How to Use a Pen Light While Giving a Lecture
A light pen or laser pen is commonly used as an aid by any lecturer who works with large whiteboards, slideshows or projector screens. The pen can be used to highlight specific areas of the screen or board and easily draws the attention of the lecture hall without the need for the tutor to move and point. There are several different ways to incorporate a light pen into your lecture, but you must also be aware of the dangers associated with shining lasers at other people.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
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Ensure first of all that the laser pointer/light pen has a caution sticker displaying its FDA-approved (Food and Drug Administration) class. The official FDA rating for a lecture laser pen is "IIIa" but it might also be displayed as "3R" on any pen classified by the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission). Avoid any light pen without a caution classification and inform the FDA of any product that seems suspicious.
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Shine the light pen at sections of the slideshow or board that you wish to highlight. For example, point the light beam at different sections of a step-by-step guide to help viewers follow the process. Similarly, focus the laser beam on a particular item in a diagram or image that might not be visible to the naked eye. Ensure that you remove the laser point once you have made your statement; excessive use of the pen might distract or obscure the view of those in the lecture hall.
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Incorporate a light or laser pen into your IT lectures. Glen Victor on the Tech Republic website says: "I stand in the back of the class, so I can see each student's monitor. When I see a student having difficulty, I shine the pointer at the appropriate place on their screen." At the back of the lecture you can get a good view of everybody's IT monitor and see who might be struggling or not following. Indicate from there the exact place on the monitor where the user is going wrong.
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Invest in some beam attachments for your laser pen. Purchase an arrow beam extension to follow the different steps in a cash-flow diagram or biological food chain. Invest as well in an underline tip for your pen; this will allow you to highlight lines of text without waving the pen around aimlessly and without accuracy.
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Tips & Warnings
Laser pens and pointers are potentially harmful and dangerous when used incorrectly. For example, a young 16-year-old girl from Wisconsin was temporarily blinded when shone in the eyes with a laser pen. Although a rare case, you should ensure that you avoid pointing the laser at anyone; they should be used only for inanimate objects.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit lecture hall image by GeoM from Fotolia.com
