Magen Goforth

I enjoyed the freshening of Bloom's Taxonomy of Cognitive objectives for this module and CAT activities.  I often combine different forms of assessment for the same lesson, focusing on the different learning styles, and I will apply the student's best grade out of all three assessments.

This lesson showcases the importance of questions in teaching. This includes both questions asked to the student and by the student. Encouraging conversation and dialogue through questions ensures students are training the information and builds communication and listening skills. I often ask my students questions that will lead to a discussion. This helps the students provide content and multiple perspectives to the class. If a student says, "I don't know," I ask them to tell me something from the lesson that they do know. It's not always just about the one question.

This lesson was a great reminder of diversifying your teaching methods to match the various learning styles. I love mixing different methods of delivery throughout my lessons. I take pride in teaching the various learning styles, as I'm currently getting my degree, and I struggle with some of the classes as they teach to only one learning style. 

"Be creative, competent, and personable; as a result, student learning reflects the effort you put forth in class preparation." I use 10-minute demonstration videos and quick discussions to help drive lectures and prepare students for our lab. Once we go to the lab, I do a quick recap demonstration before proceeding. I love using quick lecture lessons, but I do not love lecturing. My students can stay engaged longer, and it helps teach the different learning styles.

This module reiterated the importance of introduction and first impressions. The first day is my favorite. The awkward curiosity that each student holds. I have my students do an introduction of themselves and their relationship with the subject matter we are going to be covering. I then use the first 5-10 minutes of each class to allow students to reintroduce their connect the previous weeks lessons through discussion of application. 

"The learning environment sets the tone for how the students perceive you and the course you teach. A comfortable and inviting classroom/laboratory sets the tone for the students as they start the class." I felt this statement best describes the importance of having a well-outlined course with clear and obtainable objectives. The perception of each student is created differently. Ensuring that each student perceives the course as you intended is essential. 

My biggest takeaway from this lesson was that learning takes place for both students and instructors in the classroom and that investment in our learning creates enhanced teachings. We must show our students the value of learning while capturing their interest in the subject matter. Leading by example in both instruction and learning establishes standards for the students. I enjoyed the instructional style section, which emphasized the importance of "knowing." You must know your past, know your school, know your students, know your subjects, know your colleagues, and know yourself. 

This course reaffirmed how I have structured my classroom and lab to be effective and conducive to many different learning styles. I plan to continue these instruction and application styles throughout the year. 

The introduction to VR and simulation is what I continue to find fascinating. We have had great success introducing simulation into the hospitality management classes. The amount of content and application of information these students can process in a much shorter time frame is astonishing. The simulation takes a massive amount of lecture and condenses it into applicable details.