Hi Michael,
Students love to hear real world experiences. It gives them a sense of satisfaction.
Patricia
Hi Dennis,
I agree! Graduates are excellent resources to utilize in the classroom. They feel very proud when asked to speak, and respect the opportunity as being highly thought of.
Patricia
A returning/graduated student can be an excellent source of current information for the class. Instuctors can certainly limit the time and usually not significantly disrupt the planned activities.
I think this dovetails nicely with the course recommendation to bring in a guest speaker that can help relate the information being taught to real world experiences.
Giving examples of personal experiences in the field where the course information learned was needed to complete a task in the real world, would help show the relevency of the course. Also, explaining how employers look for employees that are trained in areas that the course supports is also important.Explain how the information learned in the course could offer oppurtunities for advancements in there current job.
If it's not a first time course, then sometimes I'll have an anecdotal story of how a former student used the course information to assist him in his career.
Hi Danielle,
What a good way to tell and share. I am sure a lot is learned from this type of learning activity.
Patricia
I teach billing and coding and I use examples of the money that the doctors or facilities would be losing by not coding or billing properly. I also share how valuable they are to their employer by learning their trade and being the best they can be and how that translates to their profitability.
I will ask the students to share how they have used the course information in the previous week or in their clinical experiences.
I start by telling the students one of my stories then I in turn ask the students to provide a story of thier own of someone they know or have known that will relate to the specific topic. It's important that everyone has the chance to share.
Hi Bethanne,
It is nothing like that "ah-ha" moment. It is such great gratification. I know you are so proud of your students whenever you get to see them in action at their clinical site.
Patricia
Being out at the clinical site with the students is a huge luxury when it comes to showing relevancy to the students. They see first hand how their recent classwork/knowledge is put into action. One of my favorite student responses is that look they get when they realize they are putting newly aquired knowledge together with hands on learning. The "AH-HA" moment.
I will have to aply this to the classes that I am now teaching to see what their feedback will be. Thanks for the idea Eli!
I teach nursing students. In my gastroenterology lectures, I like to use examples, such as a raspberry, to show what a colon polyp looks like. I also try to get real life equipment into the classroom for them to see and experiment with. This helps to bring it more to "life" for them.
Hi Karen,
Awesome role models. I especially like how you tie in Bill Gates!!!
Patricia
Hi Patricia....I use George Patten, Winston Churchill and Walt Disney who were all dyslexic, Albert Einstein who didn't speak until the age of 3 and whose teachers, in later years, felt he would never succeed (go figure) and then Bill Gates, who dropped out of college. My point with Bill Gates was, as successful as he is today, he entered college with no plan and as a result dropped out. He lucked out in that he had computer background and interest in writing computer programs. Students are amazed. It allows for the possibility that they too can become whatever or whoever they choose regardless of their past situations. It also can grab the attention of those "less interested" students.
Hi Karen,
What great examples. Who have you used as examples, and how did the students react?
Patricia
I show student the relevancy of my course content by sharing real time experience with them. A lot of what I teach has to do with tools necessary to achieve personal success and sometimes the students who need these skills the most are the students are the least interested. Using examples of successful professionals, people who went the xtra mile, professionals who beat the odds and became who they wanted to be seems to be most successful in getting their attention. It allows them to see themselves in the careers they have chosen.
Hi Danette,
You're right, most if not all of your topics are applicable to life. Whenever students understand the relevance of a concept/topic they automatically become engaged.
Patricia
I teach in the sciences. And it is sometimes easy to show students how the topics connect to their lives. In biology, talk about diseases, etc. is always applicable to life. In environmental, making students aware of issues usually helps them understand the topic more.
