I have tried to apply to my own real life situations, role playing, examples of different real scenarios
sometimes introducing controversial issues can be a catylist for making content relate to need
I try to find projects that would interest the student as well as being a necessary part of their learning. If you can't spark the student's interest it is quite difficult to keep them involved in the learning process.
Keeping the content relevant and interesting/fun is the necessary goal.
I have adjusted the essay topics to match student interest. I also installed one-on-one editing time because I find this helps my student understand the fundamentals of writing.
Hi Ann,
Good way to make your course content "real". As for the guest speakers, this is what I call the "parent syndrome". Parents are suppose to tell us certain things and we kids dismiss it somewhat because it is their job to tell us these things. This is the same for instructors. I have taken my students on field trips and had guest speakers come in. After the speakers leave the students talk about how the speakers made everything so real. Then they say, "why don't you ever tell us those things?". I just covered that very same topic in class but they only heard it on the surface and really didn't internalize it. This is why my guest speakers are there to reinforce what I have already said.
Gary
I try to focus on the "real world application" of the material. How will students use these theories and concepts in their career? How have I used these theories and concepts in my career?
I also try to have guest speakers come in to reinforce what I am teaching. For some reason, some students don't always believe what we teach them but a guest speaker who comes in and reinforces what I have taught brings an added dynamic of relevency to the material.
I try to match what the content is to what a person in the field would do and give lots of practical examples.
I have started to do hands on activities for the students. My current class involves visual and it is very hands on. I also question were the students are in their current jobs, this gives me an idead of what I need to cover.
i use a combination of group activities, web sites and interaction. This involves each student and simulates conversation.
Being an accounting instructor, I give students real life examples of how the information is relevant to their every day lives.
Hi Ernest,
Exactly! They have to buy in and you are doing that for your students when you get them involved in the WIIFM aspect of learning. Keep up the good work.
Gary
Hi Linda,
Good examples of how you make a standardized curriculum real for your students. The role playing and using of the language will be of benefit to them as they enter their career field.
Gary
At the beginning of each class presentation I always try to establish a W.I.F.M. (What's in it for me?) with the students. I ask them to consider how the mastery of content will benifit them personally. How will it make them run faster, fly higher, or be better looking? This creates buy-in at a personal level and helps the students motivation to learn.
My content is laid out by the syllabus from the college. Within this content, I add activties that will enhance learning and that my students can apply. The students do many role play situations which enable them to gain mastery and to help them become comfortable with the material. In my course, communication is the focus. If they are able to commincate a message and to understand a message, they will be able to use and continue develpment in the language.
In one class where I have to teach about health insurance, I bring in actual paperwork that I have received from my health insurance plan. Things such as sample EOBs (explanation of benefits) and other forms give real examples.
Hi Jeremy,
In many cases this is true. This is why it is important to know the reasons that your students have for enrolling in the course and where they are at with learning skills such as notetaking. If you can determine their baseline then you can develop instructional supports that will enable them to succeed.
Gary
I've found out the older guys have even more problems fallowing the content. Plus they have the stress of being the ones out of school for X amount of years.
Hi Philip,
I wish you the best in all of your efforts. I see a definite lack of writing ability in my students. They don't seem to realize that they will have to write in some fashion in almost any position they take. They need to be good communicators if they wish to move up in their careers. With a solid foundation, such as the instruction you are providing they will have greater opportunities for career success.
Gary
Hi Richard,
You ask a good question about when to share the homework assignments with students. I have found that it works for me to give the students all of the assignments at the beginning of the course. This helps the students with planning their course efforts. A question might be raised that this could scare the students since they will see all that they have to do in one big lump. This has not been the case because I then show them the time lines and how we will accomplish all of the assignments in sequences of time and newly acquired knowledge. They start to relax and we get to work on the first assignment. There is really not hard and fast rule on this. My suggestion is to try it both ways and see what kind of response you get. Another tip, when I give information out about each assignment I have the information posted on the course platform (we have Blackboard) and I give out printed instructions concerning each assignment. I print each assignment on different colored paper so I can refer to Assignment # 1, the blue packet and the students immediately go to it. By using the different colored paper the students don't feel so overwhelmed since they see 3 pages that are blue, and then a couple of papers that are yellow, etc. If I give out all the assignments on white paper they are looking at a stack of white paper with not divisions so they start to get concerned. The colored paper method gets them to look at each assignment.
Gary
Hi Richard,
I support your position on using case studies. I have used them for years and my students are like your students they like them because they get to use their newly acquired knowledge with the studies. Plus, with case studies you can keep everything current by looking for and introducing new case studies based upon what is happening in the field.
Gary
