I want my students to know not only what is going on in the classroom, but also in the world. In previous classes, I have asked students to read newspapers and write a short essay on a current event. Should I continue this or stick to the text book?

I feel that when reading about using colored handouts that it is a wonderful idea. Using colors helps me able to get the students attention and keep it when passing out papers. The brighter the color, I find is more eye catching so they tend to go longer with being quit and looking over the information. I have noticed also makes the student think that this piece of paper is more important than all the white papers that had been passed out. White is so dull. It is also very helpful when refering back to a paper that has been colored. I use the fact that it is more colorful to be able to show the importance of the information that is on the colored paper.

I teach at a local technical school that has a very diverse group of students. Many of my students have issues with English skills. This class I am instructing now has the whole spectrum of learning capabilities. What are ways you can address the needs of your limited students, while not frustrating the others who are beyond that.

I like the idea of colored handouts, but is there another way to express the material to catch the students eye. My institution does not supply colored paper or color printing.

In a recent class I was teaching I was told I would have access to a projector. I prepared a significant portion of class material using power point as it was a medium I felt comfortable with. However, shortly before the term began my room assignment changed and I no longer had access to a projector for media. Instead of scrapping all of my ppts I printed and handed out the notes pages (3 slides per page with room to write to the side) to students to help them follow along with the lectures and to give them a visual frame of reference. My question is if this practice is robbing them of the experience of picking out and ascertaining relevant and important information. I continued this practice through the first 2 weeks of the term and then (with warning) told my class they were to continue taking notes on their own using the skills we had already learned and that I wasn't going to continue handing them notes. Did I do the right thing? Could I have approached it in a more effective way?

It is very important to be prepared and ready to teach because students are watching you. I had one student to come to me about an Instructor not being on time and always trying to get prepared while class is in session. The student was concerned about his/her grades being missed placed due to the instructor not being prepared. For one never discussed what will happen with the instructor to the student, you can tell the student that you will check into the situation and for them to continue their work until you get back with them. Now for the instructor, that instructor will be given the option for improvement because they do have students watching and looking up to them for assistance in their career field. Instructors should know that our assistance/behavior affects how the students learn and behaves.

School policy currently prohibits extra credit. Whereas in the past I used a few extra credit questions to balance against potentially difficult questions or perhaps questionable questions within an exam. There are a few occasions where I might be testing difficult subject matter. I will create a 20 point quiz. Each question is worth 2 points, but there are fifteen questions on the quiz. No student can score higher than 20 points for the quiz. The extra questions provide an opportunity for students to make up for poor answers elsewhere within the quiz. In addition, students strive to answer all the questions.

Years ago I received two of the best instructional tips to use during a lecture: modulate your voice and move your face. I've found I can keep students attentive during lecture by changing the volume of my voice from loud down to a whisper and back to loud. In addition, I use exaggerated facial expressions as I speak. Students effectively stay focused on my face and concentrate on what I'm saying. I combine these two actions with moving around the room and direct Q&A with students during a lecture. Students stay focused, actively participate, and ultimately retain the material.

One of the most successful "tools" I've used to keep students focused on PowerPoint presentations is rather abstract. I'll randomly insert images not relating to the subject material. The effect is similar to having the wrong slide in place. For example, I might have a dry history lecture interrupted by a photo of a llama. When the slide airs, I might yell, "LLAMA!" Although it get's a bit off subject for the moment, I've found students stay awake and pay attention. Students look forward to the little comedic breaks and tend to hyper-anticipate when they might arrive. In the end, students are more alert and stay focused on the presentation.

We have to be prepared for our students everyday. No matter how our day is going we cannot let it effect our teaching. Students expect there Teacher/Instructor to come to class prepared to teach them the subjuct at hand.

scope the class well and prepare yourself for the class. structure yourself and your class for the material you want to get aross. try to always keep it interesting and fun so they will not loose interest...BE PREPARED !!

At Concorde in Miramar, Fl. Our program uses other program for field trips. For example, the Pharmacy Tech students host an open clinic. This allow students from other program to walk through the PT lab and learn how other programs and can affect their profession.

I teach in a field where when they have completed college they are to take a state and national exam. We need to move our students from memorizing the material for the test and forgetting it to actually having them retain the info. How are they planning on passing the board exams if they aren't actually learning the material? I have started to use cumulative testing and that is seeming to help with that.

Having taught computer networking at the college level for the last 10 years I don't think I have ever taught a class the same way twice. I am always discovering new ways of doing things, items that I would do differently, and just trying to learn from my mistakes and what works and doesn't. I think an Instructor has to always be flexible in accepting change. I'm always interested in how other instructors do things in their classroom. There are some classes where the whole thing just feels boring to me and so I have to mix it up. Sometimes students ask valid questions that take more time to answer than I planned for but I actually enjoy that. It makes for a much more active room and then I can bring it all back to how it relates to the original topic. Rod Wright

This module has inspired me regarding how students see me in classroom; the way I manage the class, present the material, including my body language. It is important to know myself and my intentions on teaching the materials, but more important, in my opinion, to know how my students perceive me and the material. I like to stop my lecture and ask for feedback from students. From there I may consider presenting material with different strategy or addressing specific concern from one or more of the students. Also, I am thinking of new method of evaluating myself; videotape one of my lectures and watch myself. I believe I will be able to see things that students see, but I never thought about. Some of them are worth changing.

I Try to teach and instruct by considering all the different type of learning styles. Implementing them into my class ensures me that no student is getting left behind. I also tell my students that if they are having trouble learning to speak with me so that I may approach a different way in delivering the material.

My college has gone to a standardized curriculum for 14+ schools in my field, therefore there is a standardized syllabus and point system. It can be very frustrating, especially after this course, to see areas where I have the skills and knowledge to make a better experience for the student yet I am bound not to make changes. Any suggestions for dealing with this? I've tried drinking when I get home, and it helps to a certain extent, but it's not very usefull when the guy that made this decision for me is 2000 miles away.

As a librarian, the tests I give are always practice, sometimes instructors give points, we tell the students this ahead of time. If, students are able to do my in-class quizzes correctly, the result is that they will do well on their research papers. If, someone is having trouble I offer them the solution of stopping in and asking for more assistance.

As, a librarian my tests are not for points while I am teaching but for points students will receive in their research papers for excellent citation and reference pages. So, all of my work is a pre-test. I first pre-test by giving the students an article on a powerpoint slide and ask them how to cite it. This, of course is after I have explained citation and how it works, and why it is so important. Then, I show the correct format, and ask for questions. After a couple of these types of in-text citation tries, I then have students work in groups citing an article from a magazine. This approach reinforces the learning and I of course explain that the library is open for questions, and there is not "stupid question."

I find that as a librarian that hands on learning helps students learn citation ruled extremely well. First, however, I must teach them the rules and I use PowerPoints coupled with lecture on the topic.