Public
Activity Feed Discussions Blogs Bookmarks Files

Ask a question from your peers to help you in your professional work. Seek different points of view on a topic that interests you. Start a thought-provoking conversation about a hot, current topic. Encourage your peers to join you in the discussion, and feel free to facilitate the discussion. As a community of educators, all members of the Career Ed Lounge are empowered to act as a discussion facilitator to help us all learn from each other.

EUREKA

BEING INTELLIGENT DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU'RE SMART. THEN HOW DO WE DEFINE BEING SMART?...

the genome factor

what about the instinct of survival, does it use concrete perception, abstract perception or both

Pretesting

I have used pretesting for quite some time and I have used this method for two different reasons. First, it can be used to show the students what they can learn and achieve from this course, and secondly it is used by myself to guage thier competency level. This allows me to adjust my level of input to thier needs and understanding. Lastly, on the last day of class I like to return thier pretest to them so that now they may visualize what they accomplished in my course.

Multiple Intelligences and Brain Research

I am wondering if, since Gardner introduced the notion of mulitple intelligences in the mid-80's, if there has been brain research indicating what the most common tripartite arrangements are, what the least common are, and why this is so in each case? In my own experience I routinely run into verbal/linguistic-visual/spatial-and musical/rhythmic learners. In second place are visual/spatial-musical/rhythmic and a third dominant, which can be any of the others, but is most often logical-mathematical.

Technology and Memory

I am fascinated by observing my younger students, whose interaction with technology is seamless. I have students who will take pictures of the board, instead of write down notes, students who take notes on their phones....These are things we've probably all seen. I am interested in a larger discussion of how effective this use of technology is in the retention of information?

Retention and Transference Statistics

The module specified that for information to be retained and transferred to long term memory, students must repeat the procedure 45 times and/or for 30 consecutive days. I would like to know what specific research supports these figures. I have heard variations on this and would like to be able to document the validity of these numbers by referring to the professional research source. Thanks.

Kinesthetic Options

I teach English composition and would like to have more suitable strategies for the tactile learners in my classroom. Would having students write an essay on the computer (after a lesson on how to write) be an example of a kinesthetic exercise? Thanks.

Abstract vs. Concrete Thinking

I found the fifth question on the quiz about concrete vs. abstract application of knowledge problematic. It stated that "The instructor of a culinary arts program asks her students to identify the differences between natural and processed cheeses." I realize that concrete thinking involves the 5 senses, but the module defined abstract thinking as "seeing connections and applications." Had the instructor asked students to define or list the qualities of each type of cheese, I can clearly see it would be concrete. But identifying differences between two different things, to me at least, sounds like an example of "seeing connections," which would constitute abstract. Would you clarify this problem for me? Thanks.

Teaching to Musical/Rhythmic Intelligences

The module discussed the fact that this type of learner needs music for a learning environment. What are some practical ways of applying this in a classroom setting? Playing music in the background may work for a few students, but once when I tried it, some of the students asked me to turn it off because it bothered them. Another time, I allowed a student to listen to his own music (privately on a CD player--this was before the ipod) while he was writing an essay in class. Ironically, I was unable to use that time to grade papers as I usually do because I found the music too distracting (yes, I could hear it despite the fact that he was several rows away from where I sat). Obviously, I need help in developing ways to teach to this type of intelligence. Thanks!

How to handle student that being negatively influence by other Student?

I notice few good student, that do good when the other student is not present in class. I observed the changes on his grades and attitudes when he is around with this clown student, he become totally different person. I don't know How to approach this type of situation, because I don't want to be misunderstood by him and the other student too, any help and suggestion are welcome.

Learning New Material

I find a great way to make sure the students store the necessary information in the correct area of the brain is by various methods. I tend to put very important information on the board, and then describe it to the students. I also tend to remind the students that if I repeat a topic/fact/detail, it is likely a very important thing to remember as well. I will go back to this important information again and again to the point were the students know automatically what I am talking about.

helping a student with understanding

get them activly involved with the project (hands on!)

