Educational Learning Methods For Keeping My Students Engaged

Being a new instructor for a state university in San Francisco gave me a feeling of anxiety because it was my first teaching job in a college after several years of being a high school teacher and just several months after I fulfilled the qualifications to teach in college. When I was a high school teacher, one of the educational learning strategies or methods I used was to keep my students actively engaged in class. So I figured I should use the same learning method so I can get the college students I was going to teach to be engaged.

However, there were differences between high school and college classes. A college class was much bigger than a high school class, college students are considered adults and supposed to be more serious. So I did some research to learn more about the educational learning strategies I can use for teaching a college class besides the strategies I learned from my undergraduate and postgraduate education.

When I start with my college class, I would make sure that my students are following and understanding the presentations and other lectures I am giving to them by providing a feedback mechanism. A simple feedback mechanism is asking the students to show me if they agree or disagree with my lecture through the nodding or shaking of their heads, or expressing the thumbs up or down response. But I will make sure that they express their feedback in a courteous and respectful manner just as I show respect to them.

Another learning strategy I will use is to discuss with my students the things that I expect them to learn from me. I will talk to them not just during class presentations or lectures, but during discussions about research papers and other academic writings. I hope that by sharing these educational learning strategies, I could give other new or aspiring college teachers a lead on how they could effectively teach a college class and help their students to learn.

Recent Post: Taking My Early Childhood Education Course
                     Educational Learnings

Taking My Early Childhood Education Course

Early learning education or early childhood education is the organized system for the early education and development of the learning process of early childhood from birth until six to seven years old. When I graduated from my undergraduate course in education in June 2009, I decided to specialize in educating preschool children by taking a graduate degree in early childhood education.

I enrolled in the early childhood training program of a university in Portland, Oregon, and university's program has a complete and comprehensive courses for aspiring early childhood educators like me. I decided to take up an one-year course in early childhood education and I started with my course in October 2009.

Besides the technical aspects that I learned from my course, I have learned that books, toys and games are three of the most important learning tools used in early childhood education. The approach for introducing books to preschool children are by storytelling of the teacher and giving applicable reading activities that relevant for the ages of the children that I would teach. Using educational toys and games would develop the natural learning skills of children, such as giving a simple puzzle to a child would help his natural curiosity for new things and enable him to develop his mind.

When I finish my course in October this year, I plan to take a state certification exam for my course and hope to become a certified early childhood teacher, and get a fulfilling and rewarding teaching job where I can apply the principles and knowledge I learned from my course.

Recent Post: Learning Strategies
                     Educational Learnings

Learning Strategies

Students use different learning strategies in their personal study time. Learning strategies are techniques used to facilitate a better and faster learning. They also make the learning process easier and enjoyable.

Learning strategies include methods of study improvement, better memory and quiz answering techniques. An association strategy called loci is a classic example of a technique in memory enhancement. A fact is associated with a place to make it very memorable and thus memorisable.

Learning strategies that aim to increase the degree of the on-going learning is called “mathemagenic.” An example of this kind is the variable insertion of questions before, during or after a lecture or a written study material. The technique has shown an increase of the degree by which the learning takes place. This kind of strategy has caused a corresponding change in the way professors have delivered their instructions and lessons.

The SQ3R method is a very common and widely used learning enhancement device and has become a studying skill used by children with good study habits or under effective tutors. The method involves five simple steps. First, scan the whole lesson to be studied. Second, think of questions you want to ask about the subject matter or in other words, be curious of what the lesson may be about. The third step is the actual reading of the subject matter. Fourth is making a mental review of as much of the whole material. And finally, reviewing the whole lesson by reading again.

The development of other learning strategies is still ongoing. They include social interaction, conversation and situational or situated learning.

Recent Post: Effective Educational Learning Methods for Secondary Schools
                     Educational Learnings

Effective Educational Learning Methods for Secondary Schools

It was in 2009 that I started with my new teaching job for a secondary school in a suburb of Leeds. It was my first teaching job and I had to prepare for teaching a Year two class consisting of six year old children. So I decided to review the educational learning methods I learned from my university studies and select which learning method I can use for my class.

Based on the review of my studies, I decided to use three educational learning methods, which are the engagement, enthusiasm and clarity methods. The engagement is learning by doing in which I would set up the classroom in way that there is active interaction between me and the students so it would induce my students to learn.

In the enthusiasm method, I have to show enthusiasm in the way I speak and act. I usually use the enthusiasm method when I am orally lecturing my class, but I talk to them in way that is not boring for them. I make sure to smile and use body language movements that are appropriate and relevant for my pupils so they would see that I am very enthusiastic and full of energy during the lecture.

The clarity method is making sure that my instructions are clear by making sure that my voice is in a tone that would be clearly heard and understand by my pupils. I also make sure that my directions for doing a task is clear and given to them in step by step instructions.

I used the three educational learning methods in my class for the academic term from 2009 to 2010 and I am proud to say that those learning methods had positive results in my class. My students became more enthusiastic, desirous and more stimulated in listening and learning their lessons. Moreover, my students had an easier time to understand, comprehend and absorb the knowledge and skills I was teaching to them.

Recent Post: The Open Options I Took for Educational Learnings
                     Educational Learnings