I had a chance to come here in Madrid three months ago because I had to prepare myself for assignment here and get a feel of the place. I’m actually an economic analyst for a private think tank hired by several governments and other institutions around the world, especially the United States. Needless to say, there are lots of government agencies in the United States which hire the services of the company I’m working for. After all, the name of the game is outsourcing so if the operations of a certain agency go awry, there is still some cushioning in case of a backlash.
The company gave me some leeway on how to go about here feeling the place. I was only given cash so my exploration here would be limitless. With my childless wife back home in Virginia, I need not worry about anything here. The first thing I did at home upon acquiring this assignment was search the website of Expedia and looked into some hotel deals. I stumbled into the entry of this hotel called Mirasierra Suites Hotel and Spa. It is located at C/ Alfredo Marquerie 43 and room rates cost as much as $209 a night. That is certainly okay with me because the company I’m working for can afford to pay anything that enormous. The hotel is a four star hotel and its majestic view certainly looks like one. Once you’ll experience the amenities, you’ll be satisfied to say that the price you have paid for a night of stay can’t be gone in vain. I preferred staying at the deluxe suite which of course automatically entitles you to an extra bed.
However, I had no plan to use that bed because I simply had no plan to cheat on my wife. The room is spacious enough and really worth staying $209 a lot. It has a total area of 50 square meters. The deluxe suite in Mirasierra