Steven,
Good list of ways to get students engaged and focused on the value of the content being shared.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Shock tactics with relation to safety, repetition is talking about dangerous situations, personal stories or parables to get the point across, video to illustrate procedure
I really like this idea it helps the students summarize the content to themselves and reinforces their learning!!
James,
I think this is a great strategy to use as it helps the students to make application of the content that has been shared.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Role Play- As a criminal justice instructor it can be challenging to incorporate multiple learning styles into heavily theory based content. Role playing allows the student to think outside the box and apply theoretical knowledge.
FRIEDA,
I am a big believer in using all the resources you can. Your approach is doing just that. You are giving additional resources to your students so they can gain maximum knowledge while they are in your course.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Using the internet for current information and case studies have been useful.
Some sites offer lectures that give the students a different voice and perspective on the subject matter. This gives room for class discussion.
Sarah,
Effective communication is important for career success no matter the field. Your approach with your culinary arts students help them see the value of good communication especially in your area of verbal communication. You are making learning how to communicate fun, engaging and valuable with each of your activities.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I teach Verbal Communications and we have tried to make the course relevant to the culinary world. One of the presentations they give is a demo. We actually book a kitchen for this learning strategy. Two weeks before we demo, they have to give an ingredient list with conversion amounts. I have a discussion about accuracy for purchasing and also preview their Cost Control Class. They write a presentation outline that lays out their mis en place. When they demo, they learn how to develop a patter, how to practice so they can meet the time limit. So much learning takes place in this one assignment. They see what they need to work on. We then go back in to the classroom and discuss how demos can be used in the interviewing process.
Judy,
The more connections like this you can make the better. This is what gets the students engaged so they will start to see themselves in their field and why you are teaching what you are.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I try to make my course content relative to the real world. When I teach anatomy I try to do it in a way that the students can retain the information and use it in the real world settings for which they are preparing.
Brainstorming -asking learners leading questions of their experiences and what they did about it and then present the Course Content and show them the relevance of their experiences to what they are learning
Jessica,
These are fun ways to keep students focused and to let them use the content that has just been covered. Students really like change of pace and variety in their instructional delivery and you are doing such with your approach.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I like to employ multiple short lectures followed by an actual demonstration of student activity. For instance, in the phlebotomy class that I teach, I taught a quick lecture with both Powerpoint and a Youtube video showing the reasons for and proper way for tying a tourniquet. Then I had the students actually perform the exercise of tying the tourniquet on a dummy arm followed by their actual classmates.
Kareme,
This is not only talking the walk but is also walking the walk. You are showing them the ROI they will receive as a result of being successful in your course.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
The two main areas I focus on to make the content relevant and applicable are real-world application and assignment application. It's fairly obvious that adult learners in a career-focused program want to know (sometimes demand to know!) how material applies to the workplace. And, focusing in on the ways that the course can empower a person in the workforce can be motivational and even exciting.
But, I think just as important is how the content will apply to course assignments. In other words, I often will pause to note how a particular subject or learning nugget applies to the assignments for the week so that students know what is most important to their demonstration of a level of mastery of the content. I don't give them the answers. I do offer suggestions on ways to approach assignments so that during content delivery they can begin to compose the week's work. I might say something like... as you are reviewing this information, you may wish to consider using it in your paper this week in this way or that way or a third way. By doing this, they know what to focus on and can continue to absorb the content in a way that will later serve them in demonstrating an understanding of the material through their submissions.
I have made the content more relative to their everyday life.
Shelly,
This has been my experience as well. They need to get really comfortable with the manikin so they don't "lock up" when humans are involved. These procedures need to become second nature to them so they will make the patients comfortable as well.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
In my experience repetitive repetitions on a manikin eliminate fear of live client interaction with minimal mistakes from over excitement from first time experiences.
Marina,
Real life examples increase the value of the course content for students. They see the reason behind teaching what you are teaching and the lab work they are expected to perform. This is their ROI due to the relevance and application that comes out of sharing these stories.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
