CFI Blog #2

Selected Methods
Role Play
-I would use role play to help a student become familiar with ATC radio calls for a difficult airspace to navigate through such as Class B. I personally had trouble at first since I learned how to fly in Class E and only flew through Class C once. When I first flew at SLC I had no idea what to do or say for the first couple of lessons so a bit of role playing would have helped me transition into Class B much easier.

4 Categories of Instructional Methods and Context
Instructor-Centered Methods
-The teacher is primarily responsible for conveying information
-Lecturing students to transmit knowledge
-Questioning students or groups of students to transmit knowledge
-Demonstrations that show a student how to solve a problem, conduct a physchomotor skill, or other        various tasks
Interactive Methods
-Class discussions help students explore different perspectives, recognize their own values and assumptions, develop their ability to defend ideas, increase their listening skills, learn to respect others' opinions and viewpoints, and gain expertise in weighing evidence and assessing arguments
-Discussion groups allow all students to express their opinions within a small group of classmates
-Group projects allow students to use teamwork to investigate a topic or issue, or create a product wither assigned by the instructor or selected according to their own interest
-Peer teaching allows students to take advantage of differences in students' prior knowledge and experience with the content
Individualized Learning Methods
-Based on the assumptions that individuals learn at different speeds
-Modularized instruction includes a variety of presentation formats orientated to help the student
-Computerized instruction uses audio and visual technology to transmit knowledge to the student
-Independent projects are those in which students work on their own to pursue a topic or interest
Experiential Learning Methods
-Not independent from the other 3 methods
-Field or clinical methods give students specific tasks to perform under the observation of the instructor
-Laboratory methods are where students perform in situations which are realistic, but where the consequences of not knowing what to do or of making a mistake are carefully controlled by the instructor
-Role-playing allows students to experience a variety of situations while remaining in a safe environment
-Simulations and games are fun for students and are great ways to motivate students to learn
-Drills are good for developing pyschomotor skills that need to be consistent such as using rudder when turning
Discussion Group
I would use a discussion group to talk about topics that can go both ways such as ADM type scenarios or an accident. I would show a video or handout a copy of the scenario to groups of students and have them discussion some aspect of the problem  
Context Related to Instruction Method
This article is very useful in determining what method of instruction is useful since it provides examples of what each type of method does for students and how effective they are if used properly. Some types such as clinical and laboratory are not really great for aviation type learning but most of them can be applied in some way, shape, or form.




Characteristics of Adult Learners
Demographic Characteristics 
Age
-General idea about a persons assumptions, beliefs, or values
-Previous education experience
-Amount of life experience
-Older students have different physical requirements and learning strategies
Gender
-Women's developmental paths differ from men's
-Avoid gender stereotyping
-Males value separateness, autonomy, and independence
-Females value relationships and responsibilities, empathy, and interdependence
Language and Background
-Different first language spoken is a consideration if it is a factor
-Upraising background differences such as rural and urban, single parent or set of parents, and income levels all can influence a students learning

How Adults Learn Differently and My Teaching
Adults have more concrete and immediate goals which will cause them to want to learn the material at a fast pace and may cause them to become impatient. I will have to adjust my teaching accordingly in order to decrease the amount impatience that one might have. I will also have to tailor my teaching habits to their preference since they usually have a firm grasp on how they want to be taught since they know which way works best. This seems to be the most important task to overcome since their learning style sounds to be pretty inflexible in most cases and I might have to really change or develop new lesson plans to accommodate that.