I routinely provide summaries of key objectives throughout the course. It is essential to continually remind the class of the key objectives so when they walk away from the course, you are reasonably confident that they will have retained at least that portion of the educational experience. A handout of acronymns also helps to illuminate government agencies outside of the Department of Defense to key terms routinely used throughout the military.
Understanding what you memorize , and what you have learned with your memory process will help you to retain the information.
Flashcards are great for visual learners! I used to make my own flash cards to help me learn, even if they were not provided to me in the class. Having students do their own flash cards might be an option too. Lyn
I like the idea of showing a final product too - it sets a goal or target for students right away. It also ties into concepts about application.. here is what you will get from this - and it is useful! :-) Lyn
Hi all, I like the thought of chunking the material. This can be combined with other memory techniques. So, each chunk will take into consideration other memory tools like primacy -start with an important statement; uniqueness - add some novelty to presentation; visualization, and recency - summarize at the end.
A little break - time for reflection or a physical activity perhaps - is good between chunks. Lyn
At the end of each class I make flashcards about the day's lesson to not only spark their memories but to offer a study method for them.
I like the concept of the primary method in addition to the visual method. Combining these with the back chaining ideology would be conducive to the learner. If I know the learning outcomes in the beginning I can map out the journey I find that the information is retained and more easily accessible.
I will try to teach the students to use word association with things I want them to remember.
Hi Charles!
I use games on a very regular basis. Students really enjoy them and I have found that test scores improve.
Good job!
Jane Davis
ED107 facilitator
I will change the order of labs we do
I have to agree with jane about background and word choices.Vocabularies will change according to where a student grew up.I tell my students that it takes just as much effort to use proper english as it does to use improper english or something thats close. Once that's established, i ask them if they mean this if they use the wrong term. I feel this gets them thinking just a little bit more about the subject.
word games help in my classes for my students. It's a break and it's fun from just talking about what the meterial is now thay have a chance to show what hey have retained.
I think I will make sure that every process has an acronym for the steps. Perhaps every step, or at least every concept in a course, will have an alliterative name with an emotional or visual overtone. For example, an essay needs a Propelling Purpose or Lighthouse Lead.
I'm teaching a history of fashion class to fashion design majors. It requires reading 50 - 70 pages for each class and, I know they can get swept away with " the hem went up 10 inches for 8 years and it went down 4 for 6 years." As visual students, I rely on their creating visuals so they can compare the differences. I want to be 'a best' teacher and want to get into asking more questions so they need to think deeper than the magic marker that drew the dress from the Romantic Period, Crinoline Period, etc. Sometimes I use worksheets to make them open the book and search for answers. (I do give them a time limit.) I use this for the chapters that cover clothing about 2000 years ago.
I am jsut now finishing a term and continue to reevaluate how I would do things diffferently and am open to new ideas.
I already ask students questions during lecture. And I even create word grouping and associations for certain concepts. I will try to open with questions regarding their expectations for the day's projects and include the more games.
As this is a technical school, I will change from lecture to relating an expeience from the field.
I agree I have students from all ends of the country and all walks of life. The way we choose our words to explain to one person can confuse another
I presume you also have a textbook for your class? I'd like to find ways to entice my students to read. As a fall-back I have begun to deliver the reading in lecture. This leave less time for in-class activities when I have to deliver the content of the book in lecture. How do you get your students to read? They are indifferent to a poor quiz grade and I'd rather use a carrot anyway.
I'm going to add more in-class activities to break up the lecture time and reinforce the learning objectives.
Hi Emma!
I like this backwards learning technique to help aide in memory retention.
Keep up the good work!
Jane Davis
ED107 Facilitator
