Comments on: It must be true, I saw it on the Internet http://frontlinelearning.edublogs.org/2008/04/16/73/ ideas about how adults learn - by finding things and using them in a new way! Sat, 22 Nov 2008 11:07:07 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: John http://frontlinelearning.edublogs.org/2008/04/16/73/#comment-18 John Wed, 30 Apr 2008 04:48:52 +0000 http://frontlinelearning.edublogs.org/2008/04/16/73/#comment-18 Concetta Johnnie the bagger may or may not exist. But people like him do. My wife must have been looking bewildered when she was carrying an empty coffee cup at the train station yesterday because a CityRail staff member came up to her and asked if she was looking for a garbage bin. She said yes, and the customer servant pointed towards one and then asked if there was anything else she needed. My wife asked where the toilets were, and was shown. the staff member went away smiling. My wife was so impressed that she decided to tell the station manager. He told here that he was very proud of his staff and he often received compliments like that about each of them. But Sue was a special case and she had been selected for a monthly customer service award, although he hadn't had a chance to tell her yet. That story was not in this morning's papers, but it is not uncommon to see stories about general dissatisfaction with customer service on the railways. Who do you believe? The newspapers or your own eyes. I wouldn't hesitate to use the story in class. but rather than promoting one individual in an unnamed store in an unknown city, why not ask your students for examples of when someone gave them really good customer service? Be prepared with a couple of examples of your own. If a story pops up that shows poor service, ask the person who brought it up "Have you ever felt less than your most cheerful self? Maybe that person slept in because the alarm didn't work, raced out of the house without breakfast, twister his ankle while running to catch the bus, and when he got to work found that two other people hadn't arrived so he would have to do three people's jobs." On the other hand, how often do we tell someone that we are glad that they came to work today? I have never heard anyone complain that they receive too many compliments. Sure they may shuffle their feet and look at their toes while you are saying thanks, but i bet they feel better when you walk away. And guess what is uppermost in their mind? What a nice person you are! Whether Johnnie the bagger is true or false doesn't really matter. Those, like you and I, who want to believe it can make a difference. Those who want to debunk it will continue to go through life looking for negatives. You have a chance to make a real difference by sending your students out to look for opportunities to give people compliments. And just think how wide that effect can be. the person who gets the compliment, the next person they serve, the person who feels good about having given the compliment, you .... The line-up will go all the way down to the frozen food aisle. John Concetta
Johnnie the bagger may or may not exist. But people like him do. My wife must have been looking bewildered when she was carrying an empty coffee cup at the train station yesterday because a CityRail staff member came up to her and asked if she was looking for a garbage bin. She said yes, and the customer servant pointed towards one and then asked if there was anything else she needed. My wife asked where the toilets were, and was shown. the staff member went away smiling.

My wife was so impressed that she decided to tell the station manager. He told here that he was very proud of his staff and he often received compliments like that about each of them. But Sue was a special case and she had been selected for a monthly customer service award, although he hadn’t had a chance to tell her yet.

That story was not in this morning’s papers, but it is not uncommon to see stories about general dissatisfaction with customer service on the railways. Who do you believe? The newspapers or your own eyes.

I wouldn’t hesitate to use the story in class. but rather than promoting one individual in an unnamed store in an unknown city, why not ask your students for examples of when someone gave them really good customer service? Be prepared with a couple of examples of your own. If a story pops up that shows poor service, ask the person who brought it up “Have you ever felt less than your most cheerful self? Maybe that person slept in because the alarm didn’t work, raced out of the house without breakfast, twister his ankle while running to catch the bus, and when he got to work found that two other people hadn’t arrived so he would have to do three people’s jobs.”

On the other hand, how often do we tell someone that we are glad that they came to work today?

I have never heard anyone complain that they receive too many compliments. Sure they may shuffle their feet and look at their toes while you are saying thanks, but i bet they feel better when you walk away. And guess what is uppermost in their mind? What a nice person you are!

Whether Johnnie the bagger is true or false doesn’t really matter. Those, like you and I, who want to believe it can make a difference. Those who want to debunk it will continue to go through life looking for negatives. You have a chance to make a real difference by sending your students out to look for opportunities to give people compliments. And just think how wide that effect can be. the person who gets the compliment, the next person they serve, the person who feels good about having given the compliment, you …. The line-up will go all the way down to the frozen food aisle.

John

]]> By: concetta http://frontlinelearning.edublogs.org/2008/04/16/73/#comment-17 concetta Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:55:36 +0000 http://frontlinelearning.edublogs.org/2008/04/16/73/#comment-17 I watched the video of Johnny the Bagger I was absolutely taken in. I was going to use it with my work to explain the importance of the emotional connection when it comes to user-generated video. Now reading your posts I'm going to have to have another little think about that. What I'm thinking though is that the important thing for me as a learner and teacher is to approach each learning experience with a questioning mind. Then it's less important whether the video is authentic and more important how all the information I have at hand fits with what I need to know. Also I wonder if learning styles change depending on the type of content, motivation and all the other factors that affect learning. I watched the video of Johnny the Bagger I was absolutely taken in. I was going to use it with my work to explain the importance of the emotional connection when it comes to user-generated video. Now reading your posts I’m going to have to have another little think about that. What I’m thinking though is that the important thing for me as a learner and teacher is to approach each learning experience with a questioning mind. Then it’s less important whether the video is authentic and more important how all the information I have at hand fits with what I need to know.

Also I wonder if learning styles change depending on the type of content, motivation and all the other factors that affect learning.

]]> By: psalter http://frontlinelearning.edublogs.org/2008/04/16/73/#comment-15 psalter Wed, 23 Apr 2008 21:36:21 +0000 http://frontlinelearning.edublogs.org/2008/04/16/73/#comment-15 I agree exploration is the best strategy. I liked the Harry Chaplin song - although it is incredibly poignant too. Another term I have used is learning modalities instead of styles but I also use preferences too. I agree exploration is the best strategy. I liked the Harry Chaplin song - although it is incredibly poignant too. Another term I have used is learning modalities instead of styles but I also use preferences too.

]]> By: John http://frontlinelearning.edublogs.org/2008/04/16/73/#comment-13 John Tue, 22 Apr 2008 11:20:39 +0000 http://frontlinelearning.edublogs.org/2008/04/16/73/#comment-13 I like your approach. What are called Learning styles are really learning preferences. The best way i know of to discover your preferences is to explore. If that can be done as a school student so much the better. For many of the adult learners that I come across their most positive memory of a classroom is leaving it. Yet they can recall the history of racehorses or football teams without fail. How did they learn all that stuff? They found a way because it was presented in a format they liked and it was a subject that interested them. Like the dancer in the video <a href="http://psalter.edublogs.org/2008/04/21/musings-technology-is-not-enoughapril4/" rel="nofollow"> on your blog </a> they were told by a primary school teacher that they would never learn. The real thing is that they would never learn that way. My favourite way of explaining this to the musically inclined is to play a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeJJOjb7fj4&feature=related" rel="nofollow">Harry Chapin song</a> I like your approach.

What are called Learning styles are really learning preferences.

The best way i know of to discover your preferences is to explore. If that can be done as a school student so much the better. For many of the adult learners that I come across their most positive memory of a classroom is leaving it. Yet they can recall the history of racehorses or football teams without fail. How did they learn all that stuff? They found a way because it was presented in a format they liked and it was a subject that interested them.

Like the dancer in the video on your blog they were told by a primary school teacher that they would never learn. The real thing is that they would never learn that way.

My favourite way of explaining this to the musically inclined is to play a Harry Chapin song

]]> By: psalter http://frontlinelearning.edublogs.org/2008/04/16/73/#comment-12 psalter Tue, 22 Apr 2008 03:57:50 +0000 http://frontlinelearning.edublogs.org/2008/04/16/73/#comment-12 Thanks for this article John, I haven't read it yet, have printed it out and will come back and post my comments later. Prior to reading it: This is how I deal with learning styles with students: 'Everyone is different and we all learn in different ways. All techniques will probably work for everyone, but some techniques will be faster for you than for someone else as it suits your type of brain. No-one fits perfectly into one category or box, we are all a mix in our prefernces of how we like to learn. What you need to do is to experiment with different ways of studying and see what suits you best'. Then I talk aout how some people learn better with visual techniqus (mind maps, colour, flashcards), other learn better by listening to the info or repeating it out loud or discussing it while others learn best hen they are moving around etc. I try to stress they need to use a wide range of techniques and work out which ones suit them best. What do you think? Is my reasoning sound? Thanks for this article John, I haven’t read it yet, have printed it out and will come back and post my comments later.

Prior to reading it: This is how I deal with learning styles with students:

‘Everyone is different and we all learn in different ways. All techniques will probably work for everyone, but some techniques will be faster for you than for someone else as it suits your type of brain. No-one fits perfectly into one category or box, we are all a mix in our prefernces of how we like to learn. What you need to do is to experiment with different ways of studying and see what suits you best’. Then I talk aout how some people learn better with visual techniqus (mind maps, colour, flashcards), other learn better by listening to the info or repeating it out loud or discussing it while others learn best hen they are moving around etc. I try to stress they need to use a wide range of techniques and work out which ones suit them best.

What do you think? Is my reasoning sound?

]]>