Gabrielle,
This is a good way to get to know more about the learning preferences of your students. You then can customize your instructional delivery to assist your students in their knowledge acquisition.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Deconstructing the goal into its elements always helps. Much of what I teach expands on very simple concepts. If an error is made, and the student doesn't know how or why it happened, I'll ask the student to revisit the primary elements and identify ways to optimize their application. This gets the students thinking better on their feet.
To help do this, I use a learning style inventory that each student is asked to complete on the first day.
In the lab I try to show new technologies by watching instructional videos and webinars.
Stacy,
I agree. If you do not keep up with your Professional Development you can very easily lose your skill set. With my students who are learning Information Technology, I often tell them to take at least 5 minutes each day to look at technology news sites, or use apps like Flipboard to scan through headlines related to IT.
I usually start the day with the question, "So tell me what is going on in the world of IT?" and we discuss what they have read. We get some REALLY good conversation!
I also encourage my students to look at MOOCs, and sites like edx.org and coursera.com for additional training.
Jared,
This is a good mix to have with students due to the learning that is involved along with the personal attention that is given. This gives each student an opportunity to grow and gain new knowledge while making applications. Thanks for sharing this model with us.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I start my classes with lectures about real life experiences and examples. I spend about 50/50 working with the class as a whole and working with individual students. I always encourage them to take chances and experiment on their own. I find it helps them discover areas they are good at as well as problems they may be facing. The individual time helps with the quiet and more reserved students.
In order to further develop, refine, and enhance my instructional style, I look to connect with students from the very first day and every day in the classroom. This includes bringing current events that impact their lives and topics that are not only relevant to them, but to the concepts I teach in my course to further help them understand how a concept applies in the real-world.
My technique is getting to know my students. I have a wide range of learning styles in my class, so I always take a step back before I presume this way and or that way would work. I have had crash and burn lesson plans before, so I learned from those. I like to keep a notebook with things that I ehar from students on things they do, that gives me an idea of how they interact with life. from their I continue to enhance my style and structure it toward the students.
Ed,
Good point. The key is to be consistent in how you manage them and their role or lack thereof in the classroom or lab.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Wait a minute! Cell phones are a great idea (previous post) and cell phones stink(paraphrase)! We don't have to make up our minds. We just need to make sure the students understand there is right time and place and wrong time and place for every tool.
Jim,
Like your comprehensive approach to developing and using your instructional style. This is good information for other instructors to review and consider, especially those just starting their careers.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Keith,
The reinforcement of the content presented it a good way to increase retention. You are doing that with this approach and I know it is effective for your students.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Take stock in the instructional style that has made an impact on you and helped you develop in to the professional you are.Think about what it was that made an impact on you and help you learn the information presented at that time.Pair this with the institutions mission and values, develop a vision of yourself presenting the curriculum material reflecting your experience and skills in a way that the student will recognize the benefits to consumers and will learn from you. Encourage the student with examples of the experiences you have encountered on your professional journey so they can envision themselves in the same way as they apply the newly acquired skills.
My instructional style is to present the theory first, then follow up with some type of exercise/hands on activity. That way I at least cover two different learning styles.
Theresa,
I use role play a lot in my classes as well because it really helps students to get involved in the material and learn how to react to different situations. I am sure this is true for your students as they learn how to function is a salon environment.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Theodore,
I think this is a good strategy to follow as it helps the students learn how to learn in other venues. The value of learning this will help them as as they go out into the workplace and receive information in many different ways.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
One technique used to prepare students for the Salon environment is to use the role play method.
It is difficult to assess the larning styles of students. We provide a learnign style assessment prior to entry. However I find it effective to use all of the different learning styles as applicable
Kenneth,
What I have done is to create a number of memory triggers for myself when it comes to remembering lists of essential items in my field. I have used mental loci learning where I go into my classroom/lab and mentally post on the wall the list of items I need to remember. When I am in class with my students I have found that if I glance up at the wall where the mental poster was I can recall the list. It is association between the list, the wall and my memory. I have done the same thing with mental lists in the corner of the room, the ceiling, etc.. The idea is to get your mind to go to that specific list at that specific location and pull it out of long term memory.
Keep in mind that we instructors cannot remember everything so it is OK to just tell the students you have forgotten and see if one of them can remember the words or facts that you need. This creates a team effort for remembering.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
