Monkey see, monkey do?
I teach keyboarding and MS Office classes with mostly kinesthetic style instruction. The problem I run into is the students can do a specific task, but they don't always know why they are doing it. The book is designed as a tutorial but the examples don't always help the students understand the purpose for the steps. Students will complete a project with 100% accuracy, but don't know why or when they would use it in real life. What is an alternative?
Hi Glenn, Thanks for your post to the forum. I especially liked your comment about "keeping things real". Students really need to see how what they are learning is relevant to their careers and/or their lives! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
As with most topics, you have to take a look at how you are presenting info and does it make sense the way you are instructing.Keeping in mind that there are all different styles of learning.Keeping things "real" is a big key to success.
I thin you're right, often, students do not know why they do what they do. I would suggest, finding out majors of study. I don't know of any field that having knowledge of these applications aren't necessary. Perhaps, once you can relate the importance to specific fields.. Is there a way to relate relevancy to fields of major?
Melissa Mccloud
Hi Michael - Thanks for your post to the forum. Yes, it's often being able to apply that knowledge that gets the to understand the "Why?"
Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
i get the same problem when the class is going over the software program they know how and where to make the changes all day but don't know why, not till they get to reprogram do they real get to understand what they are and why they are making the changes to it.
In know exactly what you mean.It happens to me all the time in automotive repair instruction.We discovered that real life scenarios work to make them learn why they are doing certain things.
Is there a way to add screens/questions that incorporate reasoning behind content and ask questions to check in to be sure they understand?
HI Cathleen- Thanks for your post to the forum. The best thing would be to come up with a sample of those real life scenarios to use when teaching the MS Office classes. Best wishes- Susan
