Jay Hollowell

About me

Please allow me this opportunity to welcome everyone to The Lounge! As someone who has had the honor of being in career education and corporate training for thirty years (gee, it makes me feel much older!), I can honestly say that I am the happiest professionally when having the opportunity to interact with fellow career educators - whether it be a training event, webinar, or medium such as this where we can collaboratively share our thoughts.

Activity

Jay Hollowell

Discussion Comment

Using Student Learning Groups

Hi Marilu! I also use a combination of individual and group grades, it helps to even things out a bit; to your points about group dynamics, I too have found that clear expectations communicated up front, ground rules and identified outcomes really help to facilitate the group dynamics process. I really like your example of giving easier, initial practice assignments to get team members acclimated prior to the major work; icebreakers can also be effective. Thanks for your input! Jay Hollowell ED106 Facilitator

Jay Hollowell

Discussion Comment

Refining Your Communication Skills

Hi Joan! I too tend to speak quickly when covering a subject I know well, but realizing, as you mentioned, that it may be the student's first introduction to the material. I have found that taking the time to paraphrase, asking a question, telling a related story, giving an example or demonstration, and sometimes just stopping and taking a few good breaths all help to slow things down a bit. It is common ground for most of us in career education, as you mentioned, to have the responsibility of teaching a lot of content or applications in a very short… >>>

Jay Hollowell

Discussion Comment

The Challenge of Learning Disabilities

Thanks Jennifer! As you mentioned, often just some additional time is the best strategy for helping students with learning challenges. Sometimes when I work with a student and give more time, I also provide additional supports depending upon the challenge. It might be a vocabulary resource, an outline, or a recommended technique for assimilating a new topic or application. Jay Hollowell ED106 Facilitator

Jay Hollowell

Discussion Comment

Using Student Learning Groups

Hi Gil, to your point I too have found that student voice inflection, tone, eye contact, monitoring the conversation, etc. all help instructors keep a pulse on the classroom or lab. Additionallt, I often have students paraphrase lesson content to each other, or engage in "mini" related hands-on activities during the presentation of a new topic or application. Thanks for your observations! Jay Hollowell ED106 Facilitator

Jay Hollowell

Discussion Comment

The Challenge of Learning Disabilities

Hi Gil, thanks for your comments! Step-by-step in a hands-on application is likely the most effective way to acquire a skill, particularly when there is a specific procedure involved. Jay Hollowell ED106 Facilitator

Jay Hollowell

Discussion Comment

Refining Your Communication Skills

Hi Tremayne! Thanks so much for your observation. I too have found that a humorous story or anecdote really breaks the ice and can even support an upcoming point in the content. I love your reference to "pop cultural" examples. If possible, could you mention a couple of examples for the forum? Jay ED106

Jay Hollowell

Discussion Comment

The Diverse Learner

Hi Scott! For those students that may risk boredom, perhaps moving up Bloom's Taxonomy is a solution. While the more challenged students are working at comprehension of a concept, technique or application, other learners can engage in an assignment or activity that facilitates analysis or forming a judgment (higher up the pyramid). For example, in Accounting while some students are mastering how to develop a Balance Sheet, other students who quickly acquired that skill, might take an incorrect balance sheet and fix it, or develop a presentation on how a Balance Sheet can be used to make informed business decisions.… >>>

Jay Hollowell

Discussion Comment

Using Student Learning Groups

Hi William! Thanks so much for your honest comments! Though group work may not be appropriate for every assignment, having students each contribute to a result, held responsible for a portion of the task at hand, and potentially providing feedback to others in the group regarding their work, all combine to affect an important workpalce skill - even in work environments where individual tasks and responsibilities are paramount. Best wishes for introducing some group activities! Please feel free to visit some other posts in the forums that highlight ways to encourage group effectiveness. Thanks again, Jay Hollowell ED106 Facilitator

Jay Hollowell

Discussion Comment

Instructing Learners with Disabilities

Thanks, Kathy, for this excellent suggestion. By having a student volunteer take notes and providing the resources that you do, there is more of an opportunity for enhanced learning - students are not so busy trying to get everything down, that they lose the concept. Jay Hollowell ED106 Facilitator

Jay Hollowell

Discussion Comment

The Challenge of Learning Disabilities

Hi McKinley! I like your observations - sometimes a good "kick in the pants" is exactly what's needed. Repetition has always been an effective learning strategy because it relates to so many of the learning styles - whether we see it, hear it or do it, repetitively. Should it get boring for some students, I have often changed the repetition a bit - presenting it a little differently each time; presenting an error that needs to be addressed; having students add something relevant to the repeated concept or activity, etc. Thanks so much for your comments! Jay Hollowell ED106 Facilitator

End of Content