Hello Shelia,
Students want their money's worth.
Patricia
Hi Shelia,
Students want you to bring in real life experiences as well as theory in the book.
Patricia
I've found that students prefer candid discussion on the subject to be more interesting than just presenting the information from the textbook. There needs to be a balance between methodologies.
I agree that relevence is a great tool. Students like to know that they are getting what they pay for.
Hello Terri,
Students need to and want to know how the course applies to their major. We need to have that information ready to present on Day 1.
Patricia
Hi James,
What a great way to get students involved. Students are more likely to participate whenever they know that there are no right or wrong answers.
Patricia
As an Intro to Art Appreciation, I have the students describe in their own words what they believe the definition of "Art" is. I let them know that there are no right or wrong answers and each will have part of the complete definition. When each has completed their definitions, I call upon the class to volunteer adjectives that would describe art. I list their responses by categories on the board. I then ask a show of hands for how many included each of the adjectives and track the responses for each. If anything critical is left out, I prompt them for addional input. When there are no more responses, I congratulate them and tell them that they have collectively answered the definition and point out key words that are universally usedin the description of what art is. I use this intro, I describe the content of the course, what we will be learning and how we will be developing a more profound understanding of what the visual arts are all about.
I learn about them and their goals and then we take the course content and have the student give thoughts on how it will apply to their goals. Since I teach everything from Marketing and Business to Gen Eds and Healthcare, this sometimes takes solid connection for them. For example the nursing students may not really be clear why composition is important to them. Then we reiterate how the work applies to our goals throughout the course.
Have students to do a fun project and taking them on field trips that relates to the career they are seeking.
Hi Cory,
I can see how your students enjoy practicing/learning on their own vehicle. There are students at my institution who get to practice/learn on repairing their own computers or relatives/friends computers.
Patricia
I have a handout that I use which has all of the requirements listed down on exactly what they need to do....the good thing about my class is they just have to have them done by the end of the course....but I do have one assignment that I require them to have finished by the second wednesday of the course....just to check on their progress....to get them excited about the class I like to explain to them how they can bring their own cars in to work on them and they really seem to enjoy that.
Hi Stephen,
What a super way to get students involved by poising such excellent question. You got me involved just from reading your response. I can imagine the excitement the students get from this by having it live.
Patricia
We as a school are really good about going over class content, syllabus and expectations on the first day of class. I have a specific challenge in teaching baking to culinary students. Many of them are either intimidated by the subject or have little interest in the subject and just want to cook meat. My opening line is always "How many of you want to own your own restaurant?" Many hands go up. "Great, what is the first thing that you get when you sit down at a table in a restaurant" They all say: "Bread". Then my response is "Well then, if you want to run your own restaurant and you are going to give away bread, then that leaves you with a couple of choices: Make it, Hire someone that can make it, or Buy it" "If your answer is either of the last two, call me, I will do it for you and I can use the money" They laugh and it seems to immediately click with them that there is an importance to the subject matter and it can only benefit their education and that I will be teaching them skills that they will be able to apply to their chosen career.
Hi Laurie,
Applying concepts to real life is always exciting for students.
Patricia
Hi Stephen,
$$$$$ bring interest!
Patricia
Hi Caroline,
Students love to see examples from previous students. I always show an "A" example and an "F" example.
Patricia
Talk about the class subjects and what it will include. Show examples of what the last class did.
With the courses I teach I beleive that getting the students interested and involved makes them much more interested in the content and they are more likely to get involved, and if they see your knowledgeable in the suject they really get involved at this point. If I have students that wont get involved I try to find an area that interests them, its usually informing them how much money they can make.
Hello Shawn,
It is important to explain to students how the exercise relates to their future professional endeavors.
Patricia
Explaining the big picture (and how they will use the information) we are going to learn in a dental office. They always enjoy knowing how the techniques we teach will be applied in real life.
