It makes it easy to relate to the situation or material being presented. I use my work and college situations to daily lab and lectures.
I think it can be a helpful "learning" tool. it allows the students to picture what they are learning to become three dimensional.
It is an excellent idea to use life experiences for all the students as an example as to what can be accomplished. I teach at a graduate school, and often the older students have the most motivation. I always tell my students that motivation, hard work and common sense will get you very far in life. Only one person can be #1 in the class, so what are you going to do to distinguish yourself? Draw on your previous life experience to determine how you got to be sitting in this classroom right now.
TO LET YOUR STUDENTS KNOW THAT WE HAVE ALL BEEN THREW THING AND WEB STILL CAN MAKE IT
it is a great way to engage them also and want to hear more
It brings persoal relavence to the topic
I agree! If our students understand that we are learning from them while they are learning from us- it helps them to see how humanity works together. I tell my class that the people I am most concerned about are the ones who feel they know everything. This attitude will block learning and personal development. We are all constantly in the process of learning- and that's OK!
This can add to the class discussion and benifit the student and the class, use the learners input to enhance and make your points.
Letting them share their life experiences, always helps increase their level of interest, and may increase the interest of the class as a whole. Receiving feedback and information from peers is helpful to build on the instructors information.
I think it also helps them to bond as a team. When they know a little about each other they can help keep each other motivated.
I have witnessed this first hand. Yesterday in my Psychology class one of my students had the ah ha moment during my lecture on social psychology. As soon as I had changed the power point to the next slide, she called out "the ash experiment! I know about that!" I allowed her to share that with the whole class and explain how the results of the experiment relates to current theories and results of today. She was attentive and interested throughout the rest of the lecture.
During class today, other students were able to remember the key points and incident from the student during yesterday's class.
I find that the more I can relate my students' experiences to what I am teaching, the better they understand what I am trying to get across. I teach a pastry class, and many of my students are career-changers. When showing how to properly frost a cake, I often will compare the process to spackeling a wall; I find that this seems to make the idea a lot more accessible, especially for my older male students.
By sharing life experiences with my students they can gain experience and tips that may not be in the book. It also helps them see problems that they may run into and what are some effective ways of dealing with it.
It is much easier to learn something new if you can apply it to everyday life, it helps you to see the importance of learning the task.
Students can build on their current knowledge/experiences and enhance their learning opportunities.
I agree that sharing life experiences is an important tool in the classroom. It allows students to realize that they are already successful in a variety of ways, to understand that they are not alone in their needs for more education, and to join forces with other students with whom they feel a connection in their quest to reach goals.
Because it helps to remember and relate to the materials. I try to give real life applications to the materials and also ask the students for their real life experiences
I totally agree with you, in my classes I use my own examples sometimes on how I have learn from my own mistakes, but I never give up.
No matter your age, cultural diversity, or gender; everybody has a story. Some may be more exciting, extravagant, have more challanges, or not appealing, even to one's self; but everybody has a story. At some point during the evolution of classroom activities, and the process of "teaching", itself; that individual who may have felt that they had little to contribute, will be given an opportunity to relate, "let me tell you, about".....
Greetings Ruth!
Sharing life experiences in the classroom setting provides such great learning opportunities. The one thing that I tell my students is that we walk down the same road of life but we each make different footprints. Therefore, our experiences can offer another way of viewing the world around us.
Keep up the good work!
Jane Davis
ED106 Facilitator
