the first day of class I enjoy getting everyone to share where they are coming from work wise or education wise. It helps break the ice for each student but it also gives me an idea on how much of this information the student has had before or not.
Unidad (Ning),
these are all great strategies to help these students in the best way possible. I especially like the idea of talking to the student personally.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Given the opportunity, take time to: 1) talk to student personally; 2) pre-test students at the beginning of the course to evaluate level; 3)free-form, reading or essay-writing format of evaluation
In most of my class of adult learners, the students vary in ages. Some are 20 years old and other over 45 that haven't been in school for over 30 years. This diversity helps me to motivate them.
Jessica,
this is a great type of activity to use as it also helps the students get to know each other better & really start to form a more cohesive group.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
The first day of class I have an introductory ice breaker. I get to know their previous experiences and get an insight to what type of learner they will be.
Robert,
this is a great analysis & yes we must get the feel for the content & the learner to determine which really should come first.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I take courses, such as max-knowledge about learning styles and from previous experience of other learner I have taught and also the way I learn. In the courses I teach we have both academics and then the physical reproduction of what was read must be done. Depending on the learning style sometimes the academics first and the reproduction and other times the physical reproduction and then the academics.
I have been priviledged to travel quite widely - I've been on four of the seven continents. This helps to aid my understanding, when on the first day of each term, I have the students introduce themselves.
I also try to encourage cultural diversity into our class discussions of the day's topic. It is quite fascinating to learn of other curtures, plus the students feel you really do care about them.
James,
yes, it's always a good idea to utilize the resources that you have so we can best serve all of our students.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Asking the students directly, one by one how they learn best will give you some of the information you might need. Talking to the student services department may also give you some information.
It is important from the first day of class to get a basic understanding of each student educational and career background so you can anticipate what problem might arise later on or what their needs might be during the course of the class.
Nelida,
yes, by tapping into those diverse experiences we have a better chance of maximizing the variety of strengths in our groups.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
It's very important to understand the diversity of learners. You could find out that some are young graduates and it's the first time on college and others had previous experiences and are eager to shared with others. Also we could find students that are very motivated to learn and others that need to be push a little so they don't feel out of the group.
Carolyn,
this is true & some of the students require a little extra attention.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
If you think about it all your students in your classroom are diverse learners. None of them learn the same and you have to constantly adjust to their needs.
Allison,
this is a great way to ensure that you are reaching the students where they are & helping them learn in the most effective way possible.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I have every student take an assessment to identify what type of learning style is most dominant for them-Kinestic, visual, auditory and combination. After the assessment, I try and structure my lecture content to support the majority. For example, if the majority of the class is visual then I will incorporate more models, pictures, diagrams and learning maps into my lectures.
Liset ,
this is a great approach as it provides a safe way for you to discover how best to help them learn.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
The first day of school my students are introduced to their new class , they mention their objectives,goals, why they are on school, and how they learn better, some of them likes pictures and diagrams , others hands on , etc.
