Teachers here at JREF.......

[Boo]

I know that there are quite a few 'educators/teachers' here. I could use some input. In 2 weeks I will begin taking a course that will certify me to teach EMT Basic through Paramedic courses. I am already Instuctor certified in CPR and Emergency Pediatric courses.

I have been scheduled to guest lecture for 2 days in EMT course while the lead instuctor is out of town and I will be giving a 1 hour lecture at a conference in October.

The goal is to teach full time at the Community College for the EMS program and work on the ambulances part time by winter semester.

My potential students will range in age from 17 to ?. Reasons for taking courses will also vary from a new career to volunteer work to wanting to know what to do if something happens at home.

So, how do you prep for your classes? Are there any other considerations I should take into account? Do adults expect Power Point now, is the chalkboard a thing of the past? How much do you use illustrative examples from real life?

Any advice, thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.



Boo

 

[Brown]

I don't teach now, but I worked as a university teaching assistant for five semesters, and had to give instructive presentations from time to time.

A good general rule is that preparation time should be at least three times longer than the lecture time. If you're preparing to teach a course that lasts an hour, you should prepare for at least three hours (and in some cases longer). Don't "wing it."

As for chalkboard or PowerPoint, use what is most convenient for you. I've used both. If your presentation is "canned," go with PowerPoint. (But DO NOT read your lecture from PowerPoint slides!! Use PowerPoint to supplement your lecture, not to replace it.) But if you need to write as you go (as I had to do, when I had to demonstrate problem-solving techniques), use a chalkboard or white board.

If you can, use pictures rather than text. People remember pictures more readily. In a life-saving course, I would expect you'd also have the students do drills. (Remember the student's adage: "I hear, and I forget; I see, and I remember; I do, and I understand.")

 

[bpesta22]

I don't teach now, but I worked as a university teaching assistant for five semesters, and had to give instructive presentations from time to time.

A good general rule is that preparation time should be at least three times longer than the lecture time. If you're preparing to teach a course that lasts an hour, you should prepare for at least three hours (and in some cases longer). Don't "wing it."

As for chalkboard or PowerPoint, use what is most convenient for you. I've used both. If your presentation is "canned," go with PowerPoint. (But DO NOT read your lecture from PowerPoint slides!! Use PowerPoint to supplement your lecture, not to replace it.) But if you need to write as you go (as I had to do, when I had to demonstrate problem-solving techniques), use a chalkboard or white board.

If you can, use pictures rather than text. People remember pictures more readily. In a life-saving course, I would expect you'd also have the students do drills. (Remember the student's adage: "I hear, and I forget; I see, and I remember; I do, and I understand.")

Some quick suggestions:

Use your personality to your advantage / don't try to hide it, or be someone you're not during lecture.

Power point is nice for presentations, but if you're teaching, teach! The focus should be on you and not some cheesey graphics on an overhead.

Plus, just reading the same info from power point slides as a "lecture" is a sure way to bore the hell out of your students.

I prefer just a piece of chalk, which is also an excelent way to control pace.

No matter how interesting the topic is / you are, from time to time, students will stare at you like you're the most boring person they ever met. Don't take this personal.

Stock up on funny, course relevant stories you can tell to break the monotony.

Be organized-- by that, I mean go from point a to point b. Teachers who go all over the place, or who take 10 minutes to make a point that could be expressed in one sentence, suck IMO.

There's a tendancy for new teachers to be too tough. Remember, they don't know what you do-- heck, probably half of them couldn't even name our vice president.

Students smell fear, so be confident.

Students also smell BS, so don't be afraid to say "I don't know"

Try not to stare too long at the hotties.; they probably think you're a creepy old man anyway


B

p.s. I think the most important suggestion is to present the matieral in some logical way-- a to b-- so that it makes sense to students. It's amazing how many teachers don't do that

 

[kittynh]

Well, you need to keep your class "awake".

You can just throw in things that will keep them on their toes. If you are explaining about say, an accident, throw in the name of someone in the class, or a famous person.

"Let's say there was a multi car accident. You run over and there is Gov Howard Dean! He's complaining that he can't feel his lower legs, what do you do besides asking him about his health care policy?"

Not a lot, but just every now and again.

Also, afterward, keep notes about what you would do differently. You may not remember later, and teaching is a learning experience. You only get better with practice!

 

[Yahweh]

In my class, my students have to learn quite a few definitions. It doesnt sound hard, but sometimes the kids never "just get it" (or take notes...). I've made up for this by combining my love of kitties with my already unorthodox style of teaching. I have several lamenated pictures of kitties with speech bubbles (to properly simulate actual oratory language). I can use a dry erase marker to write the word in the speech bubble, then a defintion under it. I'm not sure how much help that would be in a Paramedic class, I just thought it was an interesting tidbit of information. (Philosopher Cat™ is a Registered Trademark of Yahweh, you may not use this method for any purposes.)

I also have a nice big box of Kooshies that I pass out during tests. My empirical observation (to make it sound scientifical) and neato charts that I've compiled in Excel showed that the Kooshies improve student performance on tests. (Kooshies&#169 is a legal copyright, 1997 - 2003, of Yahweh)

Powerpoint is nice. Like Brown said, it only supplements my lectures when I talk at the class (Note: I am fully aware of my use of "talk at the class" as opposed to "talk to the class").

And how cool is this, the school finally installed a brand new whiteboard in my room. I hated hated hated chalk boards. Of course, with any whiteboard, I have at least a few students who like to draw and write all over the board for the final minutes before class ends... I dont care, I dont pay for the markers. At the same time, for whatever reason, students race up to my class so they can be the first one to erase the boards. Why? Again, I dont care, it makes my job just that much easier (and entertaining to see a pair of teenagers fighting like children over an eraser... good fun).

I try to keep my lectures worded so anyone can understand it (its no use for the kids if I talk over their heads), there is a lot of student interaction and exchange of ideas, I have my fair share of jokes and funny stories to tell.

Final Note: ATTENTION ALL CLASS CLOWNS -- Being the last one to tell a joke does not make you the funniest person in class. Raising your hand to add your "funny comment" does not make you the funniest person in class. Putting together a random string of words (such as "Golly, my pants on fire, I better beat my weasels now") is not funny. If you tell your joke, and nobody laughs, assume it was a stupid joke, dont waste everybody's time by repeating yourself. Shouting obscene things loudly (example: No, I will not make out with you) is obnoxious and not funny. Finally, Hitler does not make a funny punchline anymore, Hitler has been supersaturated in the world of humor, I'm sorry kids, you've used and abused your rights to use the word "Hitler", you no longer have that right.

ATTENTION ALL REBELS AND ANARCHISTS WHO DONT WANT TO BE IN SCHOOL IN THE FIRST PLACE -- Stay the ◊◊◊◊ out of my classroom!

 

[Jeff Corey]

Some suggestions gleaned from 36 years of teaching undergrads.
Forget Powerpoint presentations. Print out the material and hand it out.
Give frequent quizzes on small chunks of material. Give feedback as soon as possible. The frequent feedback can help you to adjust your presentation to the students' level. In addition, the frequent quizzes encourage distributed practice, which is much more efficient than massed practice (cramming).
Don't use multiple choice tests. Fill-in or short answer questions help the students remember the important terms, rather than a,b,c,or d.

 

[T'ai Chi]

In the classes I taught (mathematics and statistics) the blackboard was definitely the medium of choice. But don't be afraid to use computer programs and technology in general, but only when it illustrates something better than what you can do on the blackboard. For example, drawing something in 3D, or rotating an object, or quickly and accurately graphing a function or data.

As far as communication... this next tip works in marketing too: always offer them something for free if they participate. A partcipation point, use of a notecard on an upcoming test, an extra office hour for them to use, etc. They'll find these helpful, and you'll know that offering them didn't matter to their success anyway.

 

[Jeff Corey]

As far as communication... this next tip works in marketing too: always offer them something for free if they participate. A partcipation point, use of a notecard on an upcoming test, an extra office hour for them to use, etc. They'll find these helpful, and you'll know that offering them didn't matter to their success anyway.

Use of a notecard?
What's the point of that?
This is condoning cheating. If students use cheat sheets in my exams they get an F on the exam.

 

[kittynh]

well, if Boo is teaching something like advanced CPR, then there is a lot of hands on stuff too. What I remember from my 2 CPR and first aid courses is the stuff I did hands on with the dummy. You can read all about CPR, but you really have to blow hard to make the chest move on the dummy. And I learned things like I can't see the chest moving when I blow, as my long hair falls in my line of vision. I took to having a hair elastic on my wrist at school, and sure enough, the time I did actually do CPR at school pulling my hair back first made a big difference. Boo is teaching not just facts and figures. She's got to get people to really know this stuff. The first aid course was invaluable. We used to wait for parents when a child broke a limb. We learned that we need to take the child in immediately! Sure enough, one child might have lost his foot if we had not taken him in for a broken limb as quickly as we did.

Boo, you are teaching real life saving skills. I love the ABC. When I was in a panic putting my hair back, I just thought, "ABC!"
Made it easy!

