I find that it's imparative that we as educators stay on our game plan in order to be better prepared for our students. We are the leaders and we are the ones who are leading by example. If we are not leading by example, our students will think less of us and in the long run they will not respect us as educators. I enjoyed this module as it reminds us the importance of staying one step ahead of our students. Glenn

I teach and have taught many computer courses. Even though it is very time consuming, I always create a Rubric to grade a specific assignment in courses like Excel, Word, or Access. By creating a Rubric, it allows me to be fair to all students. I would not look at an assignment and just say, "Oh, that looks good or nice" and assign a grade. I think it is important for each student to receive a fair grade and feedback on their work. This also plays an important role in Assessment data that may be needed for future statistics or to access if the students' are meeting the objectives of the course.

This is an area that is always a 'work in progress' for me. Although it has been a wile since I wrote my own exam, I remember some of the difficulties I faced. I remember some of the tests I thought were the best measurement of learning the students struggled with. It seemed like I was always revising questions. I guess that's part of the process though. Even with some of the standard tests that are used in my courses now, I find that some students interpret some of the questions in different ways.

I currently teach a course that uses simulation software for some of the assignments and all of the quizzes/tests. In some ways it's good because it's hands on learning and evaluation. In other ways it's not a fair way to measure the student's learning. I have a lot of students who have software glitches with this program. If the software decides to act up, they miss the points. Also the software wants you to do things a certain way. If you don't do it that way, then it marks it wrong. I have a lot of students frustrated because they don't feel like it is a good measure of their knowledge.

I've had some courses where the students are inquisitive and ask great questions. They're involved and make the learning fun and interesting. On the other hand I've had some courses where they just stare at you. When you ask questions, they don't respond and the atmosphere is boring for them and me. I think that each class takes on a personality. I've tried a lot of the techniques that were listed in the content. It was a good reminder though of things to try to engage students in learning.

I know from being both a student and teacher myself that it is important to teach to student's individual styles. In an online environment, this is quite a difficult task. Not only do you not meet your students, but you don't see them to get visual clues of learning. I know in some of the chapters there are PPT's that go along with the chapter that can help those students who need to see information. Other teachers are also incorporate other visual learning such as webcasts, etc. I think these will help a variety of learners.

Presented new material that I can use to enhance my courses. I believe that this material will benfit myself as well as the students.

Great and beneficial information that can be implemented immediately.

Very helpful information. Allows for a greater means by which to perform student evaluations.

it's up to the instructor to challenge, excite and fill those students mental capacities,but how do you deal with a student who has a mental or physical disability like autism or cerebral palsy?

As module 1 described, there will always be students in the classroom who will know more about the topic than us instructors. What I try to do (I will admit I use to get peeved when the one person continued to try to answer everything.), is I try to include some of their information for future references and future classes. I also tend to move around the room a-lot, and I will sometimes have different areas of the classroom have the ability to answer/ask questions so it will bring more people into the discussion and class.

I find all these learning styles in each class. Developing tools that are flexible enough to adjust to the learning style is the challenge.

as a chef the aspect of group learning in class is a detriment to their success.in the kitchen the chef is not a chef without the support of his team.interaction in a group study give you tools for the real life setting.

we are what we eat, drink or breathe. we are part of the environment and everything around us. the blue print and content of a classroom can also affect the way we deliver a message.a well furnished and confortable room can sometime help in relaxing the mind to be more focus and alert. an overcrowded classroom is always an issue for both the student and the teacher which raise the anxiety level. be sure to have enough space to float around the class and always considere the layout.

My syllabus says I will not accept late work. I teach a once-a-week class (that is required for all NEW students), and several of my students weren't fully in the "swing" of things until the third week of class. Several turned in assignments that were due during week 2. Should I stick to my syllabus and not accept these late assignments? How do I gently tell these students that I won't accept their late work due to the syllabus guidelines? Thank you!

I am a new instructor this quarter. I was provided with a great curriculum; I truly believe it has a lot to offer students. However, I feel like the suggested topics overlap so much that we continually go back to the same discussions over and over (although we are only in week 3, so maybe it is too soon to tell). I do not want the content of the course to feel repetitive to students each week, so I'm concerned about this.

I agree that the classroom can greatly improve the learning experience for the student but in many situations the teacher/instructor has no ability to modify this area.I work in a technical training school where my input or feedback is not even considered.I would love to change things up but,some of the factors that prevent me changing the classroom are:I teach a subject for only three week intervals.The next three weeks I may be teaching a completely different subject in a different room to a different group of students.During the three weeks I am teaching,two other instructors are teaching the same subject in the same room at different time frames(teaching styles and students learning styles coming into play).No budget available for modification from original room set-up.No modification allowed without going through an extensive approval process.Not much advance notice of the subject I am teaching or where I am teaching(usually two days or less).No classroom downtime to make any changes between three week rotation periods.I am asking for any suggestions that I can implement in my classrooms,considering the restrictions I previously mentioned.

I use several different formats in each test so that I can see using some higher-level learning. It also creates some interest in the test. They are not getting board with just one style.

As both a student and an instructor in the military classroom, I have always appreciated the value of "foot stompers" A "foot stomper" is something extremely important that you need to pay very close attention to because you will need to know, and be able to apply, that information in the future. Origin of the term (based on a quick internet search): It was the eve of a critical exam for 800 highly select USAF officers at a highly competitive professional military college. The exam would have 50 questions. To make an A you needed to answer at least 47 of the questions correctly, possibly 48. Tension was HIGH. An instructor walked out on a huge wooden stage overlooking the 800 officers. He was there to review the material that the test would cover. When he went over material that was certain to be a question on the exam, he stomped his foot on the wooden stage. The officers clearly heard that stomp and knew they'd better write those words down, because they would very likely see that on the exam tomorrow. That material was known as a "foot stomper." The instructor covered a lot of material, but he had only about five "foot stompers." And sure enough, every "foot stomper" was a question on the exam. A "foot stomper" is not only a way to highlight important information but also a great way to keep the attention of the class and get them refocused on the material.

I wanted to make sure my addendum was strait forward and clear to every student. I also had each student write a paper to introduce themselves to me and be able to tell me something they may not want to share with the class. I also asked them to share what ways they think they learn best. In this activity it clearly let me get to see that all of my students are hands on learners. They did not care for lectures. They all told me they get bored easily when listening to lecture. Many of the students shared very personal things about themselves and I was able to get to know each student by studying what they had turned in. It really helped me become a better teacher for them.