Growing Yourself as a Learning Facilitator
I think it's important not to put too much pressure on one's self because you may spend all of your time stressed that you are not developing on your topic and new teac hing techniques. Set achievable goals for both within a certain amount of time. If you are reading up on your topic. Find sections to research rather than reading an entire book at once. With developing new ways of teaching, take notes during your classroom time on sections that need attention and find ways to improve those.
Very true that it's not easy. In regard to new ways of teaching I also find it very helpful to be a reflective instructor. Taking at the time at the end of a term/semester to reflect on the courses taught, what went well, what didn't & how I will work to improve the next time.
Ryan
This is not an easy balancing act. I read books and periodicals about the subjects that I teach during my down time to stay current in the field. Implementing new ways of teaching is more about experimenting with what works best for each group of students that comes through my classroom.
How do you balance the need to learn more about the topics you teach with your need to develop new ways of teaching and your classroom time?
With some topics I start out the class by asking the students who has experience in this topic/area. I always walk away from the class learning something new.
I subscribe to online journals. I read the major articles each morning. Then I contemplate how to share this new knowledge with my online class. I usually share an article from my journal reading about once per week. I also think about topics that my students have difficulty understanding. I try to think of ways to communicate the topics differently, both in my Live Chats and in my Announcments section.
I reflect on course content and how i can present it differently or with greater information in addition to what works and what doesn't work my students. As students are all so very different in their learning styles I try to find what is going to reach them and use that with my students.
I spend a great deal of time reading/researching topics pertinent to the clinical environment in which I teach. I review the texts they use and use the study guides for each to prepare before and after clinical discussions.
Teaching in the clinical environment limits the ways to vary instruction. At the bedside, it remains much the same as it has always been. I had recently added the use of my laptop in post- conference to present case studies, review disease related information, even using pertinent videos. The students really like this.
I've also developed some situational quizzes or "what would you do if".... scenarios based on actual patients. Students also report finding this useful.
Many of the topics I teach, I live every day. That said, there is no way I could know everything about everything that I facilitate. I need to review the course material just as the students do, at times i research things online for clarification. I have also asked another instructor to help me in an area that I am very unclear. I explained to the students that I don't work in that particular area and there is nothing wrong with asking for help in an area that one is not comfortable. I told them it is worse to proceed with something if you are unclear as it may end with a less than positive outcome.
As far as new ways to teach material, nothing is set in stone, I allow myself to get to know my class and then decided how to move forward with a lesson plan.
I have opened up a new way of getting the information to the students, this is great!!!
I am currently an externship instructor. I am learning more about extern management by taking these classes. What I am trying to achieve is to take information I am receiving and apply it to externship. An important thing I am now applying is to try to make our meetings more of a discussion by asking questions. Initially, it was more of an advice-giving session on my part. Now I am trying to think of being more of a facilitator. I also plan to start asking them about their goals for the future, which will hopefully remind them why they went to school to begin with, and help them keep their eyes "on the prize" or their current goal.
A good way to do this is by sharing your learing experience with your students and by having them do the same.
By checking myself durring and after facilitating. If I am in need of more information, then the next day its learning on info. If I am in need of better ways of teaching, then I work on that. It requires me to be observent of what is working that day and what is not. It also helps to have an open communication with my students so they can let me know when things are working or not. In this way I learn where I need to naturally with the needs of the class. I know it seems reactive, however, facilitating is something that happens with time and effort, we don't know if it works until we are in it.
I beleive that as you learn more about the topics you teach, you will begin to see ways to improve how you teach. Learning new information and ideas almost quite often brings about changes in how you approach the teaching process.
I try to keep up on new technology and share that with my students.Some students have knowledge and training in the topic from work experiece.I try to have them share with the class.
I think this is a very good idea. I have never asked at the beginning of class if they hear or think something I say may be incorrect, please let me know. I do, however, answer those issues as they occur. Maybe this would be a better method.
Small doses are very important. Too much information to quickly will loose your student. They will eventually fall behind and loose interest. Making sure all students are up to speed with you is also important. Even if it requires tutoring.
You are so right. If you are a good instructor, you leave yourself open to the idea that your students can always help you, whether how you are teaching or how they are learning. They will let you know if you let yourself hear what they are saying or how they are acting.
By trial and error sometimes I guess. I am always learning from a topic and from my students, so that the next new class that comes in I have added any new concepts from the previous class. Any creative ideas a student has is rewarded and also helps me as an instructor.
by asking the students to put thier input in and try how that would work if we do it this way
