Competitive nature
I like to use the competitive nature of my students to my advantage. I instruct a mostly youger male dominated class, and have oppurtunities to make challenging review games and lab learning in to contests. As stated in the ED102 discussion, not all students will want to compete. I find the majority do, and make sure there is always an activity for the students that do not want to compete. This helps keep them engaged in the contest. For instance I run a tire dismounting and mounting competition. The students compete side by side to see who can take a tire off of a wheel fastest and then mount it back on the wheel while following pre-set rules. The students that do not compete are asked to be officials to watch that the rules are followed, some are asked to operate stop watches and be time keepers, and other are recruited to record all of the competitors times and points. This style of relaxed learning puts together another one of the topics from ED102, FUN!
Hi Henry,
This is a great way of involving the total class and have some fun as well. The students are using their newly developed skills and getting to demonstrate their proficiency within those skills. Keep up the good work.
Gary
I think this brings out the child in all of us, the ones who wanted to win the prize from our favorite teachers! I do a contest involving well-known sayings that are written in govenmentese/legaleze. Students love it, especially when I whip out the big chocolate candy bar (in-seat classes only;online have a virtual treat!)for the winner.
