Retention basics
I find as a instructor is a hard job keeping all students interested. When I was a student I wanted to learn from the instructor, some of today's students need a nurse, some want to be the center of attention, some have a reading problems and you also have the good students in a class.
Do you think these same archetypes were in the classroom when you were in a student? If so, how did your instructors handle them? Are those practices useful today?
I believe that many students now and days have become used to constantly being entertained (internet, TV, etc..) that when a subject they may not find interesting is presented to them they get bored quickly. I think one of the best ways to keep them engaged is to stress the importance of the lesson and give it value. Granted you can't make everything fun to learn, but you can create a fun and interesting environment.
Knowing something is important and has value doesn't necessarily mean we embrace it [healthful eating habits for example] What techniques do you use to make these points to your students?
Part of the problem that we face is that most of our students were raised by working parents that allowed video games to "babysit" their kids when needed. If you think about the video games, most of them had secret codes that allowed a short cut to win the game. Unfortunately, now we have students that are still looking for short cuts and a way to beat the "game" or system instead of learning the material.When the student becomes too challenged he or she decides to quit. Our challenge is finding a way to reach these students with out running them off.
You did hit it Don. What I have seen is they have not been challenged enough during the time in Jr. or HS and now when they need to get it done they dont know how to handle failure and they just quit.
I never really thought about the impact of video games on student attitudes. Is there a way to use this mindset in a positive way?
Give the student some life exeriences. Coming in late for work,you can kiss that pay raise goodbye. Break the habit while you are still in school.
