I have been a trade school instuctor for a little over a year. I have trouble with the large classes when it comes time for practical learning. I only have three machines in my classroom and during lab I need to be there with them. I only allow groups of three max. Reason being that more students leads to standing around learning nothing. My qestion is... How can I keep the other students busy while I'm busy?

I feel like some classes are best done as a lecture. However, I do love engaging students with discussions and relating upcoming concepts to something they can relate to on a daily basis.

Having belief in them gives the student belief in self.

Classroom should be decorated according to the lessons that is being taught. All classroom should be standarized with equipment for all instructors

Use text book materials and real life situations

I had always considered the amount of influence an instructor can have on how a class can learn and facilitate learning. However, I never quite thought about how their own personal beliefs or thoughts can become a barrier. I can't imagine an instructor not caring at all if their students but I can see how an inexperienced instructor can be timid or not so confident in trying new approaches of facilitating learning. I was there once, I can admit, but am glad that I have been able to develop as an instructor to better service our students.

I plays a very important role in my healthcare field. If a student cannot master a competency then they have to really focus on mastering these skills. People lives are in the balance.

I have students work each control, Then they help the next person, then they watch the next person help the next person up in case he makes a mistake Ect. That also breaks down barriers in attitude because it gives them a value, And ofcourse Psycomotor is adressed because their manipulating the control. I can asses them accordingly.

As an instructor for special fx makeup i mainly use the competency based method, i am able to assess students competency by visual assessment of the makeup applications they have been trained to apply and the assesment of the students knowledge of the materials used. Before application each student is given hand-outs that include materials used, application instruction and illustrations followed by a live demonstration of the makeup application. Each student then practices the technique on models. A 10 question written test is then given to help reinforce the techniques and materials used. At the end of each week a practical makeup application test is given. At this point i am able to determine if the student has the competency required in the field or if they need to work on their technique and skill level to enter the feild of professional makeup artisty. Art may be viewed as a feild where beauty is in the eye of the beholder however an artist must have knowledge of materials used and the steps of application to acheive a comprehensive makeup acceptable to be "shot" or "camera ready".

The strategies that I have used is when I am doing hands on in the lab. I will lecture very little, demo. I then have the students help me do it again and direct me in my steps(walk me thru it). I also have them do each step with me as I am doing it. As I am doing this I give examples of different situations when this would be done and try to give the different terminology that is used for it.

One of my classes is very short (eight sessions), so I don't have a lot of time to do long introductions. When teaching Game Audio, I ask each student three things: 1) Their name 2) Their interest in the subject 3) Their favorite game The second is not nearly as useful to me as the the third. I found early on that if I only asked them their name and their favorite game, some would attempt to impress me with a critically-acclaimed game, which doesn't tell me as much about them as what they really enjoy in their spare time. The hope from this is that I receive a window into their motivation and how they view the subject in general. With the second question in place, they get the "impress the teacher" out of the way there, allowing for a more casual answer for the third question. Admittedly, this is something I have learned from practice, but are there further ways I can improve this?

I've created one course from scratch, and had another shortened by two weeks due to snow closings recently. In both cases, what I believed was going to work up front was not working, either due to poor planning and inexperience on my part or due to external factors beyond my control. Are there any general rules of thumb for handling such adjustments? Thanks much, Rob

Very interesting and helpful topics in this module.

I feel with all the work we do as instrucktors these courses are overwhelming at times.

Any suggestions of compiling your own mock textbook for courses?

I often experience my college level students saying things like, "We aren't in H.S. anymore! Why are we in groups?" This sentiment, I believe, is expressed for a few reasons. One of which can be, meaningless tasks in H.S. level for groups can create a negative association with groups causing it to be unsuccessful.

What strategies have you used to accommodate different learning styles in a lab environment?

How do you determine if your students have acquired the competencies required in the field for which they are training?

How can you use the three domains of Bloom's Taxonomy to assess the learning progress of your students?

What is the value of using competencies as the foundation of your instructional planning and teaching?