Vallorie Wood

Blog

Great course, ED 209.

I see a lot of adult learners come through our school, and they are the self-directed learners. From these, I can always count on timely assignments, serious class input, and finished projects.

They are sometimes mentors to the younger aged students who are still trying to find their way through college life.

The text on passive and active listening was important for me, to focus on my own ability to hear my students. Am I really listening? Or am I waiting to give them my opinion. The topic covering verbal and non-verbal communication was enlightening. This… >>>

Vallorie Wood

Discussion Comment

Listening

Good points about listening, being active listeners. Listening is a fine art, as it requires really hearing, and processing what is said. We listen to wait to give our opinion, which goes against the grain of listening at all. There is a wonderful movie called "K-PAX", starring Jeff Bridges playing a psychiatrist who doesn't listen. He doesn't listen to his patients, his wife, his children...until one patient, played by Kevin Spacey, arrives to help Mark begin to listen. One of the key scenes has Prot telling Mark, "Mark, Mark, Mark...you're not really listening are you?" The non-verbal communication that goes… >>>

Vallorie Wood

Blog Comment

Helicopter parents? Fight them or join them?

That's a good question...having been on both sides, as a parent when you want to get information about your son or daughter's work. You want to know, so that you can help them stay on track, particularly if you are forking out the tuition, or some sort of loan that you know your child will have to pay back.

But as an instructor, there are boundaries that I think have to be considered between student and teacher. Unless there is some sort of physical danger, or a mental challenge than parents will have to trust their student children to do… >>>

Vallorie Wood

Blog

ED 203

This course was very useful to remind me about technology and its use in the classroom. Information was relevant to what I am doing now in my classroom, and challenges I've faced with technology.

thanks!

Vallorie Wood

Discussion Comment

Internet can be used for valuable research

Generally, I encourage students to find more outside sources than the Internet--for example, books, newspapers, articles, etc. Mainly because students do not look hard enough into the Net for information-- as one of the slides pointed out, you really have to muddle through the information to find a source that could be considered academic. That said, there are indeed so many valuable resources as far as academic and scholarly type journals that are available on the web. It's finding a way to get that out to students....even though we have "library" day, they still don't seem to utilize that. Any… >>>

Vallorie Wood

Discussion Comment

Humor in teaching

I absolutely incorporate humor into my lectures....It is an icebreaker, and it helps students to relax, I find, and help them see that I'm just like them....I just happen to be the instructor.

but I want them to know I've been where they've been, experienced the same issues, and that we are all on a common journey--to create our own stories in the careers they have chosen to take on....

Vallorie Wood

Discussion Comment

face to face

Yes, this was what I meant...the human factor gets lost, though, so often when we (anyone, not just students) are so dependent on cell phones, iPads, etc...We don't seem to have human interaction as often with the increase of every new technological toy. It bothers me that some are so addicted to their phone that a real conversation is lost in cyberspace...Your point was exactly what I was saying. I agree we need to develop face to face interaction. The problem is how can we do it when technology keeps growing and separating us?

Vallorie Wood

Blog Comment

Inform you student

I agree. So far, the information provided encourages me to be an encourager.

Vallorie Wood

Blog

Motivated Learning

Motivated learning is helpful to encourage students to be the best they can be, and be top achievers. Sometimes, the work, assignments, etc can be overwhelming to students, but I try to enourage them to take it one step at a time. By doing so, they can meet their deadlines and get the most out of the assignment as well.

Vallorie Wood

Discussion Comment

motivation

This was a good course. I feel good that I am already doing 90% of what was suggested here. However, the way our portal is set up, it's difficult to drop grades, as the Assignment List doesn't allow to let some drops grades and others keep their scores...once the assignment is set up, that grade goes in and registers a zero if you were to 'drop the grade.' Basically, you'd have to drop the entire assignment, which could hurt some who actually did well on that assessment.