teaching the “tell me what to do” generations rrlc pizza session october 20, 2008 suzanne bell
Post on 18-Dec-2015
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TRANSCRIPT
What this Lecture will cover
Adult learners – how and why they’re different
A few words about the brain, learning, and aging
Implications of the above on teaching
Most useful teaching methods
Comments on teaching styles – bringing all the above together
Case Study and Discussion
Suzanne Bell 2 RRLC Oct. 20, 2008
Learning Objectives
Share what I learned from the literature, the “theory”
Why teaching adults is different
Help you approach your planning for adult classes differently
Provide some specific suggestions, ideas, teaching methods to use
Offer an opportunity to share your experiences: see how practice compares to theory
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Other differences
Older people get, the more diverse they are, based on…
Age, gender, ethnicity, language, culture, disabilities, socioeconomic factors, geography, education, past experience
Motivation for learning: very “life-centered” – want to learn to solve particular problems they face in life.
Desire to be self-directed (so much for “tell me what to do”!)
RRLC Oct. 20, 2008Suzanne Bell 5
Stuff About the BrainHow do you “learn”? What makes for lasting memories?
What happens as you age?
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The Brain
Neurons fire + emotional chemicals neural networks and synapses = learning
Information, sensations enter via the senses
Brain is a “pattern-finding organ”
Activate my cortex and I’ll remember!
Aging and the brain – not all bad news… although “use it or lose it” is true.
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