My good friend Catherine wrote me in response to the October 31 blog post, Sending signals. Catherine pointed out that, right when she was getting intrigued by what I was saying in the post, the writing kind of petered out. “What am I supposed to do with this information? How do I apply it to … Read more
Yesterday, I was headed home after work and approached an intersection. Traffic was backed up, and there were signs indicating some kind of road work ahead, with a flagger who was sending cars through the stoplight. I waited, and after a minute or two, I was second in line to go through the light. … Read more
Recently I was driving on a very familiar road near my house. As I rounded a curve, I saw a sign indicating that traffic was going to go down to one lane. Okey doke. I’ve done this before; I know what to expect. After another few hundred yards, I saw the telltale cones narrowing the … Read more
When you’re learning to perform Shakespeare, you spend some time studying how verse works. When does he use it, when is it “regular” verse, when is it not, and when does he abandon verse altogether and use prose instead? Ultimately, we learn that Shakespeare is sending signals to us through the way he uses (and … Read more
A structured presentation lets the audience know where they are in the experience, and what to expect. We call this “signposting.” An obvious example of signposting is when we say something like, “I’m going to explore three points. Let’s start with this one.” The speaker is saying to the audience, literally, “we’re beginning here with … Read more
Audiences are strange animals. With no prior planning or verbal communication, they decide, in an instant, how to respond to what’s going on in front of them. Rarely, there are outliers who laugh when no one else does, or fail to rise for a standing ovation, but for the most part, an audience acts as … Read more
Recently I was on a video call with a small team. Most of the people on the call were engaged, participating, and connected. One person, however, stood out. He sighed with frustration. He dropped his head into his hands. He covered his eyes, rubbing his face. What was going on? Nothing really negative was happening … Read more
A reader sent the article below, which describes the successful implementation of various hand signals in university classes taught via video. Developed from one researcher’s experience using hand signals as a lifeguard, a group of students experimented with using the signals in class to “show agreement or dissent, to display concern or care, to congratulate … Read more
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