I use many of the same strategies when I teach my classes as well. I also find that every class is unique and the same material is being introduced to the class however the method changes every time I teach the class. An instructor can not be bashful about bringing new activities or changing it up once in a while depending on the class size an personalities.
Charles,
Glad to hear of the tips you got from this course. I am excited for you as you expand your knowledge and expertise as an educator while increasing your impact on the lives of your students.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I learned some helpful tips from this course
This course was helpful to understand that not everyone learns the same
and to be open minded about your audience.
Richard,
Your last sentence say it all. "Know your audience." By knowing your audience you can insert the appropriate stories, examples and humor that will engage them as well as give them insight as to the value of the content being shared. They must be able to relate to what is being said if they are going to be able to internalize it.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Stories are very powerful, especially when they relate real-world challenges to the learning objectives. There are some caveats, though, that instructors need to consciously address: (1) recency--avoid "ancient" history either by finding recent examples from a context the students are familiar with or by removing the context and just focusing on the teaching point, (2) make the vignette culturally relevant by choosing examples from the students' knowledge base (e.g., Lost in Space anecdotes have no meaning to modern young adults or Europeans), and (3) be careful with humor as it does not translate/tranfer easily across regions, nations, or age groups. Bottom Line: know your audience.
Douglas,
Good way to weave a connection between the various elements of the course so the students see how all of the elements fit together.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
For basic/introductory courses I have matched lecture (hard not to), with reading, small writing assignments and a presentation to the class.
Mohammad,
So true. It is the foundation of teaching because no matter how we plan things happen that forces us to change directions and be flexible if the class is to stay on course.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Flexability is very important for retaining,
motivating, educating as well as keep the students interested.
Kellie,
This is a very good point and needs to be remembered as instructional delivery choices are made.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Mary,
Yes, it is because having such information will aid greatly in your instructional planning. You will be able to target them in a more focused way which will increase their engagement.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Douglas,
I commend you for your effort. Through this approach you are offering instruction that at one time or another is delivered through each student's learning preference. By offering this variety you are also helping students to see that they can learn via other learning venues and this is important for their career development since they won't always be able to pick which form they receive information in.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Robert,
Stories are reinforces of the value of the content being offered. They increase the ROI of the course for students. In addition, they help to increase the interest of students at different times in the course. So keep sharing them as they benefit everyone along the way.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Edward,
This is a good blend for the type of course and the subject matter being taught. This integration of the different delivery formats enables students to use their different learning preferences while experiencing success in the course.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
each student retains in a different way. so as an instructor using different learning skills, visual, sound whatever it may be needs to be used. it has to work for all types of learnes
I have found using the above combination of teaching strategies helps to reinforce the subject matter and engage the students in the material. It is definitely important to take the time to find out how the majority of your students learn.
I try to use several different approaches in each class. This is more work for me as an instructor but each student knows that at least a portion of the course will be in a format that they prefer. Additionally, having people with different preferences working together in groups can have both a positive and a negative effect but the world is full of all types.
I like your point about stories. I believe that most people like stories and they can be used in any setting: small groups up to lectures with hundreds of students. So a short story of of how the material has benefited someone or is useful may help engage students. The teacher can also precede the story with a short activity where they ask the students to think about the concept for a minute and write down several things that come to their mind or are important to them. This can then set up anticipation for the story the teacher is about to tell. The story could also be told via a video clip or by reading text aloud--there are many options.
We use online, interactive lab and class instruction.This seems to work well to cover the intelligence for our automotive field.The students are able to see immediate dividends of the excercises presented to them by applying them in a real world task.In some task we use groups to apply the learning and then individual skill evalution to confirm the training has been accepted.
I also use a very simular approch, drawing, yout tube, power point, work related stories, and moving around the class room which seems to keep the learners alert and wake.
