when able, I read the latest cookbooks, blogs and televisions shows; especially the ones that target my course topics. I will recommend the book to read or watch as but also take the oppotunity to talk about what I recently learned to my students.
I always read current news about the industry and share them with my students. i find most of the time they open up and share a lot of things about it too. Its a great beginning of a learning from that point.
KEVIN,
yes & our role is to really assist them in discovering the learning.
Dr. Ryan Meers
I don't spend a lot of useless time on the computer
I am must always bear in mind that as a faciliator I will not always know more than the class but be open to access new ideas and techniques to deliver information
Technology is changing frequently in our field, so it's important to keep up to date with it, so that I can answer the students' questions. Also, during a discussion about a topic in the cirriculum, I try to add some of what I may have learned on my own, and apply it to the lesson. While I am going through the training, I try to understand the material, keeping in mind how i will present it while I'm learning.
Being that I am an adjunct instructor learning new topics is not difficult, keeping up with continuing education is a must. So I then take all new information back to my class and apply it in the form that I feel best suits there learning ablities. It could be as easy as forwarding any handout I received onto my students or turning it into a hands on project.
ANNAMMA,
this helps you improve as well as demonstrating the real world application.
Dr. Ryan Meers
I use my everyday experience at work, to teach my students what they need to prepare themselves for.
Robert,
it is nice when we have an outside group who assists with the training & development.
Dr. Ryan Meers
Laura,
both of these are great ways to maintain your skills & to continue to improve.
Dr. Ryan Meers
to me on the medical field the best way to keep updated and improve topics is to continue reading medicine articles and discuss this articles on class
By maintaining my professional licensure, the state I am licensed in requires me to take 14 - 16 hours of continuing education every two years. I also keep up to date with professional journals. I bring copies of those professional journals into my class and encourage my students to take them home and read them. Then when they bring them back, I find that my students have questions on related topics not necessarily covered in my course. This gives me an opportunity for some one-on-one time with the student in an area that interrests them.
Professional development opportunities like this one inform me about new teaching techniques. I receive journals and belong to professional organizations in my field.
Samuel,
this is a great way to learn more about the field & also to demonstrate to your students that you are continuing to learn & grow.
Dr. Ryan Meers
I always search internet and professional fourms for information. I also have training throughout the year. If I have a new question come up in class I myself and the students research it and bring it to a class next session. I feel that this is very positive to the expirence!
At times I brainstorm either after a class or hours before it begins to dream up new ways to deliver material that maximizes student engagement. Often times I bounce these ideas out of my superiors to get their feedback.
As far as learning more about my subject matter goes, I spend my Saturday's exploring the world of food and beverage by spending time with experts in the field and engaging myself in self directed study. I teach a Wine and Beverage Course and as a home brewer, I'm always learning more about Craft Beer, which is an "on trend" topic for a significant part of the class. It's a great hobby and relates directly to the study of Wine and Beverage.
I try to use as many resources I can get my hands on to learn more about the topic. I also network with other faculty memebers who teach the same course at other schools to share ideas on how to facilitate different topics in the classroom.
I follow alot the culinary arts magazine and periodicals to continue learning plus i regularly discuss new items in the industry with current restauramt chefs and owner. To develop new teaching methods i review my classes in the past for what did work and what didn't and how that can be improved upon.
Robert ,
I would agree that sometimes you have to adapt on the fly & I would say the better you know your content, the better you are at adapting in this way.
Dr. Ryan Meers
