Simulation as an Instructional Strategy

Under this introduction you will find a video that I made regarding instructional strategies.  Specifically "simulation" as an instructional strategy.  In the electrical field there is a lot of theory to cover in class but also a lot of hands on practical skills that must be mastered in the shop.  The course that I teach covers a great deal of simulations done in the shop.  These simulations include, bending conduit, puller wire, wiring small dwelling units etc.  Here is the video outlining why I think simulation is a useful instructional strategy.

Including Introverts

This article was posted in a class discussions forum in PIDP 3250.  It sheds light on some ideas about how to include the "quiet" students, and encourage participation in class.

"In an academic environment, introverts may prefer to work completely alone and discover their best ideas in solitude. They are likely to be comfortable in a lecture hall; listening and learning without the demands of engaging with others"

Link to article

Free screen capture program for video assignments.

 I am not really adventurous when it comes to new video programs so I have been sticking to what has worked for me in the past.  Screencast-O-Matic is a very simple video capture of your computer screen for a powerpoint with voice over and webcam capability.  Check it out below. 

Link to website: http://www.screencast-o-matic.com/

Tips for taking notes.

Here is a link to tips for effective note taking.  I have always had trouble keeping up with the lecture while taking notes, and one of the tips in this article is to use abbreviations to shorten common words.  Makes sense to me.  Here is the link NOTE TAKING

The Power of Introverts.

Our journal for this week in PIDP 3250 was to give our thoughts on this TED talk video by Susan Cain.  After watching it I felt two things

1) She is telling the truth.  She seems nervous and uncomfortable in front of the audience, proving to me that she is truly an introvert.

2)  Maybe I'm not as introverted as I thought.

What's the purpose?

The purpose of this blog is to share my thoughts and ideas on instructional strategies.  I am in the process of completing my Provincial Instructor Diploma at VCC.  The course I am taking now is called PIDP 3250 Instructional Stratigies and one of the assignments is to manage a blog.  Over the next few months I will be adding content from the course to this blog as well as my own thoughts and reflections.  In the mean time here is a link to some tips for improving student motivation in class.
http://www.teachthought.com/teaching/21-simple-ideas-to-improve-student-motivatio/

The following is a post titled "Learning Styles" from Amber Donovan in my PIDP 3250 course.  

"I found a quick "quiz" on determining your learning style.  A lot of you will probably already know what way you learn best. 

Feel free to take the quiz by following the link below and share with us!  Also note, there are MANY of these quiz websites out there this is just one example

http://www.personal.psu.edu/bxb11/LSI/LSI.htm

This site classifies into only three styles; Auditory, Visual and Tactile

I am an auditory learner according to the quiz and after reading the descriptions I would agree.

Why is important or beneficial for us as educators to understand our student's learning styles and what kind of barriers do we face when dealing with a learning style diversity in our students?

“The more thoroughly instructors understand the differences, the better chance they have of meeting the diverse learning needs of all of their students” (“Understanding Student Differences,” Journal of Engineering Education 94 [2005]: 57).

This quote was posted on the following website:

http://www.duq.edu/about/centers-and-institutes/center-for-teaching-excellence/teaching-and-learning/understanding-your-students

I find this to be a valuable resource as it highlights the VARK model as well as Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle

What are your thoughts and responses to the questions I have posted in bold?"

I took the quiz and found that I am a visual learner which seems to align with previous quizzes that I have done regarding learning styles.  I found the cartoon below to be accurate representation of a visual learner.