Even with a subject like information technology, there are some things I think I can try. With the next class, I'm going to use more visuals other than a PowerPoint. Good old flip charts posted on the wall for starters. Perhaps listing the day's objectives, maybe the key terms we want to examine, etc. And of course, I can work some color into those charts as well.
I never thought about the potential psychological ramifications when using colors to emphasize specific points in my classroom handouts and announcements. I almost always use a bright yellow highlight in a majority of handouts and tip sheets that have been created in Microsoft Word.
After learning about the affects that color can have on students, I realized that I could be putting undue stress on some of my students. I plan on going pack to review and update how I communicate my written material to my students. I will use more darker greens and blues when trying to highlight and grab the attention of my audience without making them nervous or raising their anxiety level.
Nastassia,
these are both great ideas & techniques. Another idea (that uses shapes somewhat) is to highlight or set apart information with boxes, etc to help draw attention to these key ideas.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I believe, color play an important role in student's learning. Having been a student myself, color was important for me to retain information. In class, I often utilize colors when explaining a particular topic,giving assignments where students would use color markers.
From time to time I do get a student who is color -blind and my worry is whether the student might feel left out. In that respect, I suggest to use shapes instead of colors (for example, blue , pink and green can be replaced with round, square and triangle). That way the student understands the difference which would improve help his/her learning, but I also notice that students who are not color-blind like this technique as well. Any other suggestions?
Ceola,
yes, the more variety we can have in our approaches, the greater chance for student success.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Improving the learning environment is always a much needed source. Looking at the list, I have to agree with others, it will vary on the type of audience. But I would give at least one of the points a try just to see what response I get. I think it will be great to add visuals into my teaching plan.
Eleana,
this is very true & this is where we must evaluate each of our classes on their own merits.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
It depends on the students and their energy. Each class/student is unique and needs they're own attention to detail.
Staci,
this is a great idea as it really helps them to get into the world of these individuals & experience that difference.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
As I stated before I teach massage and when the students are learning about "special populations" I will use blindfolds and ear plugs so than can experience what blind people and deaf people experience. I find this to be a good lesson for them.
by using this technique and turning it into senario helps them understand that everyone is different and have different ways of working and functioning.
I really like the idea of using color codes! Thank you for the suggestion. I find color coding helpful when working out math equations, but i will also apply that to my daily lecture board.
Bakhriya,
a great example of how some techniques will work for some & others work better for some.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
for course that i teach we never use music, but landmarks of body part is very useful for students
Music is the key to life- I often use relaxation music before a major test to calm the students down. Additionally music is a great " ice- breaker" with my new classes.
It's amazing how introducing such great artist as Louie Armstrong can bring out discussion topic with new students.
My school is closing, and we are teaching out the program. My program has 3 remaining students, so seating and creativity are vital. I find it to be difficult to teach a very large, or small class because engaging the student(s) can be difficult.
On the first day of class I came in and removed any excess tables and chairs, so that the students were all sitting close to one another, and close to me. I have the students create a poster as a midterm project that goes over information they learned in the first half of the course, and then we display those posters on the wall. In my experience the students work harder on things that they know will be displayed for others to see.
Dorothy,
all of these are great ideas to connect the students with the material & the topics you are covering that day.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I am going to start using peripherals using the suggested colors for my classroom.Many of the suggestions can be used since I teach medical assisting: I plan on using them on the subjects of professionalism (motivational), agenda to stress objectives, logistics ( I have to repeat break times many times and to encourage students to notify instructor if they will be absent), names and pictures of medical instruments. Plan on trying using alpha music during individual exercises related to demonstrating medical procedures.
For the classes I teach (mainly cake decoration and showpiece work), visual examples are almost a necessity when discussing the various projects and objectives of the class, and are especially helpful when I need to convey a lot of information in a very short amount of time. I also supply my students with various art media like colored pencils and design templates, to assist them in the brainstorming and design process. A U-shaped seating arrangement is helpful when we have group discussions, and whenever we are in a Lab situation I like to play Classical Opera or Jazz as background noise.
Courtney,
that is a great & interesting that you are using it during lectures & it is proving valuable.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
