New Instructor Mistake -- The Idea for this came from MK
I completed one of the other MaxKnowledge courses which discussed technology in the classroom -- better get used to it, use it, embrace it, because it's no going away. So instead of saying "I don't know; I'll look it up at the break and get back to you," which is what I've done in the past, I said, "I don't know -- let's look it up." On my surveys, I got blasted, "Why are we paying all this money for a teacher who tells us to look things up for ourselves?" So clearly this was not the right implementation of the idea behind the course. What is the right implementation? I don't know. Maybe it depends on the type of career college. It clearly backfired on me due to the way I implemented the idea. I'm not sure how often the MK courses are updated, but it should be a continuous process based on feedback from those who have taken the course. The discussion forums are great, but what about course feedback?
Hi Julia,
It is all in your approach when you say I don't know. It is not what you say, it is how you say it, and let them know that you will follow up as well to help provide a response.
Patricia Scales
Perhaps I wasn't clear with my post -- I haven't had problems telling the class I don't know something and that I'll find out and get back to them. This is NOT the problem.
The only problem I've had was when I implemented a suggestion from MK to "embrace technology in the classroom" and let the class look it up on their smartphones or on the computer in the room.
When MK suggested you embrace technology in the classroom I don't think that they wanted you to have the students looking things up on their phones. They want you as the instructor to use the computer and the many resources that it offers to show your students how technology can be used to help them to find answers.
I have asked a couple of my students that are very tech savvy to help me figure some things out. They don't seem to have problem with that. I guess I'll find out at the end of the course...I teach Culinary Arts so what I am talking about are issues not related to syllabus. Should I just say I will figure out?
I instruct at a tehinical school and I tell my students to look it up all the time I will not be standing in their shops giving the the information when they go to work they need to have the ability and skills that it takes to look up that information themselves or they wont make it in their given field
No one knows all the answers. When I have had a student ask a question that I did not know, I simlpy say I don't know but i will get that answer for you.
