The Big Idea – Training and Mentoring
How do you effectively teach, train, instruct, demonstrate, or even mentor? The Big Idea: Train, Instruct, Demonstrate, Mentor, and effectively succeed in doing so. It’s as hard as you make it, or as easy as you make it. There are a lot of examples in History, Mathematics, and Science (including technology) regarding training methods. I have run into my own mental blocks and some deep-seated misconceptions along the way, trying to learn the proper methods. Studying how people learn can and will be challenging. Pedagogical content knowledge & Effective teaching. A little description might help. Nothing too technical, just bits and pieces to pull it together. It’s good to understand…
The Big Idea #2 In essence individual learners have a learning zone
The Big Idea #2 How do children learn? How do children learn? That is one of the most important questions of a lifetime. It means having the ability and the skill to guide a society toward a better future. My hopes are that STEM courses Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics will provide the next generation with cutting edge thinking. Common sense! Directing our youth and young adults toward STEM is paramount to our society. Children’s Knowledge and the Brain Learning zones. A little bit of old school, and a little bit of new. In essence individual learners have a learning “zone” (Vygotsky, 1978). The zone of proximal development, demonstrates that…
The Big Idea #1 Get started and get it over with
Ever wish you didn’t have to study? Get over it. Self-scrutinizing my priorities and goals at a younger point in my life, and observing how they have shifted or remained steadfast, was at times unsettling. What things provided me with crossroads to keep moving, learning, and growing? There is actually a term for this: it’s called the Serial Position Curve. While serial position curves aren’t necessarily one of the big ideas that I will take away from my life’s journey thus far, it is worth mentioning. Basically, because it provided a bit of an ‘intersection’; and I began to look for other intersections to stay on course. Each of us,…
Cramming for that exam!
Adult learning, experienced based instruction, and is self-directed with an emphasis on critical thinking. Educators generally stray away from encouraging students to cram for information for short term gain. Rather most will encourage alternative methods and learning strategies for their students.
Learning Environments – Comfort Zones & The Sound Experience | Ambience Masking
Sound travels, so do ideas, thoughts, and perceptions. But are they clear? Do you know what others are hearing, or are your conversations just background ambience? It is always helpful to understand a little about the difference between environments before designing your educational or working spaces. –Offices -Cubicles -Open office -Hot desking. I would have to add one more to this list -Learning Environment, the classroom Learning Environment – a shift – moving the comfort zone I recall a trimester I filled in for a high school instructor who sailed off into oblivion, never to be seen again. A lot led up to a couple new designs that I would…
