Being that about two thirds of my classes are ex-combat vets these days, brings a new challenge and dimension to the learning process for these people. Emotional, mentally and physically most of these boys have been shot to pieces with demons that run wild under certain sights, sounds and smells, and can come out and show itself in the classroom environment. Being an old man now, Viet-Nam was my test of battle and to this day haven’t forgotten myself. But due to my own experiences have given me other tools in my toolbox.
Some of them have had their “hard drives†fragmented due to post combat stress syndrome and their normal thinking process have been overwritten by a rather long list of bad memories, which in turn can derail the normal learning process. Any good educator worth their salt understands that many times we are called upon to fix or repair the human before we can really teach them something that will serve them the rest of their lives. It’s a challenge but a rewarding one.
One of these tools allows me to spend some time with each one of them and talk about their military history, but more so their earlier days of their lives and the happier ones. Such as their first car, first kiss, or the day they helped win the football game. During complex accounting procedures that require a great deal of math memory recall, having the student assign theses math formulas to the good memories they remember allows for easier recall of the information. More than one time during a test when it is quiet and I can watch students randomly, every now and then I see a small smile from one of my challenged students where they have pulled a good memory along with the accounting requirements attached to it. Their test results bare out that the read/write abilities to the “hard drive†are healing and getting better. I hope one day to see some of their names in the Wall Street Journal.
Nancy,
I use this format as well. Small groups working on case studies help to get everyone involved and talking, sharing and interacting with each other. In addition, they help with the development of critical thinking skills.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I use small group discussion of case scenarios as well as group projects, and collaborative exams to augment lectures.
I use various strategies to convey and hopefully cement key concepts, primarily those that are learner driven.
Susan,
Good strategy to follow. The more you know about your students to more accurately you can plan your instructional delivery to meet their needs. I like to come to class early and chat with the students and have them share a bit about their lives with me because I can get a feel for the mood of the class during this time. Having a feel for the class is important on how I will start the class and which direction I am going to take the discussion.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I always arrive early for class and spend time talking with the students to see what is going on with them also. Students will often tell you what helps them to learn best. I also try to present the information in more than one form when possible, with pictures or stories/examples from real situations.
I think understanding how we think and store information is imperative to applying teaching methods. Students can not all be taught the same way and understanding from where they are approaching the information is helpful. In a culinary setting, learning is not just about being in a kitchen cooking. Lecture is a big part of the educational process and it is where the the processes that will be used later are actually explained and hopefully stored in memory by the student. Instruction must be tailored to how and when the student stops listening and storing information. Standing at a stove is practical and they can see the results of their comprehension in real time.
Jon,
Good analysis of how concrete and abstract learning can fit into the instructional delivery process. Each has a place to play as knowledge is acquired and skills developed.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Understanding that some students prefer concrete learning and others are more inclined to learning abstractly makes me realize that the manner in which I present material must have elements that promote both. The fact that I personally may find abstract thinking more stimulating than concrete thinking should not keep me from ecouraging both. A better understanding of the differences between these two types of learning will help me in the way materials are prepared and presented and the way in which the students are evaluated.
I feel it is very important to understand the way the brain works and how learning occurs, as well as learning styles. After all, we are in the business of learning. As instructors, the best way to be efficient at our jobs is to develop new strategies to reach different types of learners. I feel we can do this best by understanding the basics of learning.
DANIEL,
Right you are. What are some of the methods you use to get to know your students better?
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
If you cannot understand or know what the student needs or wants how can we teach them
by adapting my instructional strategy into teach is first we have to understand how each student learn as an individual and slowly teach them by their learning capaibilty
Butch,
What are some ways you will be adapting your pedagogy as a result of acquiring this new information?
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Kristina,
Bit by bit, part by part that is how you construct an object and you are right about needing to break down the content into management and understandable components. Through repetition and application the content gets stored in the memory of students for use later on.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Discovering the neural apparatus of memory has assisted me in the adaptation of my pedagogy to a higher level of effectiveness.
Something I've had to work on since becoming an instructor is repetition. Explaining a concept once is hardly effective. Students need to see the same piece of information multiple times before they can remember it 100%. Also, I find that the manner in which information is organized can greatly impact the ability of the student to retain the information. I like the "drinking from the fire hose" analogy. You have to bite off a little bit at a time, chew it up, and swallow it before you can take the next bite.
Charles,
Yes, it does and it is important that students see the path and how it takes them toward their career goals as well as their knowledge and skill development.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
It provides a path; a direction in which to go for the students at hand for the maximum benefit for the students. Instructor benefits because the course will most likely be easier for him/her too. THEIR learning can also be increased.
Dick and Carey use the term Instructional Strategy to describe the process of sequencing and organizing content, specifying learning activities, and deciding how to deliver the content and activities. An instructional strategy can perform several functions:
It can be used as a prescription to develop instructional materials.
It can be used as a set of criteria to evaluate existing materials.
It can be used as a set of criteria and a prescription to revise existing materials.
It can be used as a framework from which to plan class lecture notes, interactive group exercises, and homework assignments.
The planning of an instructional strategy is an important part of the overall instructional design process. Gagne calls the planning and analysis steps the "architecture" of the course, while the instructional strategies are the "bricks and mortar". This is where you deal with how to actually instruct the student.
