Greetings Stephen!
Yes indeed, it does "open learning doors so that learning/teaching occurs naturally"! This type of learning environment helps both student and instructor to feel and be empowered.
Good job!
Jane davis
ED107 Facilitator
One of the advantages to being a math teacher is that the math does not change. However, the applications and students do. Therefore, I focus more time learning new teaching techniques and examples.
I think this is a difficult task. It's even more difficult for those that are in the medical fields and science fields because we can hardly keep up with the constant change in the facts, research, and news events etc.
I get discussion and news delivered to my desk to help, but there is also a need to develop good actvities in my class as well to learn!
I think the best thing would be to set time aside each week to reflect on teaching and activities!
When getting ready for a class, when reading the content to be discussed for the day, I think about how I will relay the subject matter, and also any unforseable questions that may arise in class. I discuss questions that I may want more in depth answers to, and ask the class what they think, many times its refreshing to find that together we can come to a new place in the learning process together, in a sense critical thinking out loud. Magic.
Being in the culinary industry is great because we can find inspiration to learn more about our industry every day. I talk to my students about tv shows, books, magazines and most importantly about their own experience or family culinary history. I want them to bring in recipes or specific points so that we can discuss them together. I find that the best time to do this is while i am roaming the floor as they are working. It gives me an opportunity to speak to everyone directly and engage each and every student. It opens doors and allows teaching/learning to occur naturally. I can relate an experience I have had with them which allows them to feel that they are truly part of the learning experience.
The Students in my classes are just starting and I have them only 6 weeks and for 2 hours per day.
One of the perks I know they have over the time I learned the craft 50 years ago is the wealth of information we all have on the internet today. I talk about what I learn about the topics of cooking when I am looking for answers.
I usually know the answers to their questions but sometimes I need to tell them that I have to get back to them later and then I ask the student to also look it up and tell us the next day what he/she learned. Doing this helps my students and me to.
Hi Jamie!
I have always been of the mind that I should learn from others. Each individual is so unique and has so much to offer. I was a classroom learner because I liked the one-on-one with fellow students and face-toface with instructors.
Good job!
Jane Davis
ED107 Facilitator
Being a learning facilitator, I need to be open to new information from others and add it to my teachings. I'll adjust the new ways I teach by how affective it will be.
Sometimes the need to learn more about a subject often gives you ideas on how to develop new ways to teach that subject. I often see new techniques on how to make a specific product and I then incorporate those new techniques into my teaching. It allows me to show students that there is more than one method available.
I always try my best to skim over headlines and articles relevant to the topic that I teach. I want to knwo what is going on and/or be able to understand where students maybe developing questions from.
Additionally I read education related material for new ideas and research.
I read! Reading is the path to knowledge. A combination of internet research and traditional library research provides the information necessary to make these developments. In addition, I ask my peers. They provide a wealth of knowledge and experience.
I apply challenges I encounter in the field as potential topics for discussion and/or assignments to illustrate problem solving techniques. I read trade publications and discuss experiences with other faculty.
I like to combine the two, using the fact that I need more info on a topic to allow me to analyze how I approach the material and then take that experience to structure my lesson plan to cover the same topic. I also find that the act of teaching a topic usually produces a question or I find a gap in my own understanding which leads to additional research and an evaluation of my most recent delivery.
I am in a unique position that allows me to learn more about my subject matter and at the same time enhance my teaching style within the classroom.
I teach International cuisine at a culinary school. I try to learn something about the ethnicity of my students at the beginning of each class. When our lesson plan is about the cuisine of a country that matches the background one of my students, I ask them to bring in a family recipe and incorporate that into the daily menu, I have that student teach the class that recipe and give them the background on that particular food. The student becomes a very engaged teacher and I along with the rest of the class become an eager learner
Good job Snezana!
I have a personal policy that I make at least one major change in persentation or materials and that I learn one new something about the course that I instruct/facilitate each term - especially if I am teaching the same course for serveral terms. If I am tired of my approach, both the students and myself will be the loser since classroom time is a mutual learning process.
What are specific things that you have done as a result of your re-evaluation?
Keep up the good work!
Jane Davis
ED107 Facilitator
I have moved from a managment style instructor to instuctional leadership style, I just tried a different appoach in class and attend inservice day which is about teaching styles.
Some examples
Flexible time for students.
Expanded Opportunities students
Success Based Students.
Outcomes Driven for students.
I work on re-evaluating the class outlines and activites in between terms, trying to keep all methods of teaching and learning in mind.
I teach computer programming courses, and I enjoy taking a portion of class time exploring a technique, code library, or software feature I'm not very familiar with. This way the class can come up with ideas and is discovering something new right along with me. Hopefully the class is learning how to expand their learning while I do.
This practice developed as I'd actively seek answers to some student questions right in class as they watched my computer screen projected. We have Google after all. :) That small degree of spontaneity engages the class nicely. Obviously, one has to watch the time and gauge relevance, though.
There's an awful lot of trial and error in programming classes and I find some students get discouraged with the process. Seeing me make mistakes and sharing the process with me as we learn something entirely new seems to help them feel better about their progress.
my need to learn more about the subjects i teach is constant and informs new ways of teaching. responding to the needs of my students frequently leads me to an exploration of subject matter and different ways to communicate information. their understanding of the course material is of the utmost importance and i craft my teaching to serve that goal.
Great job Susan!
It is - indeed - important that an instructor/facilitator is able to provide a learning opportunity for students. AND - it is often the trivia "stuff" that we use in class that best makes a point.
Keep up the good work!
Jane Davis
ED107 Facilitator
