PEDAGOGY'pe-da-"gO-jE
noun: the art, science, or profession of teaching
Teaching Financial Aid Professionals How To Teach Students and Parents
When, How, Why & What
When Should You Begin to Teach Parents and Students?How Do You Explain this Process?Why Should You Understand Different Styles & Approaches?What Do You Need to Know for Academic Survival?
PEDAGOGY: When, How, Why & What
When Should You Begin to Teach Parents and Students about Financial Aid?
When Should You Begin to Teach Parents and Students about Financial Aid?
• Encourage parents and students to get started early!
• Get parents to utilize the internet or resource center
• Ask students to contact their school counselor
High School Freshmen/Sophomores:
• Have them think about career choices that might include grants or aid (teaching, medical fields, etc)
• Encourage students/parents to begin a savings account for extra expenses in school
• Ask them to speak with entering college students about expenses and costs
Get them thinking about college!
When Should You Begin to Teach Parents and Students about Financial Aid?
When Should You Begin to Teach Parents and Students about Financial Aid?
High School Juniors:
• Have them take the ACT / SAT more than once• Encourage as many college credit courses as
possible while still in high school• Tell them to talk with school counselors about the
financial aid process
When Should You Begin to Teach Parents and Students about Financial Aid?
High School Seniors:• Have them apply for Financial Aid through the
FASFAA• Make sure they complete all paperwork or
procedures for school admission• Encourage them to make lists of dates and
deadlines
PEDAGOGY: When, How, Why & What
How Do You Explain The Process?
How Do You Explain The Process?
Know your audience – how do they process this information? Is it one family or a group of students?
Plan ahead – have all the materials you need ready before you speak
Speak slowly – use smaller words, avoid acronyms – don’t assume anything!
Don’t be nervous!
Speaking to Groups:
Consider their situation: Their child is leaving home – could be good or bad news Money is spent at an alarming rate They worry about children’s academic, social and personal
well-being – who’s watching them?
What do Parents Need to Know?
How Do You Explain The Process?
Talk about each step in the process Give them time to ask questions Encourage parents – aid is available Help them avoid sticker shock
For Parents:
How Do You Explain The Process?
What do Students Need to Know?
How Do You Explain The Process?
Consider their situation: Leaving home for the first time – may be excited or nervous Will want to maintain the same lifestyle in college as they did
at home – cell phones, clothes, social life Will have to “police” themselves Opportunity to live without mom
and dad!
For Students:
How Do You Explain The Process?
Provide realistic information concerning expenses and cost of living
Give them information about the local job market Tell incoming freshman about school’s expectations
When payments are due What they are expected to pay Are there hidden costs?
For Students:
How Do You Explain The Process?
If Student Loans are needed – Explain how the process works
What’s a lender? a guarantor? What’s an MPN? When do you get the money? Why haven’t I gotten my money? What do parents need to do to get a loan?
Parents and Students will need options and access to information!
Keep this in mind –
You do this everyday – they don’t…
What may be important to you may not seem important to them…
You are the expert – share your knowledge!
How Do You Explain The Process?
PEDAGOGY'pe-da-"gO-jE noun: the art, science, or profession of teaching
A little something to take home…
Why Should You Understand Different Styles & Approaches?
The learning styles, attitudes, and approaches of high school students differ from those of eighteen to twenty-two year old college students. The styles, attitudes, and approaches of adult learners differ again.
The approach we use to communicate with these different groups will determine the success and result achieved.
Millennial v Generation X v Baby Boomer
Millennial (17-18 yrs old)– Heavily influenced by information technology, uses instant messaging
Generation X (24-26 yrs old) – Expectations of customer service are radically different from previous generations
Baby Boomer (40 + yrs old)– Completing a degree while balancing work and/or family
Not only is the profile of today’s student body different, but the life experiences that shaped today’s students are quite different from those of previous eras.
First Generation students are more likely to live in a small town and have differentiated family incomes which affect their high school experiences and achievements.
Millennial v Generation X v Baby Boomer
First-generation students are more likely to delay enrollment in postsecondary education.
Only 29% of first-generation students enroll immediately after high school, compared to 73% of students whose parents have college experience.
Summer programs, orientation, and frequent college personnel interaction are important.
Millennial v Generation X v Baby Boomer
Millennial students (17-18 year olds) exhibit distinct learning styles such as:
Learning preferences tend toward teamwork
Prefer experiential activities
Expect the use of technology
They are multitasking and goal oriented
Millennial v Generation X v Baby Boomer
10 Attributes of an Information-Age Mindset
Computers aren’t technology-they are an assumed part of life
The internet is better than TV-part of their socializing
Reality is no longer real-things may be altered Doing is more important than knowing-results
and actions necessary instead of accumulation of facts
Learning more closely resembles Nintendo than logic-trial and error approach
Multitasking is a way of life-listening to music while doing homework
and chatting on the phone Typing is preferred to handwriting Staying connected is essential-Cell phones,
PDAs (pagers and palm pilots) and computers
10 Attributes of an Information-Age Mindset
There is zero tolerance for delays-immediacy Consumer and creator are blurring-file
sharing and cut-and-paste world
To compete for students, we must be willing to challenge everything that has gone before and completely rethink the relationships.
