Visualize
Getting stdent to visualize what they are doing and to ask does this look right helps they do the task better. I show how to take things apart and then reverse the process to assemble it correctly.
Great idea. When you take something apart and put it back together, you should visualize the job from start to finish to make sure you didn't forget anything. This is a great way to check your work.
While in lecture, I try to demo everything, as I'm giving the lecture. The students seem to retain more.
I think that this does sound like a very effective technique. I ask students to look at an image and to talk about all of the different part of the image and talk and then talk about each part within the image. I think that it then connects the image with their conversation about it.
This aspect of learning reflects how I teach a basic computer hardware course. On day one of the course, I offer students a pile of boxes and large envelopes containing various parts of a PC. The students are asked to pick one at random. They are to take it home with them and open it up. Inside, is a piece of hardware and an instructions sheet which tells them to research the part (find out what it is and what it's role is in the operation of the PC). At the next class period, each student gets up in front of the class, shows the others their part and describes what they learned about their part.
Later in the course these parts are revisited as small groups of students are asked to take apart a PC and label each component.
This is a great exercise on a number of different levels, the most important I think is to remove the fear and anxiety people can have with technology.
I have used this mostly in College level courses, but I have also done it with Junior High school students with a very positive effect.
It is great to watch students be directly involved in their own learning in this way!
Fantastic Fran!
Thank you for sharing this exercise with us. I consistently use hands-on learning. Students - do in fact - connect with this type of visualization.
Keep up the good work!
Jane Davis
ED107 Facilitator
I agree, when students connect the parts of images with discussion - they are more likely to retain the information then to memorize it.
