Chalk talk

Ad from Cartoons magazine for the Bart Chalk-Talk program by C. L. Bartholomew

A chalk talk is a monologue presentation done while the speaker draws. It is usually done with chalk, hard crayon, or pastel, or with dry-erase markers on a whiteboard. The chalk talk method of teaching focuses on the blackboard and the lecturer's voice and also the activities – to be precise, the physical activities. This method can be preferred for presenting lectures and talks. This method has some characteristics which the presenter does not want the viewers to lose. The dominant is "eyes" and the magical communication that exist whenever the presenter has a nice lecture.

This method needs an excellent teacher who is sensitive to the classroom atmosphere to carry out chalk talk with some good effect. The teacher's voice should be audible and attractive enough, otherwise students will get bored and tired and will not follow the lesson. The students should get enough attention to engage them and also to inspire them. "Education needs to be more practical, should allow children to express themselves and learn independently at their own pace." [1]

Preaching

Illustration by Frank Beard in Bible symbols; designed and arranged to stimulate a greater interest in the study of the Bible by both young and old (1908)

Because of an article in the Deseret News published on September 17, 1895 the roots of "chalk talks" can be traced to the Methodist church - and a singular individual - Mr. Frank Beard (1842-1905). Today chalk talks are still regularly used as a method of preaching scripture visually by evangelists that have artistic ability. A book by Jeanne Bridge "Chalk Talk for Catechists" gives us a useful introduction to a catechetical method where we see is an increasing interest among all sectors of people. Basically it talks about "speaking the message" along with illustrating by simple chalk drawings along with the talk to highlight the main points of the lesson. The word which is predominant is at a lead together with the word, so that the word and the picture may stand as one unit. The main advantage of this Chalk Talk is it is mostly used by people who are not good with drawing but it is claimed those without artistic ability but are good with talks are the frequent users.

In her book she uses everyday dialect for a better understanding and have taken simple examples to show how a wide variety of chalk figures can be built up from a basic 'figurine'. She also proposes a wide range of standard attitudes and gestures capable of depicting various situations. The use of colors and techniques and also the approach talks about the easy use of chalk talk with unnecessary details which can be carried out quickly. People who are not familiar with this method and would like to give this method a try, this is a perfect book to get access to.[2]

Vaudeville

A chalk talk was a popular act in vaudeville. A performer used chalk on a blackboard to make changes in a drawing while delivering a monologue. Some performers would do caricatures of audience members. The term also was used to describe an act done with crayons. The term became ingrained in the language to the extent that a performance using markers and a sketch pad is still known today as a chalk talk.

Winsor McCay began doing vaudeville chalk talks in 1906.[3] In his The Seven Ages of Man vaudeville act, he drew two faces and progressively aged them.[4] Popular illustrator Vernon Grant was also known for his vaudeville circuit chalk talks.

The chalk talk format again gained attention in the 2000s in television advertisements for United Parcel Service. Andy Azula, the creative director for The Martin Agency, starred in a series of UPS advertisements in which he draws on a whiteboard.[5][6][7]

Advantages

The teacher centers 'chalk and talk' approach with a focus on the average student in the class and this is the most common method of instruction. Among the various established method of instructions, the lecture is the easiest, the most accepted, the safest, the oldest and the most basic method. Adopting an interactive style in lectures can improve students assimilation of the subject. Keeping in mind the large amount of information, usually attempted to be pumped-in during the lecture, it is often said that lecture is only one way of communication.[8] That is why the teacher should not restrict class to just ‘Talk’ but should attempt to use the 'Chalk' whenever possible. The 'Chalk' is included as an Audio-visual or other equipment used for demonstration, explanation or illustration, preparatory reading resources such as books, journals or even hand out in relation to the topic on which lecture is to be given and this 'chalk and talk' makes communication a two way method. The 'Chalk and Talk' method of Instruction remains the best, provided the teacher takes it on himself to bring around the students to learning.[9]

Disadvantages

'Chalk and talk' teaching method is not enough says Rachel Thienk. It is said the teachers should not exclusively rely on this method to engage the students says an officer from the Ministry of Education. "Teachers who use the chalk and talk method need to use more teaching aids that can inspire student's interests in learning and also assist students in concept formation," said Dr Ee Ah Meng, consulting counselor at the ministry, during a talk at the Sayyidina Abu Bakar Secondary School. He said the teacher should not only depend on the lecture method but also use the two way communication in the classroom scenario. He also says some students are quick learners and takes time to acquire the simplest topic thus the teacher should make sure that the students are actively participating and all range of students are getting engaged in class. Dr Ee also emphasized that teaching methods should be child-centered and two-way communication a must. More activity-based approaches and class participation between the teacher and students should be adopted. He added, "When students are actively involved in a particular lesson, learning becomes more interesting and meaningful".[10]

Chalk talk and technology

The primary goal is to improve student's learning an effective one. The wish is to use technology to enhance the traditional chalk and talk lecture, not to replace it. Specifically the wish to improve the quality of the lecture and the quality of the notes taken by the students during the lecture with the coming of technology. As students learn more during the lecture and take better quality notes, they will be more productive during their homework and study time if it is improved with an appropriate technology.[11] The preparation time for lecture method is approximately the same as for a traditional chalk and talk lecture. Teacher can create the file, print one copy, and develop the lecture notes in approximately the same amount of time as developing traditional chalk and talk lecture notes on blank paper. Everyone know how to surf the web and use a word processor, so there is no new software that must be learned to use this lecture process. The classroom must have a projector that is mounted in the ceiling and shines on the board and a computer installed in the classroom that is networked so that the faculty member can use the technology conveniently.[12] Technology has become available in the last few years that makes it much easier to prepare the lecture notes. The teacher is able to spend more time with students during class and less time writing and drawing on the board. The students are able to spend more time thinking and less time on writing. In the end the teacher can feel they are providing a better learning experience to their students.[8]

Animation

Chalk talks formed the basis for early animated films, as seen in the films of J. Stuart Blackton and "Komikal Konjurer" Alfred E. Smith.[4]

Pedagogy

Chalk Talk in academics is a silent way to construct collaborative mind-maps or other diagrams with the intent to "reflect, generate ideas, check on learning, develop projects, or solve problems."

Academic interviews

A chalk talk is often a part of the interview process for a faculty position in academia, wherein the candidates detail their research plans [13]

References

  1. ↑ "chalk talk" (PDF).
  2. ↑ Neary, Rhoda. "Review". The Furrow 19: 18–19.
  3. ↑ Film reference: Winsor McCay
  4. 1 2 Stabile, Carol A. and Mark Harrison. Prime Time Animation: Television Animation and American Culture. Routledge, 2003.
  5. ↑ Stevenson, Seth (2007-04-16). "Back to the Drawing Board". Slate.
  6. ↑ Williamson, Richard (2007-03-19). "On the Spot: Martin's Azula". Adweek.
  7. ↑ Lazare, Lewis (2007-03-02). "UPS ad does the white thing". Chicago Sun Times.
  8. 1 2 Graham, M. Robert. "Free School or Chalk Talk Time". The English Journal 60: 754–759.
  9. ↑ "Chalk and Talk".
  10. ↑ "Chalk and talk teaching method not enough".
  11. ↑ Harter, Cynthia Lay; Becker, William E.; Watts, Michael. "Who Teaches with More than Chalk and Talk?". Eastern Economic Journal 25: 343–356.
  12. ↑ Carroll, Douglas R. "Using Technology to Improve the Traditional Chalk and Talk Lecture" (PDF).
  13. ↑ "DrugMonkey blog post".

External links

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