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Teachers here at JREF.......

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.
 
Clancie,

If you don't test a student, how will you know what he has learned?
 
Boo said:
So Yahweh, can I steal the koosh ball idea?
Click to expand...
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...
 
Clancie said:
...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).
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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..
 
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
 
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."
 
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:jaw:



Boo
 
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.
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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! :)
 
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.
 
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?:D




Boo
 
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.
 
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.

:D

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
 
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! :D
 
:hb:



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
 
Boo said:

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

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


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. :D
 
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.:cool:




Boo
 
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.
 
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
 
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