Today as we were making potato salad I didn't specify whether or not we would make our own mayonnaise. We had made fresh mayo a week ago and I had explained that our purpose of making mayo was to understand the "emulsion" process; not to put major commercial manufacturers out of business.
I "fished " around a bit for questions and fairly quickly one of the students asked if they should prepare mayonnaise. It gave me an opportunity to reiterate past info and clarified the question for everyone.
Hi Kim - I'm glad that you have found the class useful. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career! Susan
I like what you stated about "feeling comfortable in discussions." Sometimes there is that one or two students always giving the answers. I was happy that I quickly knew that if given, these students would capitalize on the class time. It is important to get everyone involved with the learning process.
Thank you for sharing your ideas, they're great.
The wait time is excellent. I have often chosen the student before the question was given. Although I had good response to this method, now I see that it doesn't give the student enough time to formulate in their head.
I can see that I will be using the "wait time" and alot of these methods upon the next class.
Near the end of the program, I have the students take turns naming the different pastry products we have made (in their particular categories) and describe to me it's cooking technique. We go down the class roster and back until ALL of the products have been described. This seems to not only be fun and reinforce the importance of technique but it also empowers the students when they realize just how much they've learned.
"Wait" is very important to allow the students to formulate answers to instructor questions. This is one of my favorite because it builds confidence in those students that normally would not involve themselve in the discussion.
i use an idea i got from my daughter. i put all the students names in a psiton, then pull them one at a time. i have enough questiosn for all and now they are intent on being prepared. ii try to not use rhetorical questions.
Hi Jae - Welcome to ED 103! Congratulations on mastering "Wait Time" (not an easy feat!) I also applaud your outreach to students who are just too shy to ask questions in class. Best wishes- Susan
Wait time seems to work best. The silence can seem odd at first. It seems that everyone is waiting for someone else to answer the question. Yet, after using the technique several times, the wait time seems to diminish and/or eventually become non-existent. I also mention to students that if they are extremely shy, they can submit feedback and questions to me on a slip of paper and I will present the information or question to the class. I have only had one student actually take me up on this offer, but even so, at least students know that the option is there.
Hi Jeff - you are doing a great job of helping your students to be more comfortable answering questions! Best wishes - Susan
Hi Timothy - Best wishes as you proceed in your teaching career! Susan
Hello, I have not used any, but am looking forward to using the Bloom's Taxonomy I have learned. I will be in the class room soon. Thanks
Writing questions on the board or on the computer screen gives the students a chance to study the questions and then respond to the questions they feel most comfortable with. I have also assigned classes to look up the answers to a question or questions presented in class. Another successful way to ask questions is to hold a forum online so students can answer the question at any time.
Hi Michaelle-I think that is a terrific idea! Thyanks for sharing. Best wishes - Susan
During lecture/power point I ask a lot of questions to gain class involvement and to keep them focused. I ask for personal stories related to what we are learning. I believe it helps the point become more understanable. I give wait time for them to think of answers and I throw in some silly questions to keep them entertained. I don't have a problem getting participation, but sometimes I have to cut the discussion short because we have to move on.
Hi Mark - Welcome to Ed 103. Showing your students how their efforts in class will relate to their future career is ideal. They come to understand that what might be "good enough" to earn a 'C" in class, would never be good enough to serve to a customer. Excellent!
I try to relate my question to work. Would you serve this to a customer? or would eat this yourself? I also like to use wait time and open ended questions.
I encourage the students to question and enforce the old adage "No question is a stupid question". As instructors we need to make the class feel at ease, what I also do is go ahead and make the student think out the answer of their question and by doing this they learn and memorize. I would give them a few helpful pointers and then they are able to answer their own question at the time.
I've been trying something new in my classes that seems to be working (too early yet to tell). At the beginning of class everyday instead of asking review questions for anyone to answer out loud, the entire class writes down the answers in their notebook. Afterwards, I call on students for the correct answers. It gives all students the opportunity to see if they have successfully retained the information from the day before. Nobody is influenced by answers from another student without having the opportunity to answer it themselves. It makes for a good self-assesment of the material.
Hi Keith - Nice idea! Kind of like the "Evening Lottery" on TV!
Susan
