Tremayne Simpson

Cindy, Establishing credibility with your students is a highly important task for instructors. Students want the comfort of knowing that they instructor is an "expert" in the field and that they can provide them with examples and information, that cannot be given in a course textbook. Tremayne Simpson

Brenda, You have presented a valid point. Guest speakers (from the industry) can provide the students with insight on what to expect when they enter the career world. In addition, they can explain some of the obstacles that they faced in college, which could be helpful for students that are "second guessing" their commitment to study in their field. Tremayne Simpson

Tina, This is a great method for selecting course content. I have also found that simply delivering a lesson via PowerPoint or "Prezi", can be effective in engaging the students. In any case, usage of visual imagery or diagrams are a great way to illustrate important points in the lecture. Tremayne Simpson

James, I have also used "games" as a way to encourage students to retain information. For example, I have used a "Family Feud" styled approach for exam reviews and use the PowerPoint to post questions. Tremayne Simpson

Michael, I agree with this statement. It is also important that the students are provided with opportunities/assignments that enable them to research their desired fields of study. Tremayne Simpson

Larry, This is a great observation. In addition, students will need to have "structured" patterns of learning, so that they can assimilate to the workforce. Tremayne Simpson

Larry, This is a great example of assessing prior knowledge. Do you alter your lesson plans if you find that there are students that do not know how to demonstrate the "knife cuts" from the prerequisite course? Tremayne Simpson

John, Since your courses run in truncated intervals, it is a good idea to provide your students with supplemental learning resources. This can be achieved by adding resource links to the student portal page, posting daily questions to the discussion board and utilizing publisher provided resources. Supplemental learning resources can never replace actual "classtime" however, they can be used to keep the students focused on course related content. Tremayne Simpson

James, You have presented "common" questions that most instructors have during the first week of the term. It is a great idea to have a variety of activities and assignments, to manage time. If time works as planned, then the additional activities can be assigned as "outside of class" work. Tremayne Simpson

James, It is great that they have the opportunity to compare and contrast (the old tools versus the new tools). Are there ever situations where your students prefer using the older tools, instead of the modern tools? Tremayne Simpson