Selecting Supplemental Materials
Our college is career focused. Although we have detailed curriculum materials it is very important that the materials remain up to date. This is one of the great advantages, as I see it, to our part of the educational industry.
Staying abreast of currrent trends in industry and education helps and instructor to pass that knowledge on to his or her students. What are some ways you use to keep up to date in your subject areas?
I pass on to my students my experinces with new products, I offer samples when I can. I share networking opportunities, invite speakers, and field trips when our schedule permits.
Joyce,
Good way for both you and your students to stay current with the latest that is going on in your field.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
I feel that supplemental materials can and should be a vital part of the curriculum. No one textbook is perfect and all-encompassing. Anyone who goes through a course and teaches only from the text is not recognizing needs within the class environment and addressing thosse needs. Supplemental materials are those tools that an instructor uses when they identify a need within any given curriculum.
I read current industry magazines in my field and bring in current articles I find to my students.
In the areas that I teach there isn't a lot of course coverage in the textboks provided to the students, I develop and produce additional printed handout information to add to the students textbook information
David,
This is true for my area as well so I have created a student resource packet for my students. The packet contain customized content that is easy to follow and use by the students. My students really value what I have prepared for them and use the packets in their work after graduation.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
Hello Melissa,
I also like to read magazines and as much material related to what I teach. I teach and work in the field as well, which gives me an opportunity to stay current with what is going on, this allows me to pass down the updated information to my students. They seem to appreciate the information and it inspires them to do some research for themselves.
I also find that supplemental materials are crucial to keeping class current. The problem I have is with the acquisition of permissions due to the fast turn around in our class schedules. We have new classes every 5 weeks which makes this challenging to say the least.
Hetty,
So true with such a short course phase. Hopefully you can use supplemental material repeatedly so you can secure the permission for a longer period of time and won't have to chase the permissions each 5 week session.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
