The talking ball sounds like a great method for getting students to engage in class participation. I believe that this allows them to personally apply what they have learned. With my students, I have them individually reflect on the lesson of the day and use a few minutes to tell me what they learned about. I find that they really do absorb quite a bit of the lecture this way.

I find my students make all the difference when I get a class from hell it does not matter what I do to keep them on track they pick the time they want to learn, but on the other fhand a good clas brings the best out in everyone

changing minds is difficult especially if an entire classroom is negative and not recieving of the lesson plans.  Finding a way they learn I have found...makes all the difference.  Usually a person will block the learning process because their entire life they feel up to this point it is not worth their time.  This can be found in adult learning more than in younger generation.  I notice older adults more distracting when it comes to material they are not willing to participate in.  They best way is to find out how they interact with the world through dialogue.  Conversation and some exercises will tell you how they learn.  Once you pick that up you can start adapting some methods for them individually and change some of the lecture to include details through their favorite process of learning.

http://www.worldwidelearn.com/education-articles/how-do-you-learn.htm

 

here is an interesting site about multiple ways of learning based off experiences

http://www.edutopia.org/multiple-intelligences-learning-styles-research