Appling motivators
I have to agree with the content of this training, however I question how to apply alot of this to my institution. Being an Automotive technical institute with limited pre entry testing, I find myself often dealing with students that appear not to have the ability to perform to an industry standard and are not capable of comprehending the the technical aspects of current automotive technology. In a setting with 6 hours a day, 30 students per class, 3 week phase, rules that limit my interaction with students, How do I apply this?
I find that a lot of the techniques many instructors use to keep students motivated involve technology. I couldn't agree more with this. It does make it much easier to keep students motivated when you can use PowerPoint presentations. Even youtube videos can inspire some students. I teach cosmetology, so staying up on the latest styles is incredibly important. I feel like the most effective way to show modern trends and keep students motivated is using the internet. Unfortunately, I do not have access to technology to make this work in the classroom. I have a TV and a DVD player, that's it. I never really had to think about it before. I went to school at places where technology was available. I did my student teaching relying on it. What are some ways to keep students motivated without technology?
bonnie, looks like you are able to keep your classroom exciting and students engaged by using a variety of delivery methodologies. Great job and the more you can share with respect to what works and what you have removed from your lesson plans could be of great value to other readers. If you are not participating in the Lounge already I highly recommend you check out http://www.careercollegelounge.com. MaxKnowledge has done a great job bringing together educators from across many different systems and all share a common goal of educating students using a variety of methodologies. Your experiences would be greatly valued.
James Jackson
My students are motivated through a variety of teaching methods: PowerPoint’s, feedback, group discussions, projects, and field trips. Keeping up with the trends is appositive learning experience for everyone.
Bill, you make a great point and not all techniques will work with all audiences. You do have a very unique situation however that could work well depending on much control you have upon the curriculum. You have a long period of time each day to influence your students. Three weeks appears to be a short period of time but having 6 hours each day also suggests you have a lot of time to introduce discussions and conduct conversations with students. You also mention or at least suggest there are no limitations to prerequisites that students need to meet prior to participating in your classes. If this is the case you may need to consider creating your own instrument or some type of discussion process where you are able to determine the initial skills of your students. Those that meet your standards will progress as expected but those that do not meet your standards may need to receive additional counseling that based on your experience and taking into consideration students from the past, you would recommend that this group of students will need to dedicate more time outside of class if they are serious about being successful. You are not requiring them to do more work, you are simply giving them the value of your past experience and offering them the early information they need to ensure success. I hope this has been helpful in some way. If you have other questions or would like to engage in other discussions I am happy to assist as best I can.
James Jackson