 

[CFLarsen]

As far as communication... this next tip works in marketing too: always offer them something for free if they participate. A partcipation point, use of a notecard on an upcoming test, an extra office hour for them to use, etc. They'll find these helpful, and you'll know that offering them didn't matter to their success anyway.

Why would you need to "offer them something for free if they participate"? They are there by their own choice. If they choose to f*ck up their own education, that is their choice. Just sad they take up the place of someone who would be more interested in an education.

Knowledge isn't something you should lure people to get. If they don't want it, fine. If they do, no "offers" should be necessary.

 

[T'ai Chi]

Use of a notecard?
What's the point of that?
This is condoning cheating. If students use cheat sheets in my exams they get an F on the exam.

Uh, I'll tell you the use. The use, in the subjects I am in, is not to memorize dozens of formulas but rather be able to use them, and derive them if necessary.

I used to help teach undergraduate mathematics and statistics, and those folks have a hard enough time without trying to memorize formulas.

It is hardly condoning cheating, pal, if we allow them to use one notecard, front and back. Obviously the questions we make on the exams aren't simple "What is the formula for the standard deviation?" questions, but rather ones than make them use their brains a bit. And it is a rather common things that is done in many universities and colleges.

 

[Jeff Corey]

So why not provide the formulae to everyone who takes the test?

 

[CFLarsen]

Apparently, you're not too familiar with today's undergrads at any large urban university....

That may be so. Do we accept a dumbing-down, or do we do something about it?

Aren't mankind supposed to be smarter and not dumber ?

 

[T'ai Chi]

So why not provide the formulae to everyone who takes the test?

Everyone can write down what they choose to on their single 3x5 notecard.

The test questions are not simple, so the notecard is almost worthless while taking the test.

Preparing the notecard, however, is great for preparing for the test, because they really read their book.

 

[bpesta22]

That may be so. Do we accept a dumbing-down, or do we do something about it?

Aren't mankind supposed to be smarter and not dumber ?

Claus.

I think the dumbing down thingy at public universities is due solely to the much more lenient admissions requirements nowadays.

Anyone with a highschool dipl. or equivalent gets in.

So, a large chunk of these students lack the academic / cognitive ability to succeed in college, In other words, they aren't smart enough, yet we have to teach them. Flunking half the student body is not an option, so we dumb down, and a 4 year college degree today is worth about a high school diploma 30 years ago.

We still have some standards in grad school, but yeah, I guess we gave away the undergraduate degrees.

See the problems caused when we ignore the importance of innate IQ and assume that all people would benefit from a college "education"?

JMO, sorry to hijack.

B

 

[Jeff Corey]

See the problems caused when we ignore the importance of innate IQ and assume that all people would benefit from a college "education"?

Quite an assumption, a la the Bell Curve.
I hope you don't teach psychology, where that assumption is still being debated.

 

[bpesta22]

Quite an assumption, a la the Bell Curve.
I hope you don't teach psychology, where that assumption is still being debated.

I'm warping minds as we speak

So, now I gotta further hijack the thread

What serious scholars are debating it, now that Gould is dead?

I Just lectured on IQ today as a matter of fact-- A study by Tziner and Edin-- the israeli tank crew study.

Tanks have a 3 man crew.

The Israeli military assigned all possible combos of ability to training groups:

All three High IQ

All three Low IQ

2 highs one low

2 lows; one high

Interesting results. The all-high groups kicked major butt (I even wrote that on the board). Having just one low IQ person in the team reduced performance by a lot (i.e., an interaction).

Teams where all members were low IQ performed like McCale's navy-- did the worst by a longshot.

Adding just one high to the group-- to hold down the fort-- significantly boosted performance.

They also measured and manipulated motivation levels, which didn't matter nearly as much as IQ.

So, p = m x a is incorrect, but we've known that for a long time; except it's not politically correct, so we continue to bash IQ tests and IQ science in the media, and in the general public.

While I'm on the subject of organizational behavior, guess what trait best predicts job performance? IQ!

Guess what trait best predicts leadershp? IQ!

My lectures on the topic are backed by relevant cites in decent, peer reviewed journals. I figure in that regard I'm doing my students a great service.

What do you base your lectures on?

Show me the data suggesting the opposite and I'll look at it.

B

 

[Boo]

I have always enjoyed teaching in a one on one situation but have never tried formalized teaching. Call it performance anxiety.

I am still very nervous, but am more comfortable with the material. I have been rehearsing how I want to say things.

Knowing that this will be an audition for a job is adding to the anxiety.

