I love the idea of using quotes and student's work to attract attention and further learning. Music is also a great tool to assist in the retention of material.
In a the kitchen environment, I feel the students are already visually stimulated. However, I like to use music to help the environment. Upbeat music helps them work faster, but when they are stressed or disruptive, classical music calms them down. Any way you look at it, I use the music to improve the mood and working environment, which leads to improved learning.
The classroom I have is not a real winner, but seems to work. It is always cold, has dim lights, is rectanglar, and is in the basement, so no windows.
However, it is small enough that I could develop peripherals and could have posters etc that we can change out on the walls.
I like it because I feel close to the students and part of the learning environment. I think visuals are important and can be fun in the classroom.
with the variety of subjects I am involved with teaching. I can see color having a great impact on the student learning. Although the facility that I work for does not permit the use of music, I have used it many times in other faccets of my life with great success.
I guess that I am lucky, in the sense that I have built into my program multisensory learning. In culinary school we have lecture, power points and we have hands-on learning environments. And sometimes we are able to use several of the applications in one class period.To improve the student's environment I will mix the groups in order to allow the students to experience working with different individuals. Additionally, I have found that music, during a production period, helps in energizing students and helps them be more efficient.
Hi Stephen!
What a great observation about the current generation having grown up with so much stimulation. But unless the class is made of almost entirely of this generation, music might not work as well. Isn't it such a pleasure to be able to help train/educate such a wide range of learners. We all learn so much from each other!
Keep up the good work!
Jane Davis
ED107 Facilitator
I tend to use seating charts placing students that have different learning abilities. It is important that each student has the ability to work through the exercises alone, however it is also helpful for the students with more ability in some areas to help others that may be struggling in class, It gives the students a feeling of acomplishment when they know they can help others do well, I find that the subject matter is also retained more efficiently among these groups.
I truly wish that I could employ some more of these techniques into my classroom, but because my classroom is a kitchen much of these things are just not allowed. The kitchen is a sensory place in itself so I do think that we have the benefit of using all of our senses on a daily basis. I mean, how fortunate is it that we get to also use our sense of smell and taste unlike most traditional classrooms. I would love to be able to employ music. I was in the music industry for 13 years and am in a band so I enjoy the stimulation and always feel that it focuses me. Modern learners have grown up with constant visual and auditory stimulation and can find it very monotonous and boring to be without which creates difficulty in keeping their attention.
As an air conditioning instructor I like to use the color red to indicate the hot temp/ high pressure refrigerant and blue color to indicate to the low temp/ low pressure. This helps students have a better visual understanding of the refrigerant cycle.
The different colors help the student identify with graphs.
I try using different colors for a change of pace
Being in a kitchen, it is difficult to incorporate music because the kitchen is pretty loud to begin with. Colors and visuals work very well. I like to make sure ther is a finished product that the students are going to prepare then have each step along the way so students can see the progression of the product.
I have added a variety of visuals to the walls of the classroom. One student in-class work project we actually add there work as well.
Sometimes with case studies I will use music, but probably not as often as I should.
Keeping notes on those giant post-its is something I've been wanting to do for awhile, it's time to start. I enjoyed the details in the lesson about their placement in the room.
I try to keep a humerous mood in the classroom and not only do I want quotes but I think subject specific jokes are useful. The kind you can only understand if you are grasping the material. (There are 10 types of people in this world, those who understand binary and those who don't.)
I'm also keen on the idea of plants in the room. The air in the computer labs where I teach are somewhat dry and stale and the room could use the color!
Hi Mark!
I believe that all instructors have challenges with creating a multi-sensory learning environment. Maybe we need to think more outside the box. How about hanging colorful mobiles in appropriate places throughout the kitchen?!?!
Keep thinking and ask students for recommendations.
Keep up the good work!
Jane Davis
ED107 Facilitator
Hi Arturo!
What a great idea for multi-sensory learning! Smell is such an important sense and often over looked. The sense of smell starts in infancy when the child instantly recognizes mother by smell. I think that we often forget to make sure that all sense are being tapped.
Keep up the good work!
Jane Davis
ED107 Facilitator
In our situation we are in a commerical kitchen, so we can not change seating around or have music beacuse of the orders being called out. But I like the idea of poster and maybe hanging something colorful on the door
While going through this module it occured to me that in culinary education the use of sound and SMELL could be used to introduce new topics. If your are starting a module on bread, have some fresh bread filling the room with its fragrance to grab the learners attention. If its french onion soup then have some onions caramelizing, if its italian then set out some fresh italian herbs, etc. I found the notes on different fragrances very interesting.
I like the idea of placing quote around the room and adding plants and aroma therapy as well. I like the idea of student learning and any thing I can do to help them get there is ideal for me.
I find that in any class setting - sound and color play a powerful role in learning.
