When planning your presentations make sure to introduce change, variety, and even surprises into your lessons so your students will stay interested and engaged.
It's challenging to think of exciting ways to explore and teach material, but the students will enjoy it because it's totally unexpected. Changing teaching methods is very creative and exhausting.
I enjoyed learning ideas to encourage rapport in the classroom such as encouraging trust, respect, and identification of common goals. It is also important to remind students of why they chose this program such as having them write down why they choose their career on a 3x5 card.
I had never heard about REFOCUS before. But I found this to be useful and plan to utilize it in my classes.
Ive learned that the second half of the course we're teaching can become tedious for the student. Therefore, withhout implementing variety in our style, the students may lose motivation and interst. I will approach this by applying the "Re-focus" method and also keeping the students envolved by acknowledging their progress and telling them personal stories within the field which will help them relate to them and ultimately regain their motivation and attention.
I think it is natural for students to get too comfortable during mid-phase. It is good to know that as instructors, we have a fair amount of control over that situation. It is important to keep the students focused and motivated.
I learned the word "Learnativity". It's a reminder to me that both the instructor and student have to take an active role so as to move the learner from novice to expert.s
I like the simulation. We do that in nursing already, but what a great idea to add a situation to class groups to break up the monotony of lectures. Mixing the learning strategies makes for variety and more memorable learning.
Reply to Christopher Brown's post: Great point you mentioned. I believe this is a fear for many of us who teaches or fascilitaes the learning of the students. By overcoming our fears and by acceptance of "To Err Is Human" we can become a confident instructor.
Reply to Jacob Pope's post: Yes Jacob, I didnt know the strategies either. very interesting and I am sure they work for each class perfectly.
I enjoyed every line of this course so far. The course is very needed especially at this time when we all do online teaching. I am going to use 3X5 cards for their assessment on the assignment and will definitely tell them stories related to the subject every now and then. I loved the idea of refocus strategies and will use them for my class.
1. Stay excited and enthusiastic in teaching
2. Be prepared to use different styles of instruction/technique
3. Embrace mid evaluations to adapt to learner needs
This section focuses more on being personable. Students need to know that you are human. One way of doing so is by telling a story. Also, as an instructor, if you prepared the lecture appropriately and dilvered the message just as effectively and your students didn't perform as well as you expected; you shouldn't be too hard on yourself. Givng yourself some praise.
It is very hard to get "total" class participation. There often seems to be one, two even three class spokesmen and at least one debator. I like the ideas mentioned about drawing into participation some of the content/shy students.
I liked the idea of using 3x5 cards to write down an answer to a class disccussion topic. That way students are prepared to answer when called upon, and those that are not called upon simply have the advantage of thinking about the question and summoning a response from either memory or lecture.
Discussions with students are very beneficial and productive because they are able to relate their experiences in what they are learning and this is a good reinforcement.
Variety, spontaneity, energy, all keep students engaged and active in their class participation. Learning is emotional, never really thought of this in this actual way! If in the "Slumps", REFOCUS!
I like the idea of the "crisis game" to spark their application of material being learned
Important to build rapport with the class as a whole and individually. REFOCUS during stagnant times.
I really liked the idea of a mid-course evaluation.