So Yahweh, can I steal the koosh ball idea?




Boo

 

[Clancie]

Sometimes what people think of as "dumbing down" is actually simply using better teaching methods.

Writing on the board and having students taking lecture notes and tests has never been shown to be the most effective way to learn--although it certainly is the easiest way to teach.

 

[Jeff Corey]

Writing on the board and having students taking lecture notes and tests has never been shown to be the most effective way to learn--although it certainly is the easiest way to teach.

No. Testing is necessary to give the teacher and the student feedback.
You try it.
It aint easey.

 

[Clancie]

Jeff,

Been there. Done that. (And there are many ways to give meaningful student feedback.)

There are good teachers who give tests, lecture, etc. And bad ones. But the "lecture-test" teaching model itself is one of the least effective ways to learn--and certainly can be one of the easiest and laziest ways to teach (depending on the professor). Its really surprising how many universities with great reputations put "experts" with poor communication skills and no actual training in effective teaching methods in front of a classroom, giving no thought to the outcome at all.

 

[CFLarsen]

Clancie,

If you don't test a student, how will you know what he has learned?

 

[Yahweh]

So Yahweh, can I steal the koosh ball idea?

Definitely!

If you want a good quality Koosh you can order one from Beyond Play. But they cost almost US$6 each.

For US$4, I bought a 5" Mondo Koosh from some online catalogue for myself. The only Mondo Koosh I can find at the moment is US$10.

I tried looking around, I cant find a place online where you can bulk order a set of Kooshes off the internet. What has become of our nation where we cannot order 30 to 40 Kooshes for whatever reason we may need them...

 

[Jeff Corey]

...But the "lecture-test" teaching model itself is one of the least effective ways to learn--and certainly can be one of the easiest and laziest ways to teach (depending on the professor).

You're half right. The Keller Plan or Personalized System of Instruction has few or no lectures and relies extensively on repeated testing and feedback (among other features).
A number of studies have shown it to be superior to the conventional lectures system, in terms of the amount students learn and student satisfaction..

 

[Boo]

Jeff and Clancie,

I have been following your discussion with great interest. Unfortunately I don't have alot of control in the overall way the program is handled. I have been given the curiculum and adjuncts and told to present the information. I have been considering spending the first 45 min reviewing the highpoints and then giving a quiz. Followed by lecture review and hands on. I have 5 hours to present 2 chapters of material that will have to be regurgitated in another 4 months if they want a license.

I am feeling the pressure.



Boo

 

[Jeff Corey]

OK, give a pretest first. Make sure it is in the same format as the ultimate test. Score the test as they turn it in. Give them a break so you can finish scoring the tests and get an idea of what they know and don't know.
Then pass the scored tests back and review the answers with the class, spending extra time explaining the answers that a lot of them got wrong. Give them the pages in the chapters that explain the correct answer in more detail.
You need to get copies of the test and your annotations on your copy ready before class.
I do not suggest preparing a formal lecture, complete with necrophile jokes about Resussa Annie.
Once you walk in there, announce the title and purpose of the course and how you wish them to address you. Give the test. You can learn their names anf faces when they hand in the test.
After that it's like the old joke.
A greenhorn visits New York for the first time, sees a cop and asks, "Officer, how do I get to Carnegie Hall?
"Practice, practice, practice."

 

[Boo]

Thanks for the ideas, Jeff! I still have a week to prepare. Really, what's the worst that could happen........


I'm going to go curl up with my teddy bear now



Boo

 

[Clancie]

Posted by Boo

I have been following your discussion with great interest. Unfortunately I don't have alot of control in the overall way the program is handled. I have been given the curiculum and adjuncts and told to present the information. I have been considering spending the first 45 min reviewing the highpoints and then giving a quiz. Followed by lecture review and hands on. I have 5 hours to present 2 chapters of material that will have to be regurgitated in another 4 months if they want a license.

I am feeling the pressure.

Hi Boo.

Well, since Jeff and I are at pedagogical opposite ends of the spectrum....let me weigh in with my totally different philosophy.

Personally, I go for student involvement in learning (the old "learn by doing" idea) as much as possible. Tests are okay, in moderation, but imo people learn better when they are actively pursuing and applying their knowledge. Problem is this is sometimes hard to work into certain types of courses (research papers, field studies, student presentations/demonstrations, etc. can help).

But...from what you say about your class, it sounds like its perfect for combining active involvement (trying out the techniques, role playing, demonstrations, etc.) as well as lecture/test/etc.

