Hi Larry, Thanks for your post to the forum. Whatever resources we can find to help our students learn is excellent! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
When having limitations on materials to teach students I try to bring in some things from home that I have achieved throughout my field profession to give the students other oppertunities to evaluate other ways of learning other than in the lab and class. Have many students to realize and acknowledge different techniques that they are able to see and use in their new profession of skills.
I believe that as an instructor you need to be aware of the different learning stlyes of your students in order to structure your presentation so that every student can process the information in their own way. We use lectures, power point slides and hands on exercises to ensure that the students understand the material.
Hi Doug, Thanks for your post to the forum. The bottom line is that you are doing your best to address the laerning styles! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
Hi Barbara, Yes, that is exactly right! It is more difficult to address all of the learning styles when we teach but so very much more rewarding! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
Hi Peter, Thanks for your post to the forum. Yes, exactly - by varying our delivery we can reach all of the learning styles! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
Clearly the goal is to reach as many students as possible in the classroom. By providing a varied approach to teaching style and method you increase the chances of reaching all of your students and appealing to their learning style. By staying with a single approach, often the one that meets YOUR learning style, you will have some students that fully understand the information you are providing, but another part of the class could be missing out because you are not fully reaching them.
My personal learning style is very versatile, yet my teaching style is definitely geared towards and audio approach. A lot of talking and interaction which I compliment with visual representation. I often struggle with a way to present more material in a hands on way and even feel like I am not doing enough when I have students work on 'hands on' assignments. Definitely a tough time finding the right balance.
If you don't teach many different ways you are bound to leave someone behind and confused. I like to present the same information in many different ways. 1) lecture 2) assign a written outline 3) assigna reading assignment 4) use pictures or visual aids on the board and 5) of course demonstrate and let them practice the skill hands on
If you try and present all material in these ways not only is a lot of repetition but you appeal to every type of student.
Students are taking in alot of information very quickly. With that being said, it is alot easier for students to learn and the instructor to teach when we adapt to the students learning styles for that particular class your teaching. The students grasp the knowledge and actually remember it.
I think it is important to use multiple learning styles and to be very flexible with regards to changing your teaching style. This will allow you to best match the students you will be teaching with the most appropriate teaching method.
Hi Maryellen, Thanks for your post to the forum. Since many of my college's programs involve "hand-on" activities, we often see kinesthetic learners who were not successful in high school but who excel in our programs. As you state this motivation encourages students to want to continue to learn. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
I feel that by supporting the learning styles of my students I can engage them in both the current learning necessary for this class, and hopefully it will encourage them to pursue the desire to continue to learn. Motivation also comes from supporting a student, and by encouraging a student may be all they need to find it within them selves to continue to learn.
MaryEllen Parker
Hi Trent, Thanks for your post to the forum. That time is very well spent! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
I have always thought it important to reach as many of my students as possible. When creating lesson plans, I would spend almost as much time thinking of various methods to use that would both enhance the lesson as well as reach all of my students.
Hi Wouter, Thanks for your post to the forum. Asking students to "teach-back" is a great technique and as you mentiion it can give us excellent feedback. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
Since learning styles are individual and varied, it is important that we, as instructors, try to keep the largest number of students intellectually challenged and engaged. And while we may not be able to do this at all times for all students, alternating the delivery and activity will more strongly engage certain learners throughout the course of a class meeting or program. I sometimes plan for time to let students explain a portion of the content to each other. Their choice of aids to explain this makes it remarkably apparent what learning styles are present among my student population.
Hi Leslie, Thanks for sharing excellent examples of interactive techniques for reviewing material! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
Hi Bridgette, Thanks for your post to the forum. That's an excellent point - if we think about how we, as instructors, learn best we can empathize with our students! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
I teach basic science classes in the Massage Therapy, Dental Hygiene, and Fitness Trainer Programs. Students in all three of these programs need to pass a national or state exam in order to practice in their chosen field. Retaining the information is essential for their success and this is why I teach by repetition.
It's hard to avoid lectures in the sciences but I do keep them short with no more than 15 - 20 minutes of PowerPoint slides with lots of pictures and some text.
Lecture is followed by going through a study guide that the students and I do together. Going through the study guide with them allows me to emphasize information that they will need to know not only for quizzes and exams during class but also, information that could potentially be on the board or certification exams. The study guide emphasizes the key points of the lecture. It also keeps students focused as they are writing down the key points as I write them on the board.
The study guide is usually followed by review questions that I hand out and let the students do either individually or in groups. I will go to each group or individual and help with any questions that they can't answer. This also allows me to note who is actually doing the questions and who is not. After 15 - 20 minutes we go over the questions together.
If I am teaching massage therapy students I usually use Massage Prep, which is an online simulation of massage therapy board exam questions. This, again, reminds students of important points that they will need to retain.
Activities for hands-on learners include palpation of muscles, movements to show actions of the musculoskeletal system, and the use of skeleton and muscle models for visual and hands on demonstrations. If I'm teaching Anatomy or Kinesiology, I might use Anatomy Arcade (http://www.anatomyarcade.com/), which includes online games like 'Whack a Bone' or 'Poke a Muscle'.
During the last 30 - 40 minutes of class we will do a PowerPoint review of key points. Questions are projected and students answer aloud. Answers appear showing if they responded with the correct answer. There is also usually time for me to spend doing one-on-one reviews with individuals or small groups if that is needed.
My hope is that all of these varied activities to present information supports all learning styles, makes the class go by quickly, and importantly helps the students retain the information that will allow them to be successful.
If, as an instructor, you don't try to complement the learning styles of your students it could cause them disengage from the classroom and not want to participate because they feel it does not pertain to them. The quickest way to lose a student in a class is to have them not feel they are learning anything because they don't understand. Let's face it..when have you as an instructor learned best? When the topics have been interactive and complement your own style.
