Korey,
When you have a blend like this you are able to keep your students engaged and focused for the duration of your class sessions. Good plan and it sounds like you are getting great results with it.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I always try to engage the class with questions, problem-solving, and lots of discussion. The 10-15 minutes this class describes as the ideal amount of time should, I think, also be tempered with lots of interaction to keep the students engaged.
Delores,
Right you are. Mix it up a little and you are doing such with your approach. Your students will appreciate this and become more involved in the sharing/learning process.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Katina,
I know you are going to like the results you get with your use of case studies and demonstrations. Both of these methods are going to let the students make application of the content they have covered and this will increase their motivation and engagement.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
One way I can make lecrures more effective is by getting them involved, allowing the student to ask and be asked question. Interaction is very important because if I didn't explain it in the way they understand sometime the student can explain it better to reach each other.
I am teaching physical anthropology this term. I would like to incorporate case studies into my lectures. I understand the drawback of lecturing the entire time and how draining that can be on the student who will only retain a small portion of what was lecture. I already incorporate computer base activities, but would like to expand with case studies and demonstrations.
Damona,
Good planning in terms of how to engage your students. As you develop your confidence in doing demonstrations you will see increased interest on the part of your students. They really like to see applications of the concepts being presented. Demonstrations increase the value of the content to the students.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I like to share a story that is relative to the class topic at the beginning and then ask students if they have a story share that relates as an opening. Some days there is a video to show or I have the student work together in groups to brainstorm then share what they have discussed. All of these methods work at different times to re-inforce the subject being taught. I need to work more on demonstrations, I don't always have the time to practice ahead of time which makes me feel less sure of myself when trying to demo for the students.
David,
Your efforts to be the learning leader you want to be for your students is what sets you up as an educational professional. All your efforts lend themselves to targeted instruction and maximum student growth. This is what instruction should be about. I wish you continued success as you prepare the next generation of professionals in your field.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
You could almost write a short book just based on the many good ideas presented in this discussion thread. I suspect all my points have already been made, but I will repeat them anyway.
First, although I have taught some of my courses many times (especially foundational courses), I never use slides without reviewing and revising them. I change the order, the wording and sometimes the content (because homeland security is in the news every day). So I never really teach the same lesson twice - I try to keep every presentation new and interesting.
Second, I begin the course by presenting a framework for the entire course: what we will learn and how each lesson supports every other lesson. I use this same framework in the opening of every presentation to show what we have learned, what we have left to learn, and how it fits together.
Third, I frequently assign a short oral report (3-5 min) to one student for each lesson. This keeps students focused, and helps me break my lectures into mini-lectures. (Although I have done this before, I did not start using this term until I read the material in the previous module.)
Finally, I emphasize throughout the course how each lesson provides information that will help the student write the final paper. This encourages them to take notes and think of ways to apply what is being taught.
The biggest danger I run is "over-teaching" subjects -- trying to tell people everything I know about the subject. The way to avoid this problem (and make my lectures more effective) is to teach by posing questions, shifting the focus to their answers rather than mine.
You can make your lectures more effective by utilizing a variety of lecture formats including comprehensive demonstrations of technical skills.
Minnie,
So true and so important to the engagement process for students.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I totally agree with your statement. Obtaining an idea of what students already helps the Instructor understand where to add focus throughout the course.
I find that providing pictorial evidence of the topic helps make the topic more relevant for the students, so they are more likely to be engaged. I like finding pictures of real life cases, from mild to severe, so they can see the progression of any disease or body part.
I also find that using the real life examples in lectures help the students see the importance of the topic. I have used examples of the importance of documentation and how it can save their certification if they perform it correctly. They really will perk up at these scenarios.
Finally, I will break up lectures with humor to keep everyone awake and focused. It is hard to pay attention to lecture, but by using my voice, my movements, and even my tone, the students have to focus more, which makes it more engaging. I allow them to feel it is okay to ask questions, be a little funny, and still understand the material.
Kristia,
You are "getting a read" on your students through this effort. I think this is a great thing to do because I know with my students once I get a read I can then finalize how I am going to open class for that day.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
By asking the students questions before the class I can gauge where they are mentally and physically each day. This way I can get a feel for the over all mood of the class before I start my lecture for the day.
Madelaine,
Humor is a great way to keep students focused on the topic and engaged. Also, the more application you can make the more relevancy the students see in the material.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Karl,
Good thinking about how to prep for the lecture and then go into class feeling confident about your preparedness.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
One way to prepare and deliver effective lectures is to show examples of how it affects their daily life. Another is to start the lecture with a joke that makes them think and wakes them up.
Alot goes through your mind when preping a lecture when your knowledge of the subject matter is great.I find myself having to " drop back ten " and as the adage says keep it simple stupid ,kiss, always trying to state the obvious and as this coutse has stated SHOWTIME!
