Hi Charles:
Wow, you are fortunate to have such ample flexibility - not all do. I'm sure your students benefit by you tailoring the daily lesson to the "best-fit" plan for the day.
Regards, Barry
Hi Stan:
Good concept..."floating". Suggests going with the flow of circumstances, class attention, interest, availability of resources, student performance, etc. Thanks for sharing!
Regards, Barry
I have three different schedules I work with.
Each day on the schedule can be moved around to fit the
needs of the students.
I have my entire 3 week course scheduled in advance, on a day by day schedule. I keep some aspects of the course as a floating device, that can be implemented when needed as a bachup plan.
Hi Andrea:
Great. Quizzing each other is a form of teaching - and that has been proven to be one of the best ways students learn, that is, to teach a topic.
Regards, Barry
As an Instructor in a kitchen classroom there is not as much actual lecture time compared to a traditional classroom. i use several different methods depending on the situation(s) that may arise. Since many of my students work while attending school and I teach the morning classes they are often tired during any lecture portion of the class. When I notice this I have found that an effective plan B is to get them moving! Having them move into small groups and quiz each other on production methods and product identification is always helpful. This gets them stimulated and when I have to go onto new material they are a bit more energized. Another method is to get them involved in the lecture and sharing any related industry experiences that might apply to the information that we are covering.
Hi Rob:
Great. The nice thing about online or hybrid classes are the emphasis on chat and discussion forums. I agree, you really do get to know a student in a way that's differrent from the traditional classroom.
Regards, Barry
Hello Philip:
Good. The best back up plan can be initiated almost instantly, used without reliance on the usual resources, and with the information or activity in line with the current lesson.
Regards, Barry
Hi Philip:
Good use and mix of mutiple media choices. Should provide students with a good variety of learning opportunities.
Regards, Barry
All the courses I teach are "hybrid" courses which are partially in the classroom and partially on-line. In the classroom, I can shorten the lecture and shift to either in-class discussion or short in-class projects, then post the remaining part of the lecture online.
If it's an all online class, a synchronous chat session makes a good backup plan, with the instructor and struggling students discussing what is needed to help the students catch up. Chat sessions are great status assessment tools for finding out where the students are, and what they need.
Back up plans will vary depending on the course which I am teaching. The course I teach most frequently, we do not have a textbook available for. In this course, I will refer back to OE service manuals for the units which the students work with in the lab. Other courses I can and will refer too additional materials such as textbooks, and other available information when necessary.
While my school tends to rely on powerpoint, I normally make use of other materials in addition to the powerpoint. The white board in my classrom is constantly used, I will use the textbook, when it is possible, handouts, pass around parts, and posters which are hung in my classroom. One of the fastest ways to get a question directed at you is to give the appearance that your mind is drifting off topic.
I regularly refer to a previous slide, to refresh the interaction of components, and controls so that the student can get a better understanding of how the components discussed interact in the overall function.
Hi Craig:
Ah....the beauty of a well planned back-up plan.
Regards, Barry
Funny you should ask. I was in the middle of a PP when the power went out. I told the class we were going to do a state change, brought them out on the patio and lectured from the textbook. This turned out so well the students asked if we could do it more often. Always expect the unexpected.
Hi William:
What a great idea. The students work at learning in a fun and interesting way. And you still get to clarify or emphasize important points that may have been missed. Terrific!
Regards, Barry
Hi John:
Great. Student feed back is one componment of assessing the benefits and needs of a class. Students all have biases and are not always objective in their comments. But there may be trends that are revealed in doing student surveys and opinion polls.
Regards, Barry
One of my favorite "back-ups" is the Teach Back - I split the class into groups and assign areas of interest, then coach them in how to present new knowledge. They develop a "lesson plan" and one group teaches the other. At the end I review the material in total to ensure nothing of importance is left out.
Getting them involved in content delivery really opens their eyes.
By asking students there opinion of the course, it can help to determine if any adjustments need to be made, it may be instructor delivery or the content of the curriculum
Hi Brenda:
Great. In fact maybe those substitute receipes may turn out to be better than the one planned. Ummm...yum!
Regards, Barry
luckily I am right next door to another baking kitchen so if my equipment does not work I just go next door. If i have problems with ingredients then I always have numerous recipes to substitute into my plan
