At the beginning of class I ask the students questions that gauge their subject knowledge level. I then try to add the latest technology that appeals and is most applicable to them. Student interest is always raised when the discussion turns to how social networks, computers, and cell phones are changing the world. It is very easy to engage them in discussions about how they feel about these topics. Their insight is frequently the absolute latest, particularly with the students in their teens and early twenties.
As a fashion instructor, some of my favorite ways of adding resources to my instructional content include the utilization of fashion magazines. Fashion is a very visual field, and magazines/periodicals are definitely useful in discussing trends and current events in the fashion industry. This brings on lots of class discussion, engagement, and participation from the students.
carolyn,
Great suggestion. As i mentioned earlier in the post, publisher resources for instructors and students are very effective in providing supplemental material for the course textbook.
Tremayne Simpson
I check with the online resources of the publisher of my textbook. They usually have DVDs, workbooks and other suggested material to supplement what I come up with.
The way I use technology is by using the internet and show thim videos about the material being covered. My students tend to grasp the information better when they see the material along with hearing the material and getting to see the actual process in which it is accomplished.
Sometimes students enjoy simple experiments. Things that I assumed were going to be a little dull have worked really well. One thatstudents really like is copper plating a nickel with a D cell battery, a penny, a nickel and a cup of salt water.
Gerald,
I like your instructional resources. I have also brought in educational games and flashcards. They are great learning tools, and they are also a lot of fun.
Carol Myslinski
Hello,
Since I teach English Composition, I have students use the Internet to judge credibility of websites, locate sources, and access sites for grammar and documentation. Of course, the library is a resource, one that I definitely use in my classes.
Carol Myslinski
Francis,
I use a similar approach in my speech class. I try to provide time for short, "audience assessments", in that students are given the opportunity to present a short speech in preparation for a major presentation. I allow the class (audience) to provide a verbal critique and suggested areas of improvement for the student. I find that peer critiquing is a great tool in assisting a student with overcoming speech anxiety, as long as all students have an equal opportunity to provide comments.
Tremayne Simpson
The students themselves. In my Speech classes, I offer as many students as time will allow the opportunity to "teach" by going up the blackboard/my desk and presenting a speech topic and talking the class through how they plan to organize, incorporate visual aids and deliver the presentation. The class MUST offer positive feedback AND suggest ways to improve. I especially try to encourage the more reluctant speakers to do this to get more practice, which boosts their confidence for the actual "speech day."
Anthony,
This is a great use of instructional resources. More than likely, the student may not remember the actual definition of "force", however they will remember the demonstration using the "crumpled paper" as an example of force. Instructional resources can provide the students with the "neural traces" that are important for them to remember forgotten information, well after the class has ended.
Tremayne Simpson
At our school we are encouraged to come up with creative ways to present material to the class. For example instead of just explaing what force is we have taken a piece of crumpled paper up have a student stand in front of you and throw it very hard and ask them to catch it. Then you grab a heavy object from your training materials and ask them to stand in front of you and say I am going to throw this as hard as I can and I want you to catch it. If you can give visual examples of conceopts students have a better chance to grasp them.
Gerald,
Additional course supplements can inspire the student to further understand the lectured concepts. It also helps when the students can relate to the devices that are used in a lesson (i.e. cards and dice).
Thank you for your post.
Tremayne Simpson
I bring in industry literature and company brochures. I also bring in cards and dice as well as miniture gambling devices when I teach statistics.
denise,
These are great examples of viable, instructional resources. It is important that the students are able to visualize actual "applications" of learned, course-concepts.
Tremayne Simpson
I like to incorporate some of my favorite on-line resources (depending on the course I am teaching). I also bring in industry magazines and pictures from recent events I have worked to show my class how objectives from our course are current being used in our industry.
