I think it is crucial to understand the learning process and the way people retain information.
It is important so that we can consciously adapt our teaching methods to achieve best outcomes for our students.
I plan to use episodic memories as much as possible. Perhaps even to "create" an episodic memory by finding an example of a concept in a well-known story, or even a plot line of a movie or a song.
Hi Christine,
Well put. The better we know how people process information and take in new knowledge the more effective we will be in our teaching.
Gary
When I understand how students learn I can format my instructional time better. Another important reason to understand how the brain functions and how learning occurs is when a student is struggling. When a student is not doing well in a course it is helpful to understand how learning occurs so that I can construct different ways to teach that student during one on one time.
Hello,
How we learn is just as important as what we learn. And, yes, instructor's also have learning experiences that they can share.
Hello,
If I have older students in my class, I will draw on their experiences more in helping them to learn new information. With younger students, I need to create more of a base on which to build.
Carol Myslinski
I agree with Dorian here. I find that if an instructor doesn't truely understand the information he is trying to relay to the students, how can the instructor structure it so the students can assimilate it. no matter how much he knows about the learning process.
I already give a learning assessment the first day of my class. Some examples of how I approach my learners. HW: define words by putting them on a flash card: word on one side definition on the other with an example for each. In class we discuss words by breaking up into small groups. Each group presents the word they were given to discuss.
For a listening exercise: we discuss the words, hear a song that pertains to listening then we listen again with the words. We also do listening exercises that are kinesthetic.
I always try to appeal to every learning style. Lastly, when I put them in groups I try to put each learning style in each group. Each group has to research a chef, create a PP and give a presentation
Hi Robert,
Good way to let your students use their newly acquired knowledge. They see it, hear about it and then match it. This will make their ability to match colors so much more real for them as well as developing their expertise.
Gary
I will be able to adapt my instructional strategy by combining my lectures with more hands on applications, getting my students to understand color by actually mixing colors and trying to match another color. You can't understand color until you try to match one to another. You need to see the underlying color tones in the predominate color befor that understanding ocurs.
Also in producing color boards the student seems to understand composition better when they practice composition with small pieces of paper arranged on a board. This process usually takes sevral attempts.
Hi Summer,
You make a very good point about how learners need to "connect the dots" between life experiences and what they are currently learning. If they can get into or relate to the right schemas then content retention is going to be much higher. Helping to make these kinds of connections is a fun part of being an instructor.
Gary
Many of the posts have discussed the amazement of the ability of the brain to function as a machine and I completely agree.
One aspect of brain function that I am conscious of while teaching is the brain’s use of schemas (knowledge structures) that have been formed in students throughout their educational lives and personal lives. Thus, I really believe everything is teachable and can be learned. It is simply a matter of relating to the right schemas, approaching it from the context of previous knowledge. This definitely relates to the theory of multiple intelligences--by understanding where a student is dominant in intelligence, it helps identify workable and appropriate schemas.
As instructors, it is essential to recognize how learners process and retain information so that we can develop a basis for which to present information to students. For example, as a result of this presentation, I know that adult students have difficulties editing and deleting information. As an instructor, I can help students from the beginning of class by highlighting which information is essential, as well as which information is not as important. This process will help them become better learners, in addition to aiding them in knowing the subject matter
Because the brain prefers small chunks rather than whole packages, I will begin to devide up the segments of my courses into smaller chunks that can be better processed. Further I will begin to provide separate illustrations for each chunk of information so they may be retained longer and retrieved easier.
Each class of students is slightly to dramatically different. This covers from classsroom management through content delivery. A class that is involved in their learning is traditionally better behavied and more attentive. Using adaptive statigies helps zero in on what each class needs to maximise their learning potential.
I agree that it is important to have an understanding of how the brain functions in order to be an effective instructor. Knowedge of the brains processes will give you insight into how better to deliver information
in order to be an effective instructor, it is essential to understand the basics of learning of ones students. we must adapt to the individual students "brain functions" and learning curves many times a day while dealing with diferent individual student groups or individuals. this is what makes a good instructor- the ability to adress each student with the appropriate teching method/s
When teaching my economics courses the students often can't conceptualize the material until I provide real world examples that they can relate to. As the lesson points out, this is an important way for students to put the subject into context and help them put retain it in their long term memory.
Understanding the basics of learning will make me a better teacher because the lessons and learning activities I create to support those lessons will be more effective. Considering how students incorporate their life experiences and the examples presented in class into their understanding of the topic will enable me to reach more if not all of my students, instead of just some of them.
Students often come to class in a highly emotional state. Recognizing this override and allowing a slow transition to more difficult classroom materials creates greater success.
