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

Organizing Student Learning Groups

This is wonderful, Anne! Thanks so much! I have also used the competitve spirit with class projects - it not only builds the teambuilding apsect, but affords students in working together the opportunity to clarify the expectations others have of them and to really think through the project's process. It is so very real to the workplace. Jay ED106

Jay Hollowell

Discussion Comment

Refining Your Communication Skills

Hi Anne! Thanks so much for your comments and for sharing some of your techniques for the classroom. Mutual respect with our adult learners certainly serves as a platform for motivation and real learning. I often have asked my students about therir expectations of me and of the course just as I am clear as to my expectations of them. You're right - repetition is a fundamental teaching technique to the learning process, particularly if you capture repeated material a bit differently each time. Sometimes, I have asked students (without putting them on the spot)to paraphrase what we have been… >>>

Jay Hollowell

Discussion Comment

Organizing Student Learning Groups

Thanks for your response, Charmaine! I have also found that by discussing and/or reviewing content together, they also have the opportunity to see concepts from a different perspective. I gave students an objective test, individually at first, then collected it from each student. The next evening, I divided them into learning groups and handed each group a blank copy of the same test to collaborate on the answers (they had to remember their selections from the day before without their individual tests in front of them). Each group then gave me their team consensus on the correct answers. Students received… >>>

Jay Hollowell

Discussion Comment

Refining Your Communication Skills

You're right, effective listening is a practiced skill requiring us to focus intently on the message, show genuine interest, and be aware of our own perceptions and feelings. Thanks again for your comments, Willie. Jay ED106

Jay Hollowell

Discussion Comment

The Challenge of Learning Disabilities

Excellent point, Willie, about presenting instructions orally as students read; this taps both auditory and visual learning styles. Jay ED106

Jay Hollowell

Discussion Comment

The Diverse Learner

Outstanding, thanks for your input! Listening and observing are, as you note, the keys without, of course, drawing undue attention to the challenge. Jay Hollowell ED106 Facilitator

Jay Hollowell

Discussion Comment

Using Student Learning Groups

Thanks, Willie, an interesting point! I might suggest, though, introducing a new team member to the group sometimes; true, it changes the group's dynamics, but also enables the group to practice revisiting the core objectives and ground rules as well as experiencing the diversity of someone with different ideas. It also can minimize "groupthink." It creates further grounds for practicing communication skills and, though it may be uncomfortable at first to the established members, can be productive in the long run and very realistic to what happens in the workplace. Jay Hollowell ED106 Facilitator

Jay Hollowell

Discussion Comment

Refining Your Communication Skills

Hi Willie! Thanks for your comments! It sure is a balance between verbal and nonverbal. On the other side of the coin, I try as well to constantly observe the nonverbal communication coming from my students. It speaks volumes as to their understanding, interest and even learning styles. Hope you are enjoying the course! Jay Hollowell ED106 Facilitator

Jay Hollowell

Discussion Comment

Instructing Diverse Learners

Hi Jay, thanks for your comments; I think that enabling students to visualize examples is particularly effective with diverse learners (especially if language is a challenge). A visual aid is one step closer to hands-on application as well. Sometimes I have used photographs as visuals to explain the sequential stages or steps in a process and even have placed the visuals out of order to get students to critically think about putting them back in order. With diverse learners, just as you, I have tried to reach the different learning styles by challenging their visual, auditory and hands-on processes. One… >>>

Jay Hollowell

Discussion Comment

Refining Your Communication Skills

Thanks Debra! A good sense of humor is certainly a tremendous asset in relaxing the classroom a bit. I have often told a funny and appropriate story where I may have "goofed," so to speak, in the workplace in regard to the lesson or classroom topics at hand. Do you find that using lighthearted examples and stories helps students assimilate material? Jay ED106 Facilitator

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