A great resource to use are guest speakers.  As you were going through your childhood years when your teacher said there was a guest speaker coming remember how excited everyone was in the class.  Someone from outside of the classroom was coming to talk about something interesting and maybe they might have some pictures or objects to share during their presentation.  Well nothing has changed since your own school days.  Students still like hearing from individuals that are from their field. 

In all of the planning for course content and delivery it is easy to overlook the use of and planning for guest speaker(s) to come into the class.  So as you look at your course planning format  determine when the best time is to have a speaker come to class.  A good time for a guest speaker in most courses is about three fourths way through the course when the students are getting worn down by the course work and the pressures of life.  A guest speaker coming in at this time can get them excited again about why they are in school and what they are studying for.

When you invite a guest speaker be sure to provide that person with guidelines for topics to discuss and a profile of the class.  Guest speakers are coming from the field so they may not have a clear idea of exactly what they should cover when they present.   By giving them this information you will be helping them to shape their presentation.  Give your guest speakers a specific amount of  time so they won't be overwhelmed at having to fill an extended time span.  Also suggest some topics that they will want to cover in their presentation.  This will aid the presenters in developing their presenation while you know that the topics you want to be covered will be.

Prior to the guest speaker coming to class have your students develop a list of questions they would like to ask.  This way after the presentation a discussion can take place or if the presentor runs out of things to say the questions will carry the discussion forward. 

Guest speakers can reinforce what you are teaching by showing the students relevancy and application of course content and skills through their presentation.  They can make the course come alive by telling the students how it is out in their career field which sets the stage for even more effective learning throughout the remainder of the course.   So talk with people from your field and create a file of people that are willing to come in and share their perspectives with the next generation of individuals entering their career area.