Hi Susie,
Good comments about how to get students to retain information. The color coding of critical content really helps with retention. Anything you can do like share a story related to the new content will help with memory storage for students.
Gary
Being a Special Education Teacher, I have had the benefit of learning techniques related to teaching learners with a variety of abilities. I believe one of the most useful tools is to use multi modal approaches to instruction. I try to incorporate as many delivery methods for the same topic as possible and also use personal experiences where available to make the information more personal.
Hi Melissa,
Good to learn of your background as a special education teacher. I currently train students to become special education teachers and I agree with your statement about how effective special education instructors are. Special education is student focused and as a result these instructors are willing to try anything to get the students engaged and making learning progress. This same model works with all teaching. To me good teaching is good teaching no matter who the students are nor what the subject is.
Gary
I BELIEVE I WILL IMPLEMENT AN ADDITIONAL COURSE REVIEW TO ASSIST THE STUDENTS WITH PREPARING FOR CERTIFICATION TESTING. ALTHOUGH MY STUDENTS HAVE ALL PASSED THESE TESTS IN THE PAST I BELIEVE BY ADDING ASDDITIONAL REVIEW I WILL BE ABLE TO RAISE THEIR SCORES.
Hi Bruce,
Good strategy. This is a value added opportunity you are going to offer your students and I know they will appreciate your efforts.
Gary
As a Cultural Diversity instructor, it's crucial for me to be aware of diverse learning styles and how people process information. In fact, several of my lessons are designed to make my knowledge explicit to my students.
In the first place, it's very important for me to stress to students that the question is not "How smart are you?" but rather "How are you smart?" as was stated in this course. In that vein, I introduce Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences as evidence. Students take an "Intelligence Test" that they expect will be an IQ test, and are then surprised to see their results displayed as various strengths in various fields instead.
I also spend lots of time on perception. I show students optical illusions as a way of cementing the fact that our brains don't simply perceive what's there, but rather edit and delete quite extensively. In this way, I encourage them to realize that their perceptions of others may be faulty, and that judging others on first impressions (though very human) isn't always wise.
Lately, I've been using structured outlines to great effect. When students see what content they need to grasp and fill in the blanks themselves, it encourages a productive and on-track discussion while maintaining a high degree of student involvement. And because students are also using multiple learning styles to process the new information, their chances of retaining it are increased.
The basics of learning is crucial to me as an Instructor. Because I know that learners are unique and individual in their learning styles and pace; I would therefore, balance the intellectual levels of my student's ability with my method of instruction. I will blend together a variety of instructional strategies in order to enhance the knowledge of the student. There is a direct relationship with this strategy and the content in which I am going to deliver & develop for the curriculum.
An example would be in a course taught Aseptic technique. I would start with a course overview, combined with a video. However, I would also introduce role play, as a means to further reinforce and provide a more real life scenario and presentation for additional understanding.
The goal of planning the course presentation and its delivery would be to help determine the intellectual levels and needs of the students. The different levels of instruction would be from a more basic concept to concepts of a more higher level of understanding for the student. Other instruction will be more advanced in both content and intellectual processing. The following definitions of different kinds of instruction will help you to understand how different levels of intellect will be used at different times throughout the career preparation phase of your students.
Understanding how different individuals take information helps instructors meet the student's needs. During class instruction this is helpful in planning lecture and activities based on those needs. Finding out what learning methods are best for a specific class will bring the most success in overall performance. This can help instructors be more efficient and students learn a thing or two that can benefit them in the future.
Hi Sharon,
Sounds like you are using a number of different strategies to get the content across to your students. By using the different techniques you are appealing to their learning preferences while also keeping them engaged.
Gary
Hi Ariana,
Good points and your last sentence really captures it. It helps both the instructor and students to realize the importance of working together to help the students achieve their career goals.
Gary
Hi
People do not all learn in the same manner. A memorized form may actually work for a small segment, but some people need visuals to facilitate the learning process. Others may respond to direct connections to their work through real-world examples. An instructor should utilize all of the tools at their disposal to ensure they cover the largest number of students.
Adaptation on my part incorporates the use of visuals and sound. I also offer one on one time so that students may address insecurities or questions they may have. Given the distance of online education and the lack of face to face interaction, this is required to ensure student learning.
Jocelyn Dervis
Knowing and understanding the learning process will guide the instructor what teaching methodology for specific content may be used to achieve maximum student learning. Instructors need to be aware that individual students have different ways to process their learning.
Understanding the basics of learning will benefit me as an instructor in many way, almost as many ways as they are students.
being able to ensur all learners understant is one of these benefits.
If possible, the instructor must find the different learning styles and learning abilities of his/her students. And if at all possible he/she must suit her instructional strategy in order to enhance maximum learning of the subject being taught. On the other hand, as an instructor myself, in as much as I have to consider these factors, I also bear in mind that the instructional strategy used must also be suitable to the topic or subject being discussed. Example, when the instructor is teaching on developing certain skills, the most appropriate instructional strategy for me is demonstration.
one of the more interesting part of the class I just completed ED108 was the Multiple Itelligences section. Being able to use this information to teach a diverse group of people. is very helpfull. the decoding and recoding part was interesting as well and so was the learning scaffold strategies.
I think a priority in teaching adult learners in a career college is application. Although some facts need to be memorized or "semantic" learning, many topics can be taught in episodic memory. Since my students are currently in a clinical setting with their didactic courses, asking the students to think of applicable situations they've had in clinicals and applying it to the theory in class will help them remember more from class. Some students are better at this than others, so sharing with the entire class can be especially beneficial.
Being an older instructor, a slow learner and fast forgetter, this module was a real wake up call for me in reaching the elder and young students needs. I would do a little more hands on and demonstrations, and maybe a little less lecturing
Hi Craig,
I know you are going to be able to better target your students' learning needs with an attitude like this. Keep up the good work and I wish you much teaching success.
Gary
Hi Gary,
That is the primary goal, using a variety of techniques that will appeal to the different types of students and their learning styles/ learning preferences; while keeping them engaged in the overall class. It has worked quite well.
Keeping their attention span and interest is critical. Their are so many distractions in their lives.
Thanks,
Sharon Rogers
Hi Maria,
I totally agree. By using a variety of teaching techniques and strategies, you are appealing to the different learning types of individual students. It also is very important and helpful to know your student; their personality, and to have some understanding of ther individual learning style.
Sharon Rogers
