Hi Kenneth:
Great!. Your 1 on 1 with students ought to be looked upon by students as prime filet. It's wonderful you're able to schedule yourself this way. And practical applications are always more interesting than lectures.
Regards, Barry
Teaching to small groups in lab,4 or less
live Demonstrations when using training aids.
1- more 1 on 1 with students
2- opens their eyes as to how something works
Power point; I am successful using it, but
sometimes there is material thats not the
greatest.
Group discussions; can get off track real easily
and can be difficult to control.
Hi Terry:
9 times out of 10 askinhg "are there any questions?" is not going to really answer the question(s) a student may have. A more effective method is to present for about 10-15 minutes, then do some version of an informal assessment - not graded - just something that gets the students thinking. It will reveal to what degree they know what's just been covered. Better yest, ask different students to ask questions of the group. Engage them.
Regards, Barry
The power point works very well and I like to show pictures of various vehicles and systems that will support the power point.
The least success is just straight lecture and asking questions to the group, no one likes to volenteer. If you ask to one person than they will respond, either right or wrong, and it will keep the class involved.
Hi Steven:
Using combination media such as described can contribute to very meaningful class sessions. Of course, you can also ask the students come up to the board and add pertinent information as you see fit.
Some instructors complain about glare from the LCD to the whiteboard. If that happens, some students may get an eyeful of white glare. Need to monitor that potential annoyance, if present.
Regards, Barry
The white board and the projector are my favorite media tools. I can project the power point presentation along with information off of our approved PTS web site on the white board. I can add illustrations or notes while the screen is up or select the B or W keys to black out or white out the projector image which leaves the white board completely open to use as neccessary.
Lecturing alone without the use of other media is least effective.
Hi William:
Good use of multiple senses - seeing, hearing, discussion, thinking - all of these cumulatively contribute to better student retention. I agree, few orators can command attention well for more than a few minutes (select comedians excepted!).
Regards, Barry
The 2 delivery methods I like the most are the white board for one. I use this during the lecture portion to add pictures write down key phrases as we go thru the initial lecture portion for each section of each chapter. The 2nd one would be questioning techniques. This allows me to get more student involvement and push students individually to work harder to achieve higher than maybe they thought they could.
The method least like is the direct just stand and lecture method you talk they zone out.
Hi Lyle:
Good. Small lab groups help each other rely on one another. Exploring the future with past examples is always interestings and captures attention.
Regards, Barry
Hi Bernard:
Great! The thing about personal stories is they're usually tied to the lesson or profession somehow, and it demonstrates to students that you are human - which helps students relate to you as a real person.
Regards, Barry
The 2 methods I find the most effective and enjoyable are being one on one in small lab group situations. In this type of surrounding I can quickly tell the level of understanding of the material and in some cases provide the students reinforcement with hands on experience.
The second method I use is to relate the material just covered to real world problems I have experienced.
As far as unsucessful methods I find that power points with to many words just shut off the learning
The other problem with using a standardized power point is we sometimes don't have the training aid for what is being shown only vaguely on the lesson.
I enjoy using my experiance, and laughing at things that happened to me and was a valuable lesson. Students remenmber personal things well.
Second I like to use Q/A but I am clear at the begining of my classes to let the student know tha i will ask enough questions that everyone will have to answer at least one question, some times i take volunteers, sometimes I call on students.
I least like to lecture straight form the book, or Power Point, so I always use my own personality when doing this.
Hi Gregory:
Well, here you've kind of decribed the difference between passive and active learning. The more involved a student becomes by their own quentioning, or thinking, or answering, or quizzing, etc., the more likely they'll retain the needed information.
Regards, Barry
Hi Kenneth:
You're right - good instructors are sensitive to the changing climate and place their students are at, and are readdy and willing to adapt and change as need presents.
Calling on specific students by name, then asking the question is one way to get all the students involved. Another is to put names on index cards and, like a deck of cards, shuffle them up each day so they end up in random order.
Regards, Barry
One of the method that I am most successful with is sharing field experiences that fit the topic areas. While discussing this I share both my successes and failures with the class. Then often if time permits ask them about their experiences, both successes and failures. Another method that works well is hands-on demonstration and explanation and then let the students work through a similar task and then have discussion about it when they finish. Asking them what their expectations are about that task in the field and what they can expect to be paid for that procedure at a job site. Probably the 2 least effective for me are reading technical information bulletins to the class and relying on student responses to Study Guides /Questions.
I enjoy the Q/A approach and I have had good success with this style of instructional delivery. One has to be careful with this approach as the same students tend to try and answer all of the questions. I also enjoy leading type question that allow the studnets time to use problem solving skills.
I really do not have a specific style that I not enjoyed or been sucessful with. As with any type of instructional delivery, the instructor has to look for clues from the class and make adjustments to the style and type of delivery method
Hi James:
Good point - good teachers use what they have and make it work. They may have preferences but you have to keep in mind how the student is going to respond to the learning strategies presented.
Regards, Barry
Hi Bill:
Good. I think your use of the visual method of presentation taps into one of the main ways people tend to learn. And while visual learning is just one of many, if the information is clear and understandable, most students will benefit.
Regards, Barry
Hi Bob:
Great ideas, all! As for PowerPoint (PPT), remember it's just a tool, and if the tool doesn't fit the job then don't use it.
That said, It might be useful to get a bit of on hands training with one of your peers who can show you some tips and/or tricks to make modifying your PPT quick and easy.
Regards, Barry
My favroite delivery is the whiteboard I like to draw and show them how things work it is a good way to show how something works tell me I am ok but if you draw me a picture i got it the other is training aid like a componet i can hold or see it on the truck it just reinforce the lectures My least method is power point i am limited to what i can show and might not be just what i want to show if i had to chose a second one it would be flip charts just not enogh info
