are watching and making mental notes, I’d also like you to think about why I used the materials and instruments I did and why I used them in the way I did. I shan’t say anything or point out what I am doing, so you will have to watch carefully” (Source: Geography Discipline Network).
Why not adopt this same type of practice and often, in K-12 classrooms?
Implementation
- Be sure to rehearse the demo ahead of time.
- Make sure that all materials and equipment are available and easy to access.
Classroom Management
1. Rules:
- During the demo, listening is mandatory; speaking is not permitted.
- Observe every detail.
- Remember the sequence of events.
- Take notes if you wish.
- At the completion of the Silent Demo, we will try to reconstruct the demo based on your careful observations.
2. Formative Assessment: Two factors should be considered in assessing a silent demonstration. One is for the instructor to gauge the effectiveness of his/her own performance. The other is to determine the level of understanding that students gain from the experience.
- When skill development is the purpose for the silent demo, then the extent to which students can replicate this activity independently can be measured.
- If the purpose was concept development, then the teacher could ask students to complete Sentence Stems that reveal their depth of understanding.
