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ABOUT DEMONSTRATIONS
What
A demonstration
Is a Demonstration?"
is a way to
o demoroiw to
show pe6ple how to do something.
Usually, you show them how and
tell them why you do it. A good
demonstration shows how t do d
something so clearly and so carecopy
what you have done.
One of the oldest ways toteach
is to demonstrate. Parents usethis
method to teach young children.
When a mother wants to teach her
child how to hold a dish, she shows
him how to put his hands on each
side to support it. Then :he has
him practice until she is sure he
has learned. When a father wait.
to teach his son how to cut weeds,
he shows him how to hold and ft
the hoe and how to strike the
weed to cut it. Then he gives his
son the hoe to repeat what he has
shown him.
These are very simple demonstrations,
but they are demonstrations.
The main difference betweinsThe
aildffe rn b
tween the simple demonstration
and the teaching method demonstration
is that the latter is carefully
planned.
How Demonstrations Teach
New Practices
" They help people to take more
interest in learning.
" They combine seeing with
learning.
" They encourage people to try
new practices,
* They make each step easy to
understand,
" They convince people who see
and examine results.
4
Why Demonstrations Improve
Your Program
They are dramatic and attract
attention,
They build confidence in the
local worker.
Announcements of a demonstration
can be used to publicize
a program.
Demonstration results make
news that can carry the suggested
practice to a broader
audience,
Who Should Use
Demonstrations?
Local workers - Village workers -
Agents - Village workers have
Ag ts - Vla e w r rs h vi.
many places to demonstrate to
farme. viliage women, boys and
girls. Never tell how to do something
when you can show how.
Form the habit of putting this kind
of action in your teaching whenever
you can.
Leaders - It is easy to train lead-
ers to give demonstrations. New
leaders are more comfortable
giving a demonstration than using
any other method. Well trained
leaders enjoy showing their
neighbors a new skill,
Trainers - Supervisors -
Specialists - People responsible
for training local workers have
many uses for demonstrations,
A supervisor or specialist should
study his teaching outlines to locate
points at which he can demonstrate,
rather than just lecture.
The audience will learn faster and
he will get better results. For example,
go to a village with a new
worker and demonstrate how to
make a home visit, rather than
confining training to a discussion
in the office,
What Can Be Demonstrated?
Both home economics and
agriculture have almost unlimited
posibilities for the use
demonstrations. Here are exan
If a program is aimed to im
prove diets, demonstrations cc
show how to plant a garden, cz
for it, select the best vegetable
prepare them for family use, a
how to prepare vegetables for
baby.
If the program emphasizes
kitchen improvement, demons:
tions might include how to plar
where to place a new stove, hov.
to build a smokeless stove, how
to use the new stove and care fo,
it.
In a program of poultry improvement,
demonstrations migshow
culling, mixing feed, and
making feeders.
Where Can Demonstrations Be
Held?
1. Hold demonstrations where a
group can gather to see and ht
you. Arrange benches under a
tree, in a home, or use a publi
building.
2. Exhibits at fairs offer a good
place to demonstrate. The dem.
onstrations need to be short an;
related to the exhibit. For ex­
ample, at an exhibit showing
homemade equipment for a
baby, agents showed how to
make a baby's bed from a
wooden box.
3. Demonstrations in a market mi
show how to use foods. This
helps the farmer and the con.
sumer.
4. A talk to school children on
health could include a short
demonstration on how to make
a homemade toothbrush and