Individualized Teaching Techniques... Wait.. students aren't all the same?

This weeks reading assignment is based on individualized teaching techniques. In the field of agricultural sciences there are many different subjects and career paths that a student may go down. As a teacher it is impossible to have a class for every single thing a student may be interested in. This is why individualized teaching is so important in the agricultural classroom.

There are many ways to teach to an individual students, rather than the whole class such as a supervised study, experiments and independent study. In all of these the most important thing is STUDENT INTEREST. If a student is not interested in your class things will not go well, if a students is expected to do something by themselves or in a small group and they are not interested... it will not go well. Individualized teaching is meant to build upon student interests or discover new student interests. Supervised studies are mostly cognitive or affective and use a wide variety of materials to find out information about their area of interest. Experiments allow students to work hands on and learn better. It also teachers them to think systematically in a clear and thorough way. The teacher needs to direct the students through the process and make sure that they answer questions, and that the students are completing the experiment correctly. For independent studies, they are a good tool for teachers as they adapt to different student interests. They could involve programmed materials, self-paced instructional units, or computer-assisted instruction. During the study there needs to be face time between the teacher and student to answer questions, offer opinions and check progress.

While all of these are great techniques that teachers can use to increase independence in their students and cater to their needs... it needs to be done properly! Teachers must make sure that their students are actually following the plan that was developed for them. While the students are working  on their projects the teacher needs to be around to answer questions and monitor progress. This is not a time for the teacher to be checking their email.

With that being said, it will be exciting to watch students utilize the opportunities that these teaching techniques provide and come up with a lot of cool information and ideas!

blogging out,

Jeanne