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

Instructing Learners with Disabilities

Very good, particularly following up by checking for understanding with, of course, balancing the out loud reading with active learning activities to support the outcomes. Try adding a visual element and, if possible, a hands-on activity for those whose learning styles challenge them when trying to absorb information solely by listening. Jay Hollowell, Center for Excellence in Education

Jay Hollowell

Discussion Comment

Organizing Student Learning Groups

Hi Paul! Thanks for your comments about student learning groups, particularly not using them all the time. True, it is one of the characteristics of an active learning environment, but just like any other teaching strategy, overuse yields ineffectiveness. I too have found that student learning groups do positively challenge students to think and participate as long as the roles, tasks and ground rules are clearly defined by the team.

Jay Hollowell

Discussion Comment

Instructing Learners with Disabilities

Hi Paul! Yes, early intervention is the key. Ironically, many adult students come into the career college setting without ever having a learning disability identified. Since we, as career instructors, are not necessarily versed in working with learning disabilities, perhaps our recourse is to be innovative and flexible in our teaching strategies and instructional delivery so that we can reach across as many learning styles as possible. Jay Hollowell

Jay Hollowell

Discussion Comment

Organizing Student Learning Groups

Hi Paul! You're right, the latter things you mention are really workplace success skills that are more likely to get an employee promoted or, in the case of those skills lacking, terminated. Jay, ED106 Facilitator

Jay Hollowell

Discussion Comment

Instructing Diverse Learners

Hi Paul! I really like that strategy as it covers several things. Let me suggest too that students might add an additional component to their intro essays: a brief description, or personal assessment, of their learning styles (ex:hearing, seeing, writing, doing) and from their perspectives, where they feel their strengths and challenges are as students. It's hard to reach every student in every class. What are a few teaching strategies that you have effectively used to touch upon students from diverse backgrounds and varying learning styles?

Jay Hollowell

Discussion Comment

Additional Forum 1 Questions

Hi Paul! This is Jay, the course facilitator. Excellent point about moving components of related content closer together. I've found too that when introducing a lesson, it is helpful to refer to how the learning outcomes relate to and support the last piece of information or application (the last lecture or demonstration for example), then when reviewing the lesson, comment on how the information may serve as a foundation to the next thing that is introduced. It's a building block approach that supplements what you have proactively done with your curriculum. Could you give an example of how you have… >>>

Jay Hollowell

Discussion Comment

Developing Your Communication Skills

Hi Joshua, I agree that moving around the classroom helps a great deal. To enhance the communication process, I often will ask students to paraphrase certain points and discussions during class (in a collaborative way of course), to make sure everyone is on the same page, including myself! Jay Hollowell, MaxKnowledge

Jay Hollowell

Discussion Comment

Developing Your Communication Skills

Hi Joshua! Thanks for your observation. It's right on point! Yes, staying behind the desk, though comfortable, can be a real challenge. Additionally, lecturing without activities, not encouraging participation, etc. are traps that we sometimes fall into, even as experienced instructors, and tend to undermine an active and successful learning environment. What have been some techniques you have used to increase the communication flow among instructors and students in the classroom?

Jay Hollowell

Discussion Comment

Instructing Diverse Learners

Thanks Herschel! I have reviewed all of your excellent forum comments and appreciate your interest in the discussion activities. Certainly having students work a case together and then present their findings as a team allows them to not only analyze information and recommend solutions, but also synergize their inputs in a team dynamics atmosphere. In addition, I often have had students keep a learning journal where they summarize concepts and applications as well as develop questions on the material and even relate relevance as to how they would utilize concepts in the workplace. This seems to particularly help students with… >>>

Jay Hollowell

Discussion Comment

Developing Your Communication Skills

Hi Herschel! This is Jay Hollowell, the facilitator for ED106. Thank you so much for your comments. Having also taught at various levels of academia, I have found that your points are on target. Adult learners must see relevance. By your linking concepts to practical, real-world situations, they can hear and visualize applications as well as envision their own. As you proceed through the course and discussion forums I would be very interested in knowing how you have used student learning groups within the context of demonstrating real-world applications in the classroom. Is there a link?

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