Making it relatable
I think that if I can make the information relatable to something a student has experienced through their own life or someone elses, it helps them to retain the information. My students seem to participate more and comprehend more when they can relate "personally" to the topic. I realize this cannot work with everyone and every topic but it is a great stepping stone.
I'm also a culinary instructor,more often than not I think about how is a demo more relavant and useful to a student as I'm in Demo mode. I remember being a student and how we all learn differently so i can talk about the subject matter to all of my students. talking about how the method will improve upon there current understanding of a method also helps them with their epiphany moment....
In my experience, in addition to using the familiar to relate concepts I find that using current events is also helpful. It keeps students "plugged in" and reminds them that the "real world" spins on...
David,
Isn't it great to hear stories like that from your students. This says they are getting it and realizing the value of what they are learning. It also means that you are doing your job as their learning coordinator.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
That's the same for my culinary students, having the reinforce their new knowledge by having them recreate it at home or work almost always has them coming in the next day saying ' I made that at home last night and it came out great". This usually means the will have fully grasped the techniques and will have frequent success in a futue attemps at it.
Maria,
We all need to feel a connection to what is being taught if we are going to see value to it. So the more we can "connect the dots" between content and application the greater relevancy the students will see in their lives.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
I have noticed that my students learn more if they can relate to it. I also noticed that even shy students tend to open up and share topics they can relate to. My students always ask specific examples that they can remember and relate to for them to remember and apply later.
Warren,
With this approach you are making both application and relevancy come alive for the students. They are working on their own vehicles so it is very important that they get every operation correct so their the type of performance they want from their vehicles.
Gary
I agree if you can relate the material being taught to something that has happened to the student, they can recall the info much easier. This is why I prefer my auto students to perform labs and tasks on their own vehicles.
I agree if you can relate the material being taught to something that has happened to the student, they can recall the info much easier. This is why I prefer my auto students to perform labs and tasks on their own vehicles.
Willis,
So true for students to internalize. They have the opportunity to study with and learn from someone that has been successful in their field. They won't have such an opportunity again.
Gary
Any one who works with adult learners has to earn a certain degree of trust with them. Being percieved as a Subject Matter Expert is key. The majority of Chef/Instructors at my school have many years of experience, both in the industry and as educators. The ability to relate the challenges we experienced along the way assists the learners in decoding the relevance of the subject matter.
I agree with everything. I try to show that the information is relevant in multiple aspects. I also try to have the information relate to things they are dealing with daily to help with their comprehension.
I'm in agreement here. Showing how the class content is applicable is very important. Often, the difficulty I find is the fine line between convincing the students that the lesson is worthwhile, versus falling into a lecture where it comes across like "trust me, this info will be needed in your career".
