Samuel A. Malachowsky

Effectively Presenting Lists Activity

In many cases, learning concepts covered in class can come down to lists of concepts or ideas, such as McConnell's Classic Mistakes or the 12 Principles Behind the Agile Manifesto, but presenting these can be tedious at times.  Oftentimes, teachers simply read and lightly reinforcing each item - but they can run together and be easily ignored or forgotten.  This simple activity can engage students more actively in the list and provide them with a "hook", assisting recall at a later date.  Steps are as follows:

1. Assign reading of the list ahead of time.  This activity is one of many steps fore retention and understanding.  The students should enter the classroom having at least seen the list before.
2. Assign one list item to each student or group of students.  Rarely do the number of items exactly match the number of students, so you might need to assign multiple lite items to one student, multiple students to one list item, etc.
3. Have them prepare and present the following:
   • The list item name and/or category
   • A description of the concept behind it, or an example if this clarifies it more
   • A clever/funny Twitter hash-tag (#) relevant to the item or description An Example:

McConnell's Classic Mistake number 6: Noisy, Crowded Offices (People Category) - Too many people “all up in your business” results in lost productivity. Quiet work environments are better. #SerenityNow

4. Reinforce and enhance each item description as needed.  Sometimes a list item is more important or more prominent than others, and sometimes the student does not succeed in properly describing the item or its context.
5. The order in which students present go may be pre-assigned, logical, random, or each student can choose his/her successor.

Though this may take a little longer than simply reading list items, I believe it increases retention, engagement in the classroom, and gives the students a chance to get to know each other a little better.

Instructional Changes Brought About by COVID-Necessitated Classroom Tools

The teaching environment and tools nescecitated by the COVID pandemic has enabled some surprising new teaching efficiences. ( Classroom Engagement, Online Teaching, 2020-10-21)

Distributed/Scaled Agile Class Activity

In this classroom activity, the difficulties associated with distributing project work between agile teams is demonstrated and resolved. ( Agile, Classroom Engagement, Classroom Activities, 2017-03-23)

Maintenance Types Activity

This activity will help cement the three maintenance types in student's heads. ( Classroom Engagement, 2016-04-28)

Explaining the Concept of a Maturity Model

What is a maturity model? Use this simple analogy when introducing the concept. ( Quality, Classroom Engagement, 2014-11-06)

Scrum Project 1: Brainstorming and Elaboration

Use this brainstorming activity to kick off a Scrum project or any group-based endeavor. ( Agile, Classroom Activities, 2014-10-24)

The 7 Quality Tools Class Activity

Give students an opportunity to use the seven basic quality tools as a system, rather than as separate ideas. ( Quality, Classroom Activities, 2014-10-02)

Agile Principles Class Activity

Try this engaging class activity when introducing the Agile Manifesto and its principles. ( Agile, Classroom Activities, 2014-09-17)

First Day Introductions

Try this activity on the first day of class - a modern twist on the traditional. ( Classroom Activities, Classroom Engagement, 2014-09-08)

Dedicated to Teaching Software Engineering

Hello, I am Samuel Malachowsky. This is a summary of the genesis, purpose, and disposition of this collection. ( Classroom Engagement, 2014-08-29)

Engineering a More Effective Resume Video

Watch this video to learn how Engineers should approach adding skills and experience to their resume. ( Resume, Career, 2020-09-25)

Three Things You Should Know About Software Engineers

Here are three things that you should know about the way Software Engineers approach the world around them ( Career, 2019-03-18)