When they are able to use and share their life experiences, it gives them a point of reference. It also establishes and reinforces a foundation on which to build. They have something immediately to contribute to the class and a point from which they can springboard foward to attain future success. Any new academic material they can tie to their personal life experiences,will be retained better as it can be anchored to what they already know.
Greetings Dimitria!
College is definitely about workforce development/preparedness and using life experiences in our instructional strategies better equips students.
Keep up the good work!
Jane Davis
ED106 Facilitator
Absolutely Sandie!
Anytime we can share real world experiences, students are better able to apply classroom learning.
Keep up the good work!
Jane Davis
ED106 Facilitator
The experiences of adult learners are important in the classroom for two feasons. First it allows them to share their experiences with younger learners. These lessons can be learned in addition to the curiculum. Also by relating their experiences it gives them a sense of belonging and value to the course.
It is not only important to use industry experiences in the classroom as an instructor, but I feel it is also important for students to relay their life experiences. It gives them the feeling as if they can also learn from each other.
Students want to know/understand what they are learning about, and how it will relate to working in "the real world".
I find that is sometin=mes the greatest teacher for students they love to hear how the real workd is and what works and what does not.
I can usually bring a life experience into all most any aspect of the subject I am teaching and I find it a great tool when the material is dry and Im losing the students interest in the material. If I can give them a real world example or story it re-sparks interest in the subject matter. It's a great tool!!
I couldn't agree more Sabastian! It's the practical application to what can, otherwise, be a sterile academic environment.]
Keep up the good work!
jane Davis
ED106 Facilitator
Students can relate to personal stories (most of the time). It makes classes more interesting and it gives everyone the opportunity to have input.
In my opinion, these are the best classes.
Hi George!
It helps students make the real world connect where there is a disconnect.
Good job!
Jane Davis
ED106 Facilitator
Hi Corinna!
There something about hearing that other people have had the same or similar challenges that makes a person feel like they are not the only one in their situation. Often it opens conversation with people who help us see life in a totally new light.
Keep up the good work!
Jane Davis
ED106 Facilitator
Using life experiences in the classroom helps the students relate to the material and understnd it better
I agree, using past experience during a class adds an element of reality to the content being taught. However, in reality we're not perfect and some of the best learned lesson come from our mistakes. Who hasn't made a mistake? No one. Every student can relate to having made a mistake. Life is not perfect.
Shows how past experiences and successes can be applied in learning the new material. It also supports the student achieve a sense of confidence as they move into the new information.
We all come from such diverse and interesting backgrounds. This allows students who may come from bad or torn homelives, to see their are options out there. When I hear a storie of someones live that has overcome huge and devasting life challenges and become sucessful, it is such and inspiration! I think it helps us "think positive". We all want success...its just getting to that point and deciding we can do it. And I think it is incredibly helpful and inspiring for students to share with one another their movtivations and successes.
Using life experiences and connecting it to the course content when applicable helps that individual to understand that content easier.
I always use my experiences to show how common "threads of life" are and how universal emotions and situations are.
They may have experienced situations that I have not, but can be of value to the other students in the class. Real life experiences help to link material with their lives and makes it more valuable to the students so they retain more information.
Sharing life experiences among students promotes understand; classroom discussions; relationships; coomon factors & a better understand of the topics being discussed. In addition, it adds validation to the material that the instructor lecturing on.