HOW WE CAN USE THE EXPERIENCE STUDENT HELP INSTRUCTORs?

Usually our student is so diverse, often times 50% of our student has experience and 50% is a novice learners. I often talk to the student that have experience to the subject on the sides, prior from discussing it to the rest of the student. This way I can set up the discussion in more interesting face, by using the student talk about their experienced on the focal subject, the negative and positives are discuss in more dramatic ways, by allowing them to hear it based on a real experience. Then we can add all the positives points to remember as well the negatives that we can avoid in a long run. This way the experience student learn it twice and retained the information even further better that before. After giving key point to remember, negative and positives.

dominant and sub intelegencies

I believe we all have a basic intelegency that we fall to first but that we also have sub intelegencies that we understand but are not as attracted too. We can learn in all these intelegencies but maybe not as quickly as the dominant one. I like the idea that sometimes these intersect and multiple intelegencies can be taught the same way.

Learning Processes

How is the best way to clearly assess a new class? Is it better to generalize a classroom as to whether they are more visual or more practical and then attend to their needs as a whole or individuals?

The Decoding Process

The decoding method is such a useful tool in lecturing by breaking down your discussion into bits of content that students can understand and prepare for storage in their memories. Typically, I always use diagrams and visual graphics representation to show the relationship or association between what I am lecturing and what they’re looking at when I’m speaking. This will connect between visual and message/point that I’m trying to get across. I believe this technique shows my students that I can help make them successful learners as well as reducing frustration for myself as well. K. Boodparset

Making Course Content Relevant

Through my experience, students are usually waning to bring their life experiences to the learning environment such as their work-related activities, family responsibilities and previous education. It’s a way for them to see a reason for learning something. Throughout their learning progress, it’s a natural progression for them to feel the need to connect their past with the present. Perhaps this is the reason why they are constantly asking and seeking to see how what they are being taught is relevant to their career goals. Before I begin my new day’ discussion, I usually explain to the students how today's topic fits into what has been covered days before. I believe it’s sort of refreshing their memories before new information will be taking in. A brief enthusiastic summary of what has been previously covered will help them to see the relevance of the new material. It’s the best way to build a bridge between previous work and the current topic each time I start a class. Certainly, this is the way that I always like to be taught when I was a student. K. Boodparset

decoding and recoding

I have found by letting the students help with lecture and demostration helps with the student understand what I'm talking about. Let me give an example if a student tells me he doesn't understand or does not know what that means I will find another way of presentation. I have used noises hand gestures I have incorporated bring up students and making them part of the lecture. I usually get through to the student the one thing I want to emphasize is do not embarrass the student. I have told the class if you do not under stand if I have gone over it ten times I'll go over it another ten times when I look around the room asking if you understand just give me a signal a nod a hand gesture and I'll go over it again because you're probably not the only one. If I need to tutor I will do that too.

reviewing

I believe this is one of the most important parts of the day. A recap of the days events, learnings. Just last night a student was in the class room I asked what was new today (learned)One student said he didn't know how to remove the second gauge set now he does. And of courses you have the one that didn't learn anything. I thought you had never used a fish scale? answer I hadn't but I figured it out. So if you learn how to use it on your own what it doesn't count? It's funny sometimes how a student thinks and justafies his thinking process. But getting back to reviews you are correct it does give an idea of how the student absorded the information from the day. Reviews need to be done each and every day.

learning preferences

I too have a hard time teaching to the different styles some times I think the learners change the way they like to get the information For example I had a student tell me he had no idea of how we came to a certain conclusion. I went through the same process twice before and the student was successful. this time he bomded my test. I first lectured and explained what I needed for an out come asked question to make sure every one understood. I demostrated the proceedure then the students did the procedure 1 week later the students had to do the same procedure again and was unable to perform the task successfully. All in all the student observed the task once by me three times in his lab group over three days and four days later it was all foreign to the student I need to add one more thing the students had to write down the procedure . SO they listened to lecture wrote down the procedure watched a demo by myself then by their lab parterns and themselves. Needless to say I was dumpfounded. I was positive I covered every base.