Keith Schieffer

An interesting part of adult learning is the eager attitude towards hands on in the lab. They seem to be almost impatient to listen and watch a demonstration, but usually they do until the major points have been made. Now it's their turn. They prefer to use the information in the demonstration and proceed at their own pace. They would rather make a small mistake and correct it then they would for someone to intercede in the process. Use of materials is a far more studied process for the adult learner. Reading and re-reading instructions seems to be the norm,… >>>

With the right support system, some disabilities can be turned to a more positive experience. An example is a recent deaf student that concentrated on many manual tasks that were of interest. With classroom presentation assistance from an interpreter, the skills discussed in the classroom were turned very positivly in the lab. There were no distractions from other personalities, no noise distraction and with the students ability to focus on the interrpeted information, no distraction from any other outside source. Thid concentration level translated into superior lab skills,evidenced by observing that other students had to ask a second time for… >>>

Customer service is always an issue that needs to be addressed as an educator. Education of those that seek it should be taken seriously. It is as relevant to any other part of society where a service is needed and the customer is willing to pay for it. Often the challenge with educators is that the "service" requested is not alwatys accompanied with the desire of the student to accept the training or the willingness to do what it takes to be trainind. The lines between customer and service provider are often blurred by the level of participation, desire and… >>>

It is important to make the students realize that as the customer, they are entitled to the training they paid for. The challenge of not accepting the schools position on behavior, dress, and other "rules" is often part of the training. This should be addressed by the instructor at the beginning of a class so that students understand that their decisions to comply or to not comply, are often a result of the acceptance level of the training they seek. This expectation should be made clear through the Vision process to create a self image of the student after the… >>>

One of the best time managment strategies for me is to ask for assistance with lengthy or long term projects. An example is marking lab floor space. This was assigned to me as a project to complete, but it was not required that I personnaly performed the tasks involved. There were other personnel available and sometimes all you have to do is ask them for help or advice. Some folks are willing and able and just plain enjoy a task that someone else may not like to do. So the measuring, marling and taping duties were shared by several who… >>>