Adult learners need to have a reason to complete their goals. Trades Convocation 2016.
How I motivate students at the beginning of a course:
The
chance to instill purpose in what they are about to learn and become is very
important. It seems common from the training that I have had that the
Instructor tries to give an overview of the course and what is expected of the
students. I would use my experience to spread the expectations over several
lectures a few bites at a time. Team building exercises could be used to engage
students to feel like part of the whole group and that will increase participation
if they feel comfortable. Activities that encourage members of the class to
interact while doing something physical helps build a sense of belonging and
comfort. The snowball is an excellent choice. The activity is both fun and
provides a stand up to get the blood flowing component. It allows students to
read out a quick snippet of information to the class. A question or topic that
uses the names of others could further introduce each other. The rapid nature
of the activity also allows many students to participate in a short period. I
find that if I am comfortable in a group, presenting and sharing ideas, the
urge to do well and behave is instilled.
Some things that I can do during the course include the
following:
An
Instructor would need to test several instructional strategies to see what
would work best with welding trade students. I believe that a general
assumption could be made that students need to be more entertained to keep
their attention on the course material. The revelation that the most common
techniques that teachers now used, reward and punishment based learning, is not
the only option. I could create a way of teaching that will develop a lesson
plan that uses new motivation and engagement techniques to get a better trained
and smarter class of students. Performance and grades could be directly
compared with other past and present sections to zero in on the best
strategies. The focused reading notes could be integrated into each module. I
like the cell phones lined up at the black and then used to look up a term
while a research, pair then share topic to give the students a chance to use
phones and then get their minds back on topic. Using the knowledge that four
conditions need to be present for students to become and remain motivated. (Wlodkowski
& Ginsberg, 2003)
Attention: keep student engaged with
change ups in topics and physical activities.
Relevance: refer to everyday examples
where the material and skills are used.
Confidence: encourage students to apply
what they have learned. Test Knowledge.
Satisfaction: Becoming a more skilled
worker can increase their quality of life.
Things that I can do at the end of the course to motivate
students and help them use the material after the course is over are:
I
would like to tie together the practical processes, textbook learning and
examples to show students that the real world requires many kinds of Weldors.
The skill of Welding has many uses today. Students need only to look around
them in every day life the set of stairs that they're climbing the ferryboats
they ride to Vancouver the cars they drive are all pieces of metal fused
together in manufacturing. The wide spread coalescence of metals and non-metals
provides so many of modern societies comforts. The competent tradesman can work
in a mind-boggling array of areas. The great thing about trades is that after
the completion of training, the knowledge gained, can be applied to the
profession chosen. In addition, new Weldors must have completed work experience
to qualify for increasing levels of certification. They will get a chance to
earn a living doing what they have been trained to do immediately.
Things I could do in general to bring about intrinsic
motivation:
When
supervising tradesmen, I have always tried to instill a sense of pride and
workmanship. The performance of safe work, high production and excellent
quality is the credo of metal trades in industry. Extrinsic motivators have
proven to not produce the best results (Pink, 2009). High pay for numbers of
welds completed may indeed compromise safety and quality. The Weldor builds a
facility or pipeline with their own effort and skills they will feel good in
the fact that if built properly, with quality and workmanship, it will last for
many years. They can produce the foundations of the Canadian economy. I often
feel a sense of accomplishment when I reflect on projects well done and how I
have helped build the infrastructure of Canada. A stronger economy is for the
benefit of all. Canadians have the safest and best built facilities in the
world. Tradesman can take comfort and feel pride as they go to work each day.
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| Students waiting outside of classroom early everyday. |
References:
Pink, D. (2009) The Puzzle of
Motivation. Ted TV talk.
Wlodkowski, R. and Ginsberg, M. (2003).
Diversity & Motivation. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.