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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.

confidentiality

I am one that holds confidentiality very high in expectations of individuals who work with individuals with disabilities. I think we need to be sure that everyone remembers that the only people who need to know what disability the individual has is those who have a right to know. I have had several students ask me "what is wrong with so and so" My answer is usually "that is not for me to discuss and this is a great time for you to practice confidentiality and try not to ask " I also make sure in the begining of every class I teach to make the statement that what is fair does not mean everyone gets the same. Instead what is fair is everyone gets what they need. I use the example that if fair meant everyone gets the same then nobody can wear glasses because that isn't fair that the others don't have them or everybody needs to wear glasses. That usually gets the point across.

federal law

I am very aware that the law that mandates 504 plans (Americans with Disabilities Act) was revised to include college. What I am wondering is does every college have to offer accomodations and who oversee these plans?

Distractions of Tech

For my students one of the biggest distraction risks comes with allowing students to use cell phones or even laptops with wireless capability in the classroom. Some instructors fear that incorporating these devices into a lesson will allow the students to be texting, surfing,but it has many other uses in class like research and to look up images of topics being discussed.

Accountability

Gen Y students seem to think they are "owed" a job upon graduation (not to be confused with job placement). Lack of punctuality, prompt submission of work, poor attendance, all factor in to their chosen career paths. Some students do not realize that the patterns they set for them selves in college will follow them in their careers and fail to realize that such behavior and/or conduct will lead to job loss.

As the World Turns

Let's face it. With evolution comes change. In the next generation, we will see physical libraries replaced by Cybraries, hard books by tablets, snail mail by email. It's the changing of the times. Watch out! we might all be replaced by talking robots!

Variety

I normally teach 4 hour classes. Variety is a key component to holding the stufdents interest. The Gen Y students in particular as easily distracted by the world around them and also want to be involved. Vary your delivery methodologies. Use power point, then switch to lecture, then incorporate another instructor, an outside speaker, someone from career services. Vsriety can truly be the spice of life...

ADHD

Even though ADHD was not as "popular" in the 60s and 70s when i attended grade/high school, it seemed that those students who had what is now recognized as ADHD were thought of as just being hyper. Not sure if the treatment received todsy is better or worse

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING - AND - 10-15 MINS LECTURES

I believe that we have short attention span; I develop my lectures for 10 to 15 minutes, then proceed to do work-out activities or document production and let students o something with the information they have received. I do this teaching and learning strategy especially with technology or computer softwares. I first SHOW AND TELL THEN STUDENTS DO AND SHOW THEIR UNDERSTANDING BY DOCUMENTS PRODUCTIONS.

Social Networking

It is always advantageous for instructors to introduce social networking and the use of digital technology in the classroom. However, the real key to instruction, as what I have learned from this training, is still based upon the HUMAN CONNECTION THAT IS MADE BETWEEN THE STUDENT AND INSTRUCTOR. (WHETHER ON A FACE-TO-FACE BASIS OR ON-LINE)

MY LEARNING STYLES

I have a better grasp of my own learning styles as a baby boomer. Students also learn better if instructors use the four learning styles: Written word, auditory, visualization and tactile.

Baby Boomers -

I had a better insight on which generation I belong.....and why we are termed BABY BOOMERS..... A better self-understanding of my generation profile...will let me have a better understanding of other generation.....

ODD

I have been teaching for 10 years and experienced a student with ODD for the first time about 6 months ago. It really took me by surprise. My supervisor had to get involved and it was very distressing. The student was in my class again (different subject) during the next term. I chose to come into the class the first day with a clean slate. That worked very well but I felt like I had to walk on egg shells for 10 weeks. She ended up focusing her ODD on another teacher during that term. Now all the other teachers are leery of her.

Maturity Levels

I found my biggest issue is the maturity level of the students and trying to get them to take responsibility for themselves when they've never had to in the past. What ideas do you have?

If you have 3 and 4 and 5-hour long classes to teach

Somebody on here complained that he has to teach very long blocks of time, so I wanted to give a suggestion about this. I created a form on Microsoft Word in which I break my class down into 15-minute increments, and plan what I'm going to do quarter-hour by quarter-hour. The keys are ACTIVITIES, not lecture, VARIETY, going from loud to quiet, group to single, paper-and-pencil to digital, etc. And LOTS OF BREAKS. They need those to regroup, get coffee, smoke, make friends, take care of personal business, and check their phones. Then I put the schedule for the day (or evening) up on the board, with times. And then I stick to it (for the most part). The students love to be able to see what we'll be doing in this class, and how long it will take, and how many different bases we're going to touch, and when the breaks will be, and they love to see HOW ORGANIZED I AM. I highly recommend this practice. It makes my job, and theirs, so much easier. I have a complete road map of the 5 hours, and then all I have to do is go in there and do it. Time passes fairly quickly in this way, for them and for me.

does technology help students follow current events?

I teach "critical thinking" and "sociology" and "interpersonal communication," and I am APPALLED at the students' incredible lack of knowledge of current events, and also at the incredible rate at which they buy into conspiracy theories and crap like "mermaids" and "haunted houses." I make it my life's work to help them realize that what sneakers Kobe Bryant wore this week, or what Beyonce said last night, IS NOT ALL THAT IMPORTANT! I try to flood them with information that is really valuable. I give a little "quiz" at the beginning of each class, to give credit to those who get there on time. (It's very effective, by the way.) I include questions like "How many inches in a foot?" "How many weeks in a year?" "What state is just north of Florida?" "How many nickels in ten dollars?" "What is the freezing point of water?" Most of them don't know anything, but they seem to enjoy acquiring this random knowledge. We joke about using it "the next time you go on Jeopardy," but it brings home to them how little common, everyday information they actually know. Last week I handed out a map of the USA and had them try to fill in the states. Class average was eleven. They joked about using GPS, but a lot of them were truly glad to have the practice again.

What constitutes reasonable accomodation?

I teach in a vet tech program. If we are working on horses, that require a student to be able to reach the horses neck, could a wheelchair bound student be able to request an accommodation? What is the definition of reasonable, and to what length must the institution provide a reasonable accommodation, and to what end may the institution not be required to make an adjustment to the curriculum? Thank you for your time.

Barriers

We hae a few barriers with genration Y as an instructor you must engage the students wether it in lecture or technology. The level of delvery of theory is very important and technology has to be implemented.

Social Networking

This generation and generations to come will have to tackl e social networking in some form or fashion. Our society is making social networking a household word.

Veterans

I find that veterans are very import in our society when it come to hire education they are eager and very enlighting to educate and communicate.

Generation Y

All demongraphics are part of the hire education mode these days but generation Y are the Techy "Babies I like ot call them and and are truly seeking hire education and technology.