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someone suggested a tweet thread on how i use slides when i teach trademark law (a sneak peek at part of tomorrow's #aals2021 IP pedagogy panel). i'm by no means an authority, just sharing some things that work for me & ways i think about slides. how do YOU use slides?
some of you don't, & that's great. i've always struggled to listen to someone talk for a long time & follow w/o any kind of visuals, so i assume at least some students feel the same--especially when it comes to online learning. so here are 10 ways i use slides (feat. slides)!
1. to situate the topic(s) we're discussing that day within the broader context of the class. where are we going, where have we been, what knowledge are we building on today in class, how do the pieces fit together &c.
2. to illustrate the case or issue we're discussing--often crucial in cases about trademark & trade dress registrability, functionality, infringement, dilution, etc.
3. just to give students a visual reminder of what we're talking about. have you ever zoned out for a minute & COMPLETELY lost the thread? sometimes this happened to me in law school & i never got it back. "oh shoot, what case are we on!? oh yeah empire, got it."
4. multifactor tests. how can anyone follow a discussion of 8 different factors w/o losing track? i want it pinned up there in bold font so we can stay focused on it, whether we're working thru a case or a hypo.
5. maybe controversial w/ the "never read your slide" crowd, but sometimes i throw a whole sentence up & go over it slowly. it can take a few tries for a concept like reverse confusion to stick. i intro the concept here & then return to it in greater depth w/ miraclesuit.
6. the thing, irl. a student took this pic for me & it contains some great lessons about remedies & what happens after litigation. CBOCs is doing its best to use "CB old country store," not "cracker barrel," but the grocery clerk who made the label didn't get the memo.
7. this overlaps w/ several previous ones, but sometimes i use an image to anchor an idea or help cement a connection--like a flashcard. when you think post-sale confusion, think ferrari testarossa kit car.
8. use a visual to make a point. if you're reading gigante, you have to understand the geographical proximity of these trademark users. i could tell you "san diego is close to tijuana" or i could throw up a map--i think the map is more effective.
9. flow charts, diagrams, etc. i use more of these when i teach contracts & lived off them when i studied for the bar. they can make concepts click or just provide a straightforward teaching tool. the third one i stole from my casebook; the others are mine.
10. hypos & exercises--handouts work too, but when we split off for think/pair/share type discussions & then come back together, it helps to have the image & prompts up at the front of the room.