10 Attributes of an Information-Age Mindset
In a 24x7, customer-service culture, delays cause dissatisfaction and disengagement.
Financial Aid is a chronic source of dissatisfaction for students and parents. Confusion over the process and complicated paperwork cause them to procrastinate or be rejected for incorrect/incomplete information.
We need to think in terms of transforming the educational experience so that it is meaningful to the information-age learner.
Today’s college and university students have developed new attitudes and aptitudes as a result of their environment. This may create an imbalance of expectations of the learning environment and what they find when they arrive on campus.
Our institutions need to expand their primary focus from the internal, on-campus, temporal experience to include the external, global, lifelong experience.
The challenge for higher education is to incorporate the information-age mindset of today’s learners into communities of lifelong learners.
Undergraduate students spend about four years on campus and then perhaps another forty years or so in their various occupations.
So for less than 10% of their student and professional life, they are in direct, physical contact with our schools.
The benefit of this 10% of time on campus should provide them with tools, knowledge and skills long after they graduate.
How about an Immersive Environment?
Large lecture classes are the norm in many college and university settings. This causes student attention to wander and for the lecturer’s intended message to miss the mark.
Rather than learning by listening and/or by reading fact-filled and not-too-exciting textbooks, why not try an immersive environment.
Learning through performance requires active discovery, analysis, interpretation, problem-solving, memory, and physical activity.
The extensive cognitive processing develops a foundation of networking skills to unlock access to the next level of challenges and goals.
How about an Immersive Environment?
A well-designed immersive environment would promote opportunities to engage interest, to generate meaningful learning, and to apply it in ways that would transfer to real-life situations.
Using the video game approach with pedagogical powers could eventually win with today’s student interest in higher education.
How about an Immersive Environment?
What Do You Need to Know for Academic Survival
College days are the first real taste of freedom for many students. They are living away from home instead of under the watchful eyes of Mom and Dad. New temptations, untested situations, and sometimes significant problems surface.
Issues that impede academic performance
Alcohol use and abuse-signals include: lower grades, reluctance to talk with parents, unwillingness to talk about activities with friends, and mood swings.
Stress Frequent illnesses Sleep difficulties Relationship problems Depression/Anxiety
Coping with Stress
Using lists to complete tasks Overcome anxiety Personal maintenance Planned decision-making Learn from your mistakes Go to class
Using Lists – Include everything that needs to be done on a
list, including homework, class assignments, grocery shopping, laundry and even partying.
When you have completed one of the tasks on the list, cross it off.
Accomplishment is a way to pat yourself on the back for a job well done.
What Do You Need to Know for Academic Survival
Overcoming Anxiety –Students will put themselves down in
comparison to their peers.These feelings can lead to “blocks” in
successful academic performance. Gain control with deep breathing Praise yourself and forgive the mistakes Be your own best friend
What Do You Need to Know for Academic Survival
Personal Maintenance –
We push ourselves and ignore warning signs of decreased productivity and negative attitude.
Taking a break can improve the mood.
Taking a little time out today for fun and relaxation could just make things run a little smoother tomorrow.
What Do You Need to Know for Academic Survival
Planned Decision-Making – Gather information Identify alternatives and outcomes Check your values Design strategies to carry out the decision
What Do You Need to Know for Academic Survival
Learn from Your Mistakes – Instead of filing away your papers, take the
time to discover WHY you lost points or WHY another response was better.
Take time to review the information while it is fresh on your mind for better recall later.
Courses build on the information and you will gain a better understanding of the course.
What Do You Need to Know for Academic Survival
Importance of Class Attendance – The most important thing you can do for
academic success is get to class.Take good notes. Someone else’s notes won’t
mean the same thing to you.Get enough sleep so that class time in not nap
time.If you are sick, talk to your professors.
What Do You Need to Know for Academic Survival
How Does It Affect Financial Aid?
Students will need to plan ahead to determine how much money they need to attend the college or university of their choice.
College costs include direct and indirect expenses.Understanding the accountability and
responsibility that goes with receiving financial aid is vital.
Students should ask questions or seek information on the Web to understand the process of applying for financial aid
Make sure that all necessary forms are complete before the deadline date
Financial Aid is based on financial need and/or academic progress
Students should seek good advice about dropping classes or repeating a course
How Does It Affect Financial Aid?
Knowledge is Power
Knowing when to get started is a key component to the investment of higher education.
Making a good plan includes gathering the information and using it wisely.
Understanding student needs is essential.Using survival skills will make the difference in
measuring success.
References
1. Joel Foreman, “Next-Generation: Educational Technology versus the Lecture,” Educause (July/August 2003):12-22.
2. Diana Oblinger, “Boomers, Gen-Xers, & Millennials: Understanding the NEW Students,” Educause (July/August 2003): 37-47.
3. Jason L. Frand, “The Information-Age Mindset: Changes in Students and Implications for Higher Education,” Educause (September/October 2001): 15-24.
PEDAGOGY'pe-da-"gO-jE
noun: the art, science, or profession of teaching
Teaching Financial Aid Professionals How To Teach Students and Parents
PEDAGOGY'pe-da-"gO-jE noun: the art, science, or profession of teaching
Teaching Financial Aid Professionals How To Teach Students and Parents
QUESTIONS?