ENJOYING THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

As a student, the most important thing that comes to mind if you are lucky enough to be in a university that gives you the ability to choose your classes, is to find a class that is both enjoyable and informative. It may be mandatory for you to attend that class in order to achieve your goals and dreams but it is even much better for you to be able to achieve them in an environment that is enjoyable. However reality is that most of us are not lucky enough to be in a place where we can choose to have a fun education, we have to make due with what we have. Two weeks ago we came across students who had to sit through a few classes with a lecturer who they felt were outdated and were living in an entirely different time from them and also felt that they were not getting the quality education that they wanted. Let us be honest, most of us will not be fortunate enough to experience the change we need all at once. Some of our lecturers will take time to change their delivery methods and if as a student you do not try to use this to your own advantage then it will be a long semester for you. However, if you are one who sees situations as ones that are not hopeless but manageable then you are in for an easier semester. If you happen to be in the classroom that we had earlier on described, one with a lecturer who is far from cracking a joke or you have been sleeping most of the time to even notice that there is a lecturer in class then its best to change the situation a bit.

Coming to such a classroom ready with a learner’s mentality and the desire to come out of there with new information is important. One key to making every environment no matter how harsh you may perceive of it is to think positively about it and to avoid negative thoughts, so go to that class with the mentality of someone who is ready to learn and grow.

Avoid sitting in an area where you are likely to get the most out of your learning experience and not a place where you can easily be distracted or not focus on what is going on in the lecture room. Secondly, always ensure that you engage yourself in the lecturer’s topics of discussion. Always ask questions or be ready to give your own two cents about the topic at hand. You can also give your own weekly topic reports about what the lecture said or what you learnt, being involved in such a class gives you the motivation to want to be involved.

So though we may be quick to point out that lecturers are a certain way we must ask ourselves are we involved enough to challenge the lecturer to want to do better?  

RAISING THE BAR IN EDUCATION QUALITY

A few days ago the students at Daystar University were having a small baraza to highlight the grievances that they may have with the administration or just among themselves. One of the main issues that they highlighted and came to my attention was their observation and later on a complete concern when it came to the lecturers who are yet to join us in the 21st century.

Everyday I have to interact with students from all walks of life and one of the things that have stood true about students is that they are quite informed and can quickly spot a situation where they are being duped or being given information that does not go hand in hand with current developments. This leads me to address what the issue really is here, as a former student I have understood what the students were trying to put across.

walking into any classroom and it is quite easy to see the age group that is prevalent these are young people between the ages of 19 and 29 they are young, informed and have the world at their finger tips. In walks the lecturer and he / she is a few decades older. their is nothing wrong with a lecturer who has seen lived a few more years that is at the end of the day, what makes up a truly informed educator.

As the lesson starts one cant help but notice the old tattered book that the lecturer is using or the fact that the formerly white pages are now yellow. he content in the lecture ay be helpful and full of information that one may not get from one course book but what is clear is the delivery of the message and the fact that some of the information given is still material that would have been helpful in the past century. One look in that classroom and half the students are asleep others look like they are paying attention whereas the rest may have decided to skip the class altogether.

I don’t mean to pass blame to the lecturers and say it is their fault that these students seem to lack the needed attention they are meant to have but in this growing nation it is important for all those in the education sector to be quick to improve on not only their teaching methods but also their teaching material. Once this is done I believe it will be quite easy for the students to feel like they are all in the same century and not just in the same room J

DEALING WITH GENERATION Y STUDENTS

After last week’s blog post, there are those who agree with what was addressed and those who don’t but what we can agree on is that there are differing levels of teaching methods. Maybe due to an informed lecturer who surpasses the education levels of the students or students who believe they have surpassed the information that the lecturer may have. The former is something that we will discuss at a later date. In today’s technology driven world and a world where one can get just about any information from the internet, it is not hard to imagine a world where students believe they know more than their lecturers. It is no strange occurrence to have among your students one who challenges you in your thinking or one who is always ready to dispute, challenge or support what you or the class are arguing.

Regarding what we discussed last week on problems students come across in their quest for quality education, it can also be a teachers nightmare to have to deal with students who find his methods boring or out dated so here is what to do once you are a lecturer and one glance around your classroom gives you the indication that you may be dealing with the so-called generation Y who are known to have short attention spans.

1.       Always be ready for class

Assuming that you have your content and since you have been doing this for so many years it is not necessary to brush through the next day’s lesson plan. You will be highly mistaken by entering into a debate about modern culture with more than 30 students who are from the same age group and supposed Nairobi culture. They will eat chew your views and spit them out the minute they feel they aren’t in line with what they know and believe. So it’s best to show up in class ready and fully prepared with not only text book content but what many refer to as “generation y” content as well.

2. Understand your class demographic

Always try to get an over view of where your students are from and try to spend some time listen to their view s on matters rather than just shrugging them off. Their views on certain issues are important and may add to the information that you may already have.

3. Embrace new methods of teaching

Don’t be too rigid in your teaching methods but once in a while step out of your comfort levels and make the class a bit more interesting to your students. Be ready to involve them in the  lessons and even give them an opportunity to run a few lessons their way, with you as the moderator of course. That way they not only get to appreciate the class but also get to understand that teaching is no easy job.

Raising the bar on the levels of education involves understanding each other in the classroom both as the lecturer and the student no matter how different both parties may be.