Julia,
The more you keep it real the more value you create for your course. The students can see the connection between what you are requiring them to learn and their career development. This helps them see the ROI of being in the course.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Agreed. Keeping it real is a sign of respect to the student. by giving them real life experiences..help them to trust you and your knowledge, and they are more likely to stay motivated and focused
William,
Two key words. Real and relevant! These two words go a long way in helping students to see the value of what they are learning.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Maribeth,
Like the way you build your connections between past, present and the future. This helps the students to see the value of what you are teaching and why it is critical they learn what is being offered.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I totally agree! Keeping it real or relevant for each individual student will motivate them to try harder and give them more self esteem.
I also try to relate the students past experiences to their future interactions in their new chosen field. Often times the students have the "ah ha" moment when related not to my experience, but to theirs! Positive and negative previous experiences can shape how they will handle themselves in the near future and this is where we can help guide them.
Elliot,
Stories from the field help students to see the value of the content. If students can see the relevancy of the content through the examples and stories shared then their engagement will be increased significantly.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I agree...maybe it is because I have "been around awhile", or the fact that I have been in several fields, but I find I can retrieve some life event that relates to just about anything.
Inesa,
Right you are. This is why it is important to spend time trying to find those examples even in a gen ed class so the students will see value to such a course in their career development.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Stanley,
The more connections of these types the better. These applications are what makes the content of the course valuable to students.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
That is one of the best strategies. When you teach Gen Ed courses, it is a bit harder to do though...
