james blalock

Discussion Comment

I am an instructor with a learning disability. Mine is due to an accident over 15 years ago, but I still struggle with some everyday tasks that most people take for granted. Thankfully, I recognized my issues, received help from others, and have been extremely successful by taking things slow and steady. One thing that I would like to share with others, is that most disabilities are not readily visible and many students have a "want to do it on my own" 0r "I need to prove I can do this myself" attitude. Personally, I think this is a great… >>>

james blalock

Discussion Comment

supplimental materials

I have found that if I incorporate some technology into my lecture, I can assist students who possibly are not, at the moment, fully comprehending the material. I do this by making powerpoint presentation of the lecture materials available for students to download. I also do a summary slide for each section.

james blalock

Discussion Comment

Group work

As an IT instructor, I have found that group work helps all my students. In teaching computers, I normally have a very diverse population in regards to student PC knowledge. There are always the ones who already have a strong skill set and others who have never used a PC before. I try to balance my group by my observations of skill sets and assign specific roles for each group member. This allows for the more knowledgeable ones to assist the others and gain experience in sharing their skills while the other gain from learning from their peers.

james blalock

Discussion Comment

Moving around the classroom

I enjoyed reading the material about engaging students through movement in the classroom. Through my teaching, I have found that students are more responsive when an instructor is not only passionate about a topic, but also lively in their delivery.

james blalock

Discussion Comment

missing class

After every class, I review my attendance roster and email each student with what was missed and plainly outline policy for make up work. It is actually fairly easy given I mostly cut and paste from my lesson plan. I find this works well and also gives both the student and myself a document to work from if any discussions arise regarding missing class.

james blalock

Discussion Comment

group work

I teach Intro to Computers and find that my typical class features the 18 year olds who do not know life without a computer and can teach the class to the 50 year olds who have never used a computer before. During the first week of class, I can easily spot who is having trouble using a mouse and who is a wiz. I make all of my projects group work and assign tasks to each group member. We rotate with each assignment. This gives opportunity for all to help eachother learn. I find this strategy helps the learning process… >>>

james blalock

Discussion Comment

Blackboard usage

Greetings, One thing that I have found very beneficial in my usage of the blackboard/whiteboard is to not turn my back to the students. I try to face the class and write their thoughts on the board. This seems to keep them engaged while I am attempting to work toward group agreement about a certain topic. I also use multiple color markers when writing on the board to help keep the topic colorful and easy to follow.

james blalock

Discussion Comment

Real world examples

Greetings. I am a part time IT instructor and a full, corporate IT manager. Prior to that, I was a consultant and did services for over 60 different companies around the world. I teach introductory IT courses and consider it the highlight of my day. When I am teach my courses, I always mention jobs based around the discussion topic is used in some of the various companies I have work for and give a sample job description and working conditions. I also mention salary and career paths. It appears that all of my students enjoy hearing about the various… >>>

james blalock

Discussion Comment

Assigned seating for name recognition

At the start of every course. I do assigned seating. I create a grid that corresponds to the classroom and write the students name in the box. That way, I can call everyone by their name and have a good way to put a face with the name.

james blalock

Discussion Comment

writing down issues

The concept of having an angry student write down their issues is great. Not only does it allow the student the opportunity to clearily express their issues, but it also gives them time to reflect upon the issue. I think this will help them have a "cool off" period versus "bustin' into your office and cursing you out" mentality