My MEL Experiences

• Hands On-While in technical training for my career in the Air Force we split time in the classroom and actually performing some of the parts of the job that we would eventually do. The blocks of the course that involved touching the bombs and working hands on were easier to test out of. Some of the blocks required simply to read and try to remember. It is much easier to remember the safety aspects of an explosive when you have had it in your hands.
• Learning Styles- Last semester with Dr. Sue Thorson I saw first hand how to run a class that allowed all learning styles to succeed. She had a grading system based on points, 1200 points would get you an A. At the beginning of the semester we received a list of all the possible assignments we could do and their respective point values. As the classes went on when she was hit with a good idea she would add an assignment aimed at different types of learning. It allowed everyone the freedom to only do the assignments that they were interested in doing, creating a sense of ownership that resulted in a higher quality of work.
• Context-While I was stationed in Korea I taught a 3 day course to all the AMMO troops on base that was their yearly requirement to stay qualified. Most of the students were airmen that had been in the service for years, and many of them had more experience with some of the munitions than I did. I was able to keep them interested because I tied in how the material we were covering was the same information that they need to know everyday in their job. When you work with explosives everyday it is very easy to forget that they are dangerous. By covering the safety guidelines and regulations in class I was able to keep them interested in the material.
• Avoid Rewards-As a long term sub in a resource room I saw first hand a reward system that I thought was a terrible idea. There was an 8 minute timer and every time it went off if the student was good he got a sticker. At the end of the day he was given rewards for his sticker accumulation, including playing soccer with me. The problem was that some days the student would know that his morning was so bad there was never going to be a reward that day so he did not need to act right in the afternoon either.
• Student-Teacher Relationship-In child and adolescent philosophy I struggled to care based on my preconceived ideas about philosophy, however Dr. Joel King provided a witty and humorous approach that grabbed my attention. If you were listening closely he would include all kinds of little sound bites that seemed specifically designed for my sense of humor. That made it easy to stay alert in the night course even on the most exhausting days.