Knowing the difference between short-term, long-term and working memory will allow me to better format the information for retention. My teaching experience has taught me that students learn better when I can relate the information to professional examples. They can retain the information even better when they can relate the information to their own experiences. Knowing how our brains work, further supports this assumption. It also shows the importance of using a variety of teaching styles.
An understanding of basic learning will help me structure my class so my students can better remember the information I am teaching them. I will give more life experience example or connect the content to life so student will be able to remember and recall the information I am teaching them.
Hi David,
This is a great strategy for getting the students engaged and focused on the course content. Plus, this makes teaching a lot more enjoyable as a result of feeling confident in your knowledge and skills in your content area.
Gary
Hi Darron,
Good way to "read" your students and adjust to their needs. This is a sign of a confident and focused instructor. Knowing you can make these adjustments as needed helps to to keep the course on target.
Gary
Ifeel it is important day one in class to learn where each student is coming from and their individual goals..thus can adapt class projects so each has degree of input that meets their expectations as to what class will provide to help the student reach personal goals.
The reason students come to school is to learn. They want to know what you know plus some. Knowing what makes a student retain information can benifit not only the student but the instructor as well. I take take great pride and joy seeing the lightbulb go off above their heads. As an instructor, knowing as much about how someone learns helps me to distribute the information in the best way as possible. Weather that would be leading by example in the lab, through lecture, or something as simple as discussing a real life experience. Whatever and however the instruction is done the students need to be motivated and excited to come to class. Each student learns in a different way, and I have to make sure I am on top off my game to so that when they walk out of the class for the day they can say they have retained the information.
Watching student's faces as they're listening to lectures or watching demonstrations is an ideal way to adapt " on the fly". If you see them wandering off on a mental trip, I try to stimulate them by asking questions or by generating more interest in the topic by adding anecdotes that appeal to them & engage their own set of personal experiences related to the subject matter in an effort to get them back in focus & online w/ the learning objectives of that particular class.
I believe that knowing the basics of learning will help me better understand how students process information. I will now review more during the class to help students get the really important information. By hearing it more, I think that they will better understand the information.
Hi Freddie,
Good strategy. This way you are making sure you include all of the critical content and offering instructional variety to your students.
Gary
When choosing a learning strategy, I often deliberate on questions regarding learning methodology for my students. There are many benefits to learning the basics of learning, such as self-paces, just-in-time, and real-time deliverance of instructional methods. As it pertains to course I teach, I am able to transfer the basics of learning through computer simulations, scenario based lab exercises, and even online threaded discussions to meet the requirements of a sufficient instructional strategy.
Hi Jeffrey,
I teach adults from 4 until 10 pm. so I know what you are talking about when you discuss how they are somewhat learning challenged when they come into class at night after working all day. This is why interaction, rapport and support is so important to provide if these students are going to enjoy a high level of success.
Gary
Hi Rachel,
Good to hear the kind words about the course content. When we learn things like how we filter new information it helps us, instructors to know how to better formulate our instructional delivery.
Gary
Hi Lisa,
This is a good point. The key is to help them reduce extraneous content and identify key and/or essential content. The more skill they develop in this area the more effective they will become.
Gary
The brain is amazing but it also is a "punching bag". Taking into consideration all the psychological, environmental and physical factors that he brain experiences during the day, teaching an adult evening class is even more challenging. So knowing that the brain retains information best through "hands-on" learning as opposed to just hearing and seeing not only assists in the retention of subject material, but also allows for more social interaction among students. When students get up and interact, they find similarities with others or stresses they can relate to which, creates a nice "bond" between students. This helps level the learning playing field so that students don't feel isolated.
Understanding how learning happens gives the instructor insight on how to better reach an individual.This insight, combined with knowledge and compassion, can only make the cocerned instructor more effective. If I know a student comes from a home where they are emotionally abused, I will approach this student differently
Knowing the functions of the brain and the times of development was very helpful. To know that my adult students will retain information more slowly, helps me to structure my class assignments. I also found the three filters very interesting as to how we learn. Knowing that my students will filter information out will help me develop a strategy to emphasizing the most important points of my lectures.
Hi Lisa,
You make a very good point. The key is to help student to develop their ability to problem solve. In a service economy problem solving is critical for career success. The more we can help this component along in the education of our students the more successful they are going to be.
Gary
Understanding that pruning is also involuntary I try to reinforce lessons from class by linking them to future processes
I was struck by the section which was presenting the concept of the lag time of the individual just out of high school and enrolled in college, not being mature, with any real plan for the future. In my classes, I always try to go forward with a clear understanding of where my students are at, in terms of learning maturity - including command of vocabulary, understanding concepts, etc. so that I can present the material in ways that connect with their minds. In this way, hopefully they will get it. If I feel that they don't get it, I re-visit the subject until they do. I try to not view them as peers who have the maturity level of a peer but as an evolving person who is learning and ongoingly gathering a lot of new information.
some methods of teaching could be said to cause artificial intelligence in our human students. When we call upon their best integrative learning strategies we foster natural learning environments. When we focus on test outcomes rather than application, that learning activity is unnatural to application-focused aspiring professionals. It is easy to get drawn into this test-based focus because our students like to do well on tests and focus there themselves sometimes.
