Mixing it up
As an instructor for a Career Development class, I find it most beneficial to have a mix of different types of learning activities. I like to have a PowerPoint to assist me in delivering my lecture (for auditory and visual) and I also like to mix in "learning by doing" activities such as networking for 2 minutes in class. The combination seems to work great! I am wondering if other instructors have found success in this type of instruction.
I also use slideshows of international travel to hilite international cuisine.
I also use video clips in class. The students actually steered me in that direction. I played around with some information before presenting it and the students are actually are more engaged. I have many projects that include students providing PowerPoint presentations. I pay close attention on how they deliverer the material and later incorporate their preferences into my own.
I agree that we should be able to mix up our learning styles It keep things fresh
I like to use everything from crosswords to Powerpoints, Funny videos to change the state of the class is also effective!
Hi John - Thanks for your post to the forum. Is it possible to intersperse the hands-on with the lecture? If possible, I think that it would certainly break up the "lengthy" lectures. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
There are times I feel I get stuck in a rut of always teaching the same way based on the type of material I have to teach. I am an IT instructor. During the lecture portion of a class, when teaching a new concept, I begin by using a pre-made powerpoint from the included instructor materials. I do take breaks during many of the slides to ask questions of the students and try to get them to interact. At times I will also flip back on the light and expand on ideas using the white board to further illustrate a point. Once the lecture is over I then assign some hands-on activity based on the material just covered during the lecture. I guess I do try to mix it up, but there are times I wish I could get away from lengthy lectures. Any suggestions?
Hi Denelle - Thanks for your post to the forum. You are doing a great job of teaching to the learning styles! Susan
I agree that we should be able to mix up our learning style to reach all students. I use powerpoints, group activities, lecture, hands out teaching in the lab. I feel this benefits the students learning.
