Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Week 2 Story
I must say that the reading this week has given me new insight to the way that I create my presentations. It has also required me to evaluate the ones that I have already created. I have found that my presentations, that I thought were not too bad, actually are. They are too long and more importantly give the students no emotion while viewing them. I am already educated enough to know that teaching has to be relevant and has to connect to real life examples in order for it to be meaningful for the students. I have never stopped to think that it has to be emotional as well. It might be easy to forget that President Kennedy is dead but one will never forget how they felt when getting the news. Learning can be temporary but emotions will last a lifetime.
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I think your ideas about sharing emotion are great. I have found that sharing feelings or stories with different topics really helps my students connect to the topic. You also mentioned connecting to real life examples, I think that is equally important. When I am giving examples in class I always try to use a student in class or give an example that pertains to our city or something I know my students can relate to.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Catherine, that in the end it is the emotional experience that is most memorable. I can still think of personal experiences, and although the details are fuzzy, the emotional memory is intact. I think the challenge is figuring out how to include the emotions in what might otherwise be a rather boring topic. Sure, if you're telling about Kennedy it's rather easy to find the emotional stick, but what if you are giving notes on molecules and atoms? I think that is where the challenge is. Have you thought about ways to make those topics more interesting and emotional?
ReplyDeleteI certainly feel as though I'm beating dead horse here and I am not being very "creative", but I have to agree full heartedly that you are dead-on with your analysis of the importance of including emotion into the learning process. I think that by relating any learning to the students in a personal fashion will cause them to relate feelings and emotions of their own to the lesson. When you can create that emotional tie between what you are trying to teach and what the student is being asked to learn, they immediately have an association that will create a permanent bond within their brain. I truly believe that finding that emotional tie is the most efficient way to instruct.
ReplyDeleteYour point about connecting with your students really hit home with me. I think about how much easier teaching has gotten, since I have really been trying hard to connect with each and every one of my students. When I include the emotional or human side to what I am teaching, it really helps them to empathize with what I am talking about. I see so many teachers who do not connect with their students, and then are frustrated at how difficult their jobs are! Bringing the subject area to life really helps my students to realize that a world exists outside of the bubble they live in!
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