Practically Speaking
Note: I cannot get the picture to add here = but have included the link below in the text. It is a teacher on oneside and a student on the other with the captions of ” practical” and theory under each. in between is a gian lighbulb burning brightly !
While this is not a terribly complicated picture, I do feel that it is a tremendous representation of my teaching philosophy. While I often teach theory-based courses, I really strive to make the content understood through practical applications supported by a personal connection with the student
I want my students to go away feeling that they have gained an understanding of the theory, but also have gained useful practical tools that they can use moving forward in their own practice. They are encouraged to adapt those tools to their own use and/ or build on them.
I also strive to layer the learning so that the practical examples add onto the theory in a way that will help “the light to go on”. For example, in a career-oriented course we may look at the individual component preparatory pieces that are required for employment search ( Resume, cover, references, documentation etc. ) with a culminating assignment is to put them all together in a professional portfolio. In a Counselling for Diverse Populations course, I ask students to build and submit a Resource Tool Kit which they begin working on from class one and add to as they go. The Resource kit includes a summary of the theoretical knowledge they have gained regarding the specialized client populations but includes links an information about service providers, their contact information, links and information about specialized resources. The students can then take this resource to their own practices and continue to add to it over time so that it relates specifically to the client base they serve and the local resources.
One other practical thing I like to do is to provide video assignment feedback even though these are online courses. It allows me to provide further practical ideas about how a student might consider approaching a particular client issue. Rather than being general feedback, students are offered some very practical solutions, which I can tie to the theory we are discussing.
Practical or Theory: What Makes You Pro After Bachelor in Technology?
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Example for "Practically Speaking":
https://www.fanshaweonline.ca/d2l/eP/artifacts/modify/artifact_preview.d2l?ou=1230974&artId=289338&contextId=289338&dst=1
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