Get Your Students Hired
I have tried many activities even some that the students suggest if they are appropriate. Learning by doing is an excellent way to learn difficult terms or dry content. I have used many of the activities mentioned in the this course, we also have suggested activities in our course manuals. I also look for activities on the internet. My students like the variety and seem to enjoy class more.
Agreed, I have found that everyone becomes involved, even those who tend to keep in the background. I teach a night class and my students often come into class already fatigued and present a particular challenge. Just getting up and going to the board helps to re-engage them and re-energize the class as a whole.
I agree this is one of the best ways for a student to learn and interact. I have not found one student who does not like it. Especially students who tend to be withdrawn will participate and it helps them to come out of their shell. I use it before a quiz to reinforce their study time,to teach medical terminology or any subject that require terminology as a game and after a lecture to engage my students. I encourage all instructors to try it.
I find if students participate at the board,for example I say the word, they have to come up and break the word up put the meaning underneath the prefix, combining form, suffix really helps. The students sitting also interact.
I do this as well...sometimes the lectures can get a bit tedious and it's important to change up and reinforce what's been lectured on. And it give me a break too, so that I don't become "robotic" in my longer lectures....
These activities are useful and help the students to learn terms and they look forward to these activities.
I'm personally excited to try Whole Brain Organizer! I love that it taps into various types of learning styles. Even by doing this course and looking at the example I can still remember all of the drawings and the words.
Its going to be great!
In my medical term class, I yell out terms that they should know from the first few weeks of class, then I have them define it, and then give me another word using that suffix or prefix.
I have learned so much about activities from this course. I have implemented many of them and the students are having fun.
I have received good feed back from the class after using games. It also helped them stay awake because I teach MedTerms in the first hour of the day.
This idea is excellent because it builds memory through repetition, ownership and involvement of your learners.
I find that once I start lecturing, I will incorporate a moment where I stop and re-teach using a question and guidance method. I will ask a question about a medical term I just went over and have the student(s) participate by volunteering to write it on the board. This little change creates an awareness that leads into our activity towards the end (i.e. games, puzzles or matching); then they look forward to this at the next class.
Denise, this is such practical advise on studying for the students. Many have not had the coaching for successful ways to learn, which this is.
First day of class I hand out index cards and give my students one night of making up their own flash cards; I encourage them to carry them with them and tell them whenever they have a moment in their day to go through the cards and review - whether at a stop light, or riding the bus home, etc. It has been very effective.
I agree, using games to reinforce and introduce medical terminology can re-energize the topic from boring to interesting, Donna.
I used a variety of activities because medical terminology can become boring if we use only the book. Games help to also reinforce what is presented.