Keep your focus
In today's learning environment, there are many innovative tools available to assist both student and instructor to remain focused. With such an excellerated environment, students expect to be engaged constantly, which is a challenge for any facilitator.
Hi Rachel,
You make a good point about keeping students engaged. It is very challenging for an instructor to do so, since there are so many distractions and different kinds of technology to channel student interests in many different directions. The key is to always be aware of the flow of the class and this way you can be sensitive to changes that might need to be made in content delivery that will better meet the needs of the students at that point in time.
Keep up the good work.
Gary
Because of many available tools, it could also be distracting to students. While I agree that these innovative tools are needed and necessary, having them available can pose more challenges in the classroom. It is the job of the instructor to monitor and apply necessary procedures to limit the distraction.
Hi Maria,
You are hitting on a key point about instructional planning. Instructors have to be selective in terms of the media they use so they support instruction not distract from it. The central point of the instruction has to be knowledge and skill acquisition. Keep up the good work.
Gary
I have found that doing a short lecture and then a short lab or class activity seems to keep the attention of the class better and seems to help the students stay engauged in the class.
I think you are right Bruce. The Generation that we are teaching like the shorter lectures and labs and we have to continue to find new inovative ways to support student success.
