Get Your Students Hired
When choosing a instructional media for my class, I access the content of the course I am teaching. I use power points, pictures the whiteboard and models as weel as lectue to engage my students, An example of this : My students due different types of restoration on models using diferent material.
Michael,
Good instructors use whatever works for them to get their point across.
Barry Westling
Media content is a very important concern of mine in the classroom. I know that in order to engage my students in writing, I need to incorporate different media for them to see just how multi-faceted writing can be in the real world. There are the basic mechanics of grammar that can show in Powerpoint slides and then on the whiteboard as we diagram sentences. Students seem to respond well to seeing a rule and then immediately applying it to examples they generate in the classroom.
Then there are other messages that need to take other media forms when teaching writing. Language, for all its slipperiness in the English tongue, needs to have its finer points addressed by means of internet videos. For example, there is a wonderful clean segment from one of George Carlin's stand-up routines that dissects, in caustic and amusing examples, the pitfalls of political correctness and euphemistic language in our culture. His breakdown--and assault--on these types of potentially pervasive, and always ambiguity-inducing, terms covers most of what I could lecture on how to be specific when writing. The Carlin video provides a launching pad to discuss why this euphemistic language is an issue when composing essays or analyses, and the class discussion reinforces the lessons presented by means of this media.
B.,
Great. Sounds like a good mix of traditional, tech, and engagement instructional strategies. One key is variety, and you seem to have a lot. Good for you!
Barry Westling
selection is based on the topics. I'll use PowerPoints for the backbone of the lecture and supplement with video clips, animations and diagrams on the whiteboard. Very often, students will access the internet on their cellphones and share examples of what they've found . The links are then listed and shared with the class. We'll also use manipulatives to help reinforce specific concepts.
Dave,
Variety is always good. One perspective many instructors overlook is selecting what they feel most comfortable with, rather than choosing media that would enhance the learning process of their students.
Barry Westling
Linda,
Yeah, the old saying "tell me and I might forget, but involve me and I'll understand and remember" is very true and applicable to our role as facilitator of career training.
Barry Westling
Selecting my media of choice is dependent on what I'm teaching that night. When I teach computer repair, I prefer to use PP presentaions to outline step by step instructions. If I'm teaching a business compunication class, I prefer video media to show "good" or "bad" examples for business comm. I think it's important to be flexible and provide the BEST media to achieve successful learning outcomes.
I must say my power point are all ready set by my course chairperson. I can always add to my powerpoints but can't take away anything from them. I use a lot of hands on materials to help my students learn for example parts of the anatomy of the face. I will purchase wig holders and have them label the parts of the face and this gives them a visual that they will remember for longer than 10 minutes.
Manuel,
Great. The value of careful choosing what way students will learn best is vital.
Barry Westling
it depends on the material to deliver. in most cases, the publisher has a set of powerpoint presentations. but in other cases, I have to create my oun personal powerpoint presentations.
In some cases, the material I have to teach is a process of installing an operating system in a server or a new computer. this is demonstration time. I then write the steps on the white board as I do them.
Jennifer,
Yeah, good point. There's a lot of media that may be related, or interesting, but missing key information. Of course, using just a partial segment from a longer piece can add to the variety of the lesson delivery.
Barry Westling
When selecting media for content delivery one of the first things that I check after relevancy is whether or not the content will cover the course/chapter objectives. If it does, I also like to check its clarity and cohesiveness to be sure that it isn't likely to be confusing or scattered in its presentation.
Kenneth,
It's good to be sensitive to the needs of the class. Of course, student learning outcomes is our primary goal, and while students may prefer one medium over others that would provide a better learning experience, instructors can be tuned in to that balance of good media choices, and the best media choices.
Barry Westling
usually I go with what is comfortable with the current class. My last class learned better from youtube and other forms of videos. I first viewed all material to assure myself that it followed what we are teaching and that it is 100% correct. I have had older students who prefer basic power point presentations.
Donna,
Using what you find works is good for your flow, as you're more comfortable. I think we always need to ask, "what's best for the student?". Perhaps a short video (YouTube), use of a flip chart, coloring books with colored pencils -- some not so high tech but add variety, help keep interest, and make memorable through engagement and multiple senses.
Barry Westling
When teaching cardiac sonography, I seem to utilize the white board, power point presenations and models. The white board is used when I need to explain some physiology--how the organ or process works. The PP presentation is good to summarize the various diseases encountered. Finally, the model helps the student visualize the heart structures.
Reece,
Getting students to think and solve problems is one of the best skills and tools we could ever provide. Slides with information does not assure understanding necessarily. But case scenarios place the student in situations that require them to think things through.
Barry Westling
I like to use ppt handouts in note formation to allow for note taking during lecture. Not every lecture however requires the ppt to actually be used. This allows for different types of learners to learn by meathods they benefit from. I also use interactive case senario questions and group activites.
Each class is different, in demographic and psychographic make-up. I begin by getting a feel for my students in the first day of class by asking questions about themselves and their learning style. Based upon the answers I use media selected to the group make-up.
I like using interactive media and case studies where the students involvement is called for. So to answer your question, I select modes of instruction based on visual, hands on, or students who like more structure by lecture. I target the students learning styles by selecting a variety of media based on their needs. I also find UTube helpful for instruction and student identification.