Ronald,
I agree. I use additional course supplements to further illustrate class topics and to provide students with alternate examples of a particular concept. Sometimes the students present additional resources to me, when I lecture about a subject that they are familiar with.
Tremayne Simpson
Some things that I like to add are printed handouts with pertinent information on them such as vocabulary, product ID with pictures, or even worksheets that the students can use to practice some of the topics. I also like to give some suggestions for books to read, or websites to view and navigate for added information.
Relevant items, stories, examples, references, and alternate learning outlets all should be brought in to help the students identify and react to the subject
Dixie,
This is a great dynamic of students. In a collaborative assigment, it would be interesting to pair the "experienced" students with the "inexperienced" students to see, how their varying opinions can be merged for the assignment. Have you set-up any activities, using this method?
Tremayne Simpson
Adel ,
I also make sure that students are aware of additional course resources. Typically, I assign and activity from the publisher's cd-rom/dvd, in order to connect the students to the material. They generally begin to use the resources, once they see what is available for them.
Tremayne Simpson
I've worked it both ways. I often have classes with fresh high school graduates and mature members of the work force. The employed people usually have stories they'll share, and the youn ones are often keen observers. With things asking for heightened awareness, it's part of an assignment. I ask them, for example, to notice in the upcoming week which of the advertisements bombarding them really catches their attention. Why? Is it a particular color combination (visual appeal)? A compelling use of logos, ethos, or pathos? The positioning of the ad? They get to share not only what makes a message stick, but what kind of appeals are especially effective with them personally.
This is a great resource. Students often ignore the dvd that comes with the text. It can sometimes include sample quizzes, etc. to prepare them for evaluation. I also prepare my own resource guide with relevant websites, local stores, and books and link it to the course content on the student website.
Rodger,
I agree. Instructors have to adapt to the technologies that are being used by our students. We can find ways to include social networks as course resources and also provide information on "best practices" for individual usage of these sites.
Tremayne Simpson
Desirae,
I agree that additional guest speakers (and field trips)are essential to student motivation. It is also a good idea for alumnists to speak to current students, so that they can hear the perspectives of individuals that had similar educational experiences.
Tremayne Simpson
Dixie,
This is an excellent example of structuring your lecture to meet the varying learning styles of your students. This method definitely takes more creativity and effort to plan, however an instructor can fell confident that all of their students were able to comprehend the lesson.
Tremayne Simpson
Dixie,
It also is an opportunity to make it into a "teachable moment", in that the instructor is able to remind or provide the student with additional information to gage the credibility of a website, journal or database. Many schools have elected to add information literacy based courses as a curriculum inquirement for their programs.
Tremayne Simpson
Dixie,
Do your students bring the examples to class voluntarily or is it a part of an assignment?
Tremayne Simpson
Desirae,
This is a great way to keep the class content current. My institution also has a Fashion Design program and we make sure to acquire all of the national and international periodicals and resources, to ensure that are students are aware of trends in their field.
Tremayne Simpson
Company literature provides a wonderful source of examples, especially when the students bring them in.
I love it when a student suggests a site might not be so credible because of the bad grammar!
I use stories from my consulting experience, look for cartoons related to the subject matter, and try to find hands-on activities that make my point.
For example, during a lesson on writing instructions for a process, I used three sets of instructions for making origami frogs. As the students followed the directions, it became apparent that some were having an easier time of it than others. An analysis of their progress revealed the instructions themselves at the root of the differences (one clear, easy-to-follow set, one horrible, and one okay set). That was a tricky activity, in that I had to make sure the frustrated students (with the bad set of instructions) got relief fairly quickly but not so quickly that the point was lost about how much frustration bad writing can cause.
(I also have some frog jokes and a frog hand puppet who tells them.)
Great suggestion. As i mentioned earlier in the post, publisher resources for instructors and students are very effective in providing supplemental material for the course textbook.
Human resources such as key speakers is a great way to keep your class excited and engaged to the class content. Students get bored with the same old classroom structure, but when they have the opportuinity to meet an Industry Insider, this can give them a boost of confidence in their learning journey as well as excite them about the next class.
Students need to know that they can make it!. When you decide to invite a keynote speaker, do research on their background and story. Don't just limit the research to their professional experience, research information on the trials and struggles that they may have endured to reach their point of success. A testimony is what drives the student, and encourages them to go forward and not give up.
Rodger,
This is an excellent observation. In many cases, the resources that are provided/suggested by the student can be helpful for the instructor as well. I have set-up several discussion boards for my course and periodically, I notice that students post links to various academic sites that were helpful in providing additional information on a discussed course topic.
Tremayne Simpson
While we are discussing existing resources, I ask the students for specific suggestions regarding resources they personally know of, or have an interest in learning about. Students can add a great deal in this area. Just ask them, but ask for specifics.
