Preacher Pedagogy

There are few things better than a great speaker.  As my wife and I watch West Wing cover-to-cover I reminded of this: President Bartlet is now running for re-election and when he speaks (with or without a speech) he dazzles crowds.  Our current president isn’t so bad himself.

More than that, I’m struck by how new media is bringing the oldest form of communication–speaking–into a new space.  Professor Joshua Kim wrote a piece recently about the need to have Google help organize great talks by university faculty:

Here’s the idea. Google buy or partner with a lecture capture vendor – there are plenty to choose from. Make available the lecture capture equipment, cameras, software and training on campuses – free of charge. Maybe wire a few rooms or classrooms with presentation capture appliances. In exchange for the equipment and the software campuses agree to record and publish as many talks as possible to the Talks@Google and YouTube/EDU sites. Of course, campuses could also put their talks on their own institution’s channel.

Of course iTunes U has begun doing this already.  But iTunes’ lectures aren’t searchable the way Youtube videos are.  (At least, not yet.)  What is it about great speakers or lectures that still captivates us?  Might we be wise to reconsider the lecturing for secondary education?  Part preacher, part performer, part pedagogue?

(I’m indebted to Meredith, a colleague from NCTE, who listed me as a great speaker at the conference in Philadelphia a couple weeks ago.  I’m no Jed Bartlet, but I did make a web site for the talk.)