Basic Teaching Skills for Career Education Instructors

1. Basic Teaching Skills for Career Education Instructors Chapter 5 Basic Methods of Teaching and Learning

2. Critical Concept A Master Educator believes in his students…he leads and teases and pushes and nudges students to the next bar…never stopping until the light bulb turns on.

3. Desired Performance Goals Define teaching. Explain what is meant by teaching methods. Explain what is meant by learning methods. Explain the purpose and use of interactive lectures, demonstrations, group discussions, peer coaching, and role-playing in learning. Discuss why window paning is an effective method of learning. Explain the purpose and benefits of field trips and using guest speakers in learning. (continues)

4. Desired Performance Goals Demonstrate mind mapping and explain why it is an important learning method. Explain the use and purpose of projects, workbooks, partially complete handouts, case studies, and concept connectors. Explain the purpose and benefits of visualization and the use of stories and anecdotes in the educational process. Explain the use of mnemonics, energizers, characterizations, experiments, humor, games, and group synergy.

5. The Master Educator Never limits his imagination. Develops personal creativity to bring more variety, enthusiasm, and energy into the classroom. Instills the philosophy that learning is lifelong and encourages students to try and experience new things.

6. About Teaching and Learning Teaching: The act of imparting knowledge or instructing by precept, example, or experience. Learning: Acquiring skills or knowledge through instruction, study, or experience. Learning is the modification of a behavioral tendency.

7. Four Steps in Learning Desire: wanting to know how to do something. Information: obtaining the information about the subject matter. Assimilation: understanding the information or how the task is performed. Repetition: practice until knowledge is mastered.

8. Teaching and Learning Methods A teaching method represents the manner in which the educator uses the material and resources available to produce or achieve desired educational objectives and facilitate learning for all students.

9. Interactive Lecture A lecture is a formal presentation given before a group of learners especially for the purpose of instruction. It is only effective with a small percentage of learners and must be accompanied by other teaching methods for maximum results.

10. Demonstration Demonstration brings the lesson to life. The educator performs a skill or procedure which will later be performed by students. Preparation Demonstration Practice or application Evaluation or assessment

11. Group Discussion and Discovery Learners work in a group environment to share opinions, judgments, and perceptions. As an educator, you may lead or simply facilitate the group discussion. Group discussion is highly advantageous because it requires a high degree of learner participation and involvement.

12. Discussion and Discovery Benefits Involve all learners. Do not interrupt. Provide ample time for discovery. Allow choices. Ensure problem is solvable. Ensure roles are understood. Allow for differences of opinions. (continues)

13. Use visual aids. Require evidence to support opinions. Teach with enthusiasm. Discussion and Discovery Benefits

14. Role-Playing Role-playing helps learners understand the views and feelings of others. Position role-playing Character role-playing Use a coach. Helpful hints

15. Window Paning Window paning is the process of transferring key elements, points, or steps in a lesson into visual images that are hand sketched into the panes of a matrix.

16. Field Trip Advantages Broaden understanding of the career. Build interest in chosen field. Add variety to learning activities. Strengthen important images. Provide “real-world” experience. May provide opportunities for skills practice. (continues)

17. Field Trip Advantage

18. Guest Speaker Guidelines Lay groundwork for presentation. Conduct a preliminary meeting. Agree on topic and time. Discuss tips for learner involvement. Be present and listen carefully.

19. Mind Mapping Mind mapping is used for developing an innovative and more creative approach to thinking. It creates a free-flowing outline of the material or information. It allows students to organize entire projects or chapters in a matter of minutes. It engages both hemispheres of the brain and increases learner recall.

20. Steps in Mind Mapping Place primary image in center. Use images or pictures. Print words. Place words on connection lines. Use one or two words per line. Use color. Keep an open mind. (continues)

21. Steps in Mind Mapping

22. Peer Coaching Peer coaching can increase learning results in a career training environment where learners have diverse backgrounds and learning styles. It provides one-on-one, personalized instruction and can be highly motivational. (continues)

23. Peer Coaching Work in pairs. Prepare materials. Train coaches. Monitor learner progress. Assess team compatibility.

24. Projects and Workbooks Projects allow learners to apply what they have learned and get hands-on experience in any topic. Workbooks/partial handouts should follow the lesson but should not replace teaching.

25. Case Studies Case studies provide detailed descriptions of realistic problem situations requiring resolution. One type presents only the problem. Learners are challenged with arriving at an appropriate solution. Another type presents the problem and one possible solution. The learner is challenged to analyze whether or not the problem was resolved and to recommend other solutions.

26. Guidelines for Preparing Case Studies Prepare more than one case study for each class. Avoid gender specificity. Debrief with questions ranging from general to more specific. Give options for answering the discussion questions.

27. Concept Connectors Concept connectors bridge the gap or provide a link between the student and the information being learned. They link the learner’s experience with the skill or information being conveyed. They link past experiences with the lesson objectives.

28. Visualization The process by which the mind translates the content of a lesson into visual imagery. When students visualize themselves performing a perfect procedure, and they practice it sufficiently, they will eventually perform it perfectly.

29. More Learning Methods Stories and anecdotes: used to describe a specific point or process. Mnemonics: aids to increase memory. (continues)

30. Characterizations: allow the translation of lesson content into personage. Experiments: an operation carried out under controlled conditions. More Learning Methods

31. Humor, Games, and More Humor: when learners are laughing, they feel good and their minds are open to new experiences and ideas. Games, Group Synergy, Competitions: Group activities involve reading, listening, seeing, and doing, all of which increase learner retention.

32. Humor, Games, and More

33. Wrapping It Up Various techniques should be incorporated into the classroom environment for the purpose of inspiring and reaching every learner. A master educator never limits his imagination and will work to develop his own creativity so that he can bring more variety, enthusiasm, and energy into his classrooms.

34. In Retrospect Define teaching. Define learning. Explain what is meant by teaching methods. Explain what is meant by learning methods. Explain the purpose and use of interactive lectures, demonstrations, group discussions, peer coaching, and role-playing. (continues)

35. In Retrospect Discuss why window paning is an effective method of learning. Explain the purpose and benefits of field trips and using guest speakers in learning. Explain why mind mapping is an important learning method. Explain the use and purpose of projects, workbooks, partial handouts, case studies, and concept connectors. (continues)

36. In Retrospect Explain the purpose and benefits of visualization and the use of stories and anecdotes in the educational process. Explain the use of mnemonics, energizers, characterizations, experiments, humor, games, and group synergy.

37. Congratulations! You have just completed five units of study toward completion of your instructor training program.