Teaching and learning for CPD - Guest speakers, bringing business into the classroom
Having guest speakers in the classroom can enable the subject to be brought to life and be seen as a good compromise for receiving industrial expertise within the school setting. It allows for an easier fit into a scheme of work and the school timetable than an external visit, there are no conflicts of interest with the school administration and it does not require risk assessment for travel or accommodation. As Omrod (2004) states ‘when company visits cannot be used, guest speakers are an effective means to bring the world into the classroom.’
It is indeed a rich vein for business educators to call upon. Teachers themselves often learn from the experience especially in areas relating to ICT in business settings where there is frequent change. When credible speakers are used the students can derive considerable benefit from having a relevant and realistic perspective on business that is often not available from the text books, eg, guest speakers can highlight what it is actually like to work within a business setting. The speaker’s presentation can be planned to exactly match the curriculum or it can be broader to allow for the introduction of a practical perspective that can challenge the more able students (Kamoun and Selim, 2007).
The full article can be downloaded from the column on the right. Also offered are extracts from the article which comprise:
- Planning and preparation for a guest speaker's visit
- Reflections - suggestions for how teacher, students and the speaker can take part in a review and evaluation of the process.
- References and further reading for research
