The first of Gagne’s nine events of instruction is “gain attention.” The word “attention” takes me back to grade school, where only the principal used the P.A. system (it was a much simpler time).

Ordinary messages, like recruiting boys for the safety patrol or girls to be hall monitors (it was a more stratified time, too), were made by student versions of town criers who went from classroom to classroom. In my memory, it seems they always began, “Your attention please!”

More of a demand then a request, but never mind.

Steve Higgins and Shelly Batts at Of Two Minds mentioned GraphJam, the place where pie charts meet Lolcats. GraphJam invites people to create charts and upload them. Readers don’t comment, per se; they submit TPS reports.

Some of the entries only remind you that tragedy’s easy but comedy’s hard. Still, in the right circumstances, you can apply the idea and gain attention more successfully than the kid making announcements for the pep rally.

Bullhorn photo by Nate Beaty.
Knife and Snapple charts from GraphJam.com