RE: Educating Judges

[RON AND SUSAN COSNER <keighley15@msn.com>]

I agree with what is being said here and everyone has made some good points.
This I believe shows the interest and passion out there for the judging
program and in making it relevant. There are many different garden/plant
judging programs out there with much to learn from. This would not require a
reinventing of the wheel strategy just some incorperating and openness to new
ideas. One program in which I have been involved with is the orchid judging.
It uses lectures, symposiums, hands on judging, slides and the opportunity of
an apprentice to present. All of which can help in educating the prospectives.
Thank you and happy gardening.

Ron and
Sue Cosner


> From: MORRISJE1@aol.com
> Date: Tue, 3 Jan 2012 13:28:00 -0500
> Subject: Re: [AISdiscuss] Educating Judges
> To: aisdiscuss@aisboard.org
>
> Both Bob and John make some good points. I believe we always should try
> to involve the students in the teaching/learning process. To this end I
> always ask my classes what classification of judging they have obtained and
> what they hope to learn in this particular class. Know your audience. Then
> I hand tailor the instruction accordingly. Garden judging lends itself to
> class involvement most easily. But it can be done in the classroom as
> well. I use props such as charts and silk flowers (live ones if possible). I
> also feel cheated when an experienced judge parrots back the Judges'
> Handbook without providing input from his/her experience base. Although I
> readily admit that I learn something new or that I have forgotten each time
I
> read the handbook or take a class. When I taught classes at University or in
> the Corporate world, my preparation time usually was three or more hours
> effort for each one-hour of instruction.
>
> I agree that we as AIS judges have done little to incorporate the new
> technologies of the internet and hope to see us do more, but I would caution
> those who have begun not to rely on it as a "crutch" just as we have not
> recommended use of slides as a crutch either. This has been an interesting
> discussion. Hope we all learn something from it.
>
> Jim M.
>
> In a message dated 1/3/2012 7:29:52 A.M. Central Standard Time,
> robertpries@embarqmail.com writes:
>
> I think we are missing the point of the article that Dennis presented. Our
> judges trainings have traditionally a fairly rigid format, usually 45
> minutes of talk and a 15 minute, 10 question test = 1 hour training. While
this
> is an efficient method of presenting material, it is not necessarily the
> only or best method.
> I do like the Socratic Method, but to be effective it requires a skilled
> and knowledgeable instructor, and not everyone can pull this off. I use a
> convention that works well for me. I hand out the test ahead of time. By
> carefully crafting the questions, I use them as discussion points to employ
the
> Socratic Method. But I believe the article that Dennis provided suggests
> further innovations that are foreign to our present structure. As I
> understand the professor provides material ahead of class, which the
students then
> discuss, then more input is provided, and new conclusions are reached. I
> think this is something akin to workshops which we have not done in years.
> Beginning judges often have little knowledge to draw upon and often give
> trainings that are essentially a read of the Judges Handbook. Teaching is
> actually a great way to learn. But when experienced judges simply parrot
back
> the Judges Handbook I feel cheated. I always hope they will provide
> personal incites to the application of the rules. I like to think that
judges
> continue to improve and that their experience adds to understanding. I can
> enjoy a great presentation, even if it is but a lecture. But I think what
the
> article suggests is that there are many more ways of teaching than we
> presently utilize. It would be interesting to ask young or potential judges
what,
> and how they expect to learn and what level of accomplishment they would
> like to feel that would go with the title of AIS judge. If we are really
> interested in training judges well we should be constantly re-evaluating and
> experimenting. We have done little with the new technologies of the internet
> nor played wi!
> th social concepts such as mentors.
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "John Jones" <jijones@usjoneses.com>
> To: aisdiscuss@aisboard.org
> Sent: Tuesday, January 3, 2012 12:53:54 AM
> Subject: Re: [AISdiscuss] Educating Judges
>
> I think I would agree that lecturing is not the best method to teach JT.
>
> I have given JT a lot of times, mostly in the garden. My method, and I
> think it is well received, involves getting the student involved in the
> process. Students don't get away with just standing there and listening. If
they
> don't volunteer to answer a question or get involved in the discussion
> about a subject, I will call on them - an I tell them that at the start of
the
> training.
>
> I am not out to embarrass anyone so my questions are often to elicit a
> comment about their experience on the particular topic. Sort of the socratic
> method without the confrontational and disputative aspect of it.
>
> I will then often put them in groups to go look at a clump and discuss the
> various aspects that we have been talking about. That brings out the
> experiences of all the participants for everyone to benefit from. I think a
lot
> of judges do that.
>
> JT can be fun and it is about teaching. You have to remember that it is
> not the student's responsibility to learn but the teachers responsibility to
> teach in a manner that communicates to the student.
>
> John
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> To sign-off this list, send email to the AIS Secretary
> <aissecretary@irises.org>
> The archives for AISDiscuss are at:
> http://www.aisboard.org/lists/aisdiscuss/

---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to the AIS Secretary
<aissecretary@irises.org>
The archives for AISDiscuss are at:
http://www.aisboard.org/lists/aisdiscuss/