encouraging them to get a higher education after this course.
I think it is important the emphasize the importance of gaining knowledge. Personally, the people who encouraged me to be a life long learner taught me how to seek information that was interesting and useful to me. Constantly researching my topics of interest has helped me to see for myself how my fields of interest are constantly changing.
MARILYN,
Exactly.....this is a field that is always changing.
Shelly Crider
Being in the Medical field I let the students know that they will always be learning and they will never know everything
Travis,
Oh so good! Students love technological resources!
Shelly Crider
Jeremy,
Personal experience is such a good learning tool. There are time when, as a student, we are actually misled my by a book.
Shelly Crider
I love the idea of being a lifelong learner, because I am. Helping my students to see how school will make them curious is one of the first steps. And then giving them the ability to locate resources to explore their curiosity. With the technological resources available, it is amazing to see what you can find with the click of a few buttons.
So, in my classroom I help them understand what lifelong learning means, and then we discuss strategies for making it happen.
I teach in the criminal justice field, which like every profession is constantly changing. First, I give my students examples of how things have changed since I sat in their seats.
I am also an adjunct instructor, so I am still a full time law enforcement officer. I strongly believe that in any profession you must continue to seek knowledge to make yourself better at what you do. My students know that I routinely go to training and when it is relavant I take time in class to talk about what I have learned or experienced in our field.
Liza,
Job interviewing is an excellent way to relate communication!
Shelly Crider
I try to relate their communications skills to something concrete, like job interviewing.
Phillip,
That is a perfect example of ever changing technology! People forget that automobiles have computers and change constantly!
Shelly Crider
In the automotive field where I teach the students are constantly shown how technology changes, each new model year brings out new ideas and systems to learn. I show how keeping up with these changes is vital to their professional career and financial gain. Usually when you talk money, you have their attention.
Travis,
oh I like this!! You could also use...."when I was young"
Shelly Crider
During lecture and also in lab skills, we often discuss what existed "when I was first starting in the Medical Field" compared to the way things are done now. We discuss how rapidly the technology has changed, protocols and constantly changing information regarding medications; what is new on the market, new info on drug side effects and those now found to be a "Bad Drug". I also encourage further education by describing something I've learned in my lastest CEU class.
Richard,
This is oh so true! The more we show students how and why technology changes and why we need to keep up, the more we keep students in school.
Shelly Crider
Actually, this is fairly easy for me due to my core group of students. With technology changing from literally moment to moment, software upgrades coming out every 12 to 18 months, and with competition becoming more fierce, I am able to easily demonstrate how they can never become complacent.
Mary,
Excellent post. We all love resources and being able to share with our students is excellent!
Shelly Crider
I teach Medical Billing & Coding. Once students graduate, they are encouraged to sit for their certification as a coder. I begin early on by explaining to them that continuing education is a requirement after certification. I also try to share websites and daily newsletters (from reliable sources)with information related to the topic we are discussing in class that day. I encourage students to attend the AAPC local chapter meetings (I attend as well). They learn while they are at the meeting, so their also receive class credit for their attendance. Student are able to get a 1st hand experience as well as network with professionals in their field.
Cheryl,
It is truly amazing! I like this assignment as well. This really makes the students think!
Shelly Crider
I enjoy explaining to my healthcare students that medicine and medical advances are constantly changing. It is extremely important for them to be life-long learners due to this reason. I give them specific examples of early medical discoveries....anesthesia, penicillin, tetanus and various vaccines and then compare that to robotic surgery that is used today. The changes in medical treatment in just the last 100 years is truly amazing. I given an assignment that asks them what are some potential advances that the student might see developed in their own lifetime. Answers are always interesting!
