Hi Lucy,
It really makes it nice whenever students are familiar with the topic. Students really can see the revelance when they have been exposed.
Patricia
By connecting up things they have experienced with the materials being taught. For example, if you are taaching about taking inventories in accounting; often times the students would have had some exposure to this, so everything is not foreign to them.
Early in my "Foundations of Writing" course which is required by newly enrolled students, I invite the school's career placement director to do a "guest shot". She points the importance of formal writng and correct puncuation to successfully land a job interview. She advocates that both the resume and cover letter are marketing tools that demand your best composition skills to launch your career. Her strong dose of reality suddenly throws relevance in to all those periods and commas and run-on sentences in my lowly foundations course. Learn more so you may earn more.
Hi Vicki,
I love guest speakers! They are great! Guest speakers really validate those concepts that have been taught or will be taught. Students enjoy hearing from someone else other than the instructor all the time. Variety is good for everyone.
Patricia
I always try to relate what I am discussing to real-world/work examples, either my personal experiences or other chefs at our school. I also try to bring in some guest speakers that have job positions that directly relate to what subjects we are discussing in class.
Hi Karlyn,
Practicing valuable vocational skills is key. Students need as much practice as possible before they begin their new position. I always tell my students, the more you practice, the better you will become.
Patricia
Hi Mark,
It is very exciting whenever you can make concepts practical. Reality in the classroom is a super motivator.
Patricia
Hi... I have found that giving the students an Instructor demo on proper technique and stressing the importance of why embracing proper technique will increase their efficency and skill, which will lead to advancement in position. As well as an increase in earnings.
Students are much more likely to retain content that will help them achieve their personal objectives.
I regularly use stories, examples and exercises of how they may apply their knowledge and skills provided by the course content to their specific career.
Getting as close to reality and learning by doing is very effective, and fun too.
Independent of course content, in class group activities, assignments, and the reinforcement of deadlines, allows students to practice skills which are going to be used in their career, regardless of the field. So offering activities and reminding students that not only are activities meant to enhance learning and master content & metacognition, but are also opportunities for them to practice valuable vocational skills.
Hi Kristina,
Once students understand why they need to know something, they typically become interested and involved. It means more to students when they realize the benefit of learning something.
Patricia
Hi Chris,
Actually I like the idea of group work. Students tend to enjoy the active learning. What do you do to show course relevancy?
Patricia
Students always ask "why do we need to know this?" Career college students want course content to have practical application, unlike traditional students who often want to learn for the sake of learning. You can show relevancy in your course by relating the information covered directly to the career field. Share personal stories or examples of how experts in the field use the information.
Hi Sheila,
I am sure once you tell your students the very last statement mentioned in your response, they fully understand the need to become proficient in English. I am almost certain most of your students understand the importance of the course without you saying anything.
Patricia
As an insrtuctor of English as a Second Language of adult learners, it is important for the students to see how improving their level of English language proficiency will help them to attain their career goals. Proficiency in English is key to obtaining employment in the career of their choice.
Group work is an important part of the learning process.
I teach Business Ethics and the Law. At times, this is a difficult subject to demonstrate the relevancy. However, from a legal perspective the actions taken by a company have a profound aspect on their ability to avoid litigation. Often times we discuss current cases filed in both state and federal court. I also have incorporated into the class a journal exercise that requires students to identify an ethicl situation in which they enounter for each week of the class. The students are required to analyze the issue and write about it in their journal. This helps the students think about how ethics plays a part in every day busines interactions.
You should try and show examples of how this relates to the real world. Group work is a great way to illustrate the concept of team work. In today's world, everyone will experience working in groups or teams.
Hi Ann,
Great speil to share with your students! Students need all the leg ups they can get in today's economy, and I will even include that in the speil.
Patricia
Generally, students regard my class a not necessary to what they will do upon graduating. I try to show them through stories of what is like in "the real world" and how they can use products we made in class to help them be a step ahead of others who do not have the skills to make these items. It makes them more maketable to have these "extra" skills and may well give them a leg up on the competition.