If I were teaching something like you are I'd be thrilled because it would be easier to "break up the pace". They've got a chance for some lecture...a chance for participating in "trying this out"...a chance for problem solving...maybe having students (or student partners/teams) be responsible for presenting and summarizing different parts of the reading....anything that will break up the monotony.

So...two different philosophies. Good luck! (Just remember, their expectations are low when they come in anyway. And, for your first time out, I'd advise considering all the possible ways of getting the information across--including how much you can have them do of it and share--and choose whatever will make you feel less stressed and most comfortable).

And, congratulations! Sounds like you're headed in a great new career opportunity!

 

[kittynh]

I'm reading Ian Rowlands cold reading book, and he said that he always goes into a "reading" thinking, "I like you , you like me, this is going to work out fine..." He said it's sort of a mental dialogue you have with yourself before hand and your posture and the way you carry yourself is reflected in that. So go in thinking "they are going to love me" and you'll convey that.

 

[Boo]

Clancie,

Thank you for your ideas as well! It looks like I will be going for a mix of styles since some of the material doesn't lend itself to hands on.


kitty,

So, I should leave the dominatrix outfit with the bullwhip at home then?




Boo

 

[kittynh]

Boo, if it's mostly men something black and leather can't hurt (well you at least...). Don't paramedics get called to S&M gone bad sometimes?

I find when teaching 3 year olds any shirt with a dinosaur on it goes over big time.

 

[athon]

Lesson prep'? What's that?

Oh, yeah, that's the stuff I used to do during uni, to make people think I could teach...
Walk in, make it up as you go along, and don't set homework because you'll only have to check it next time.



Seriously, the main thing you need it a small list of what you want the class to know by the end of the lesson. From there, you work out HOW you're going to get it across. Powerpoint and overhead transparencies are great for first time teachers, because you have one less thing to concentrate on.

Boy, I'd love to teach community college (or TAFE, as it is here) some days. Less pay, but at least you have more power to remove unruly students. They don't have to be there, afterall.

Athon

 

[KillerBob]

Of course, Boo, you could just chunk all that preparation stuff out the window and do it like every BCLS and ACLS class I've taken:

Bury them with one boring video after another, skills test them, then out the door!

 

[Boo]

I thought I'ld let you all know.......

I just got an e-mail from the lead instructor, it seems that she misread the schedule. She won't need me to teach on one of the days as she will be in town and the second class date all I'll need to do is administer the first block exam and then practice skill stations.


So, go ahead ask me anything about basic pharamacology, respiratory and cardiac. I'm ready. <sigh>



Boo

 

[Jeff Corey]

So, go ahead ask me anything about basic pharamacology, respiratory and cardiac. I'm ready. <sigh>

OK, how do you spell the name of the science that deals with the preparation, uses and effects of drugs? And what is a pharmacopoeia?

 

[KillerBob]

So, go ahead ask me anything about basic pharamacology, respiratory and cardiac. I'm ready. <sigh>

Okay, here's a cardiac and pharmacology question:

Describe Torsades de Pointes and the most common pharmacologic intervention for it.


You asked, plus, being out of the business for a few years now, it's the only semi-difficult question I can think of.

 

[KillerBob]

And what is a pharmacopoeia?

It's a horn of plenty filled with any medication you like!

 

[Boo]

KB,

Torsades, hah, that's an easy one.

Vtach of varing height and form, drug of choice is MgSO4.

The class is actually an EMT-B course. You wouldn't believe how in depth they go now. The text book is literally twice as thick as mine is from 1984. Heck, all I learned as a Basic was simple A&P, s/s of MI and give oxygen for dyspnea. Now Basic class looks like an Intermediate course from 10 years ago.


If nothing else the prep I did was good review.




Boo

 

[KillerBob]

I don't suppose you live in the Houston area? I'd love to take your course.

Taking the EMT courses is one of those things on my to-do list, even if I don't use it for anything more than an occasional run with the local volunteer FD. I'd like to at least have the knowledge.

What you need to know about medicine out on the streets is soooo much different than what you need in the confines of a hospital.

 

[Boo]

An update on teaching. I attended my first class towards getting a teaching job. It is being taught by a gentleman with a Master's in Education that hapens to be a Paramedic. He is a strong proponent of the feedback loop. He advises presenting information and then finding creative ways for the students to apply it, thus teaching themselves. Then quizzing them on the information. Teaching EMS is geared towards adult learners and also places emphasis on assigning value or meaning to information. Very informative stuff. His mantra is "give the students the responsibility for their learning and let them learn to reason for themselves".

I also learned about about problem based learning and that you use whatever style of teaching works and gets the students to pass their lisencing exams is what is important.



Boo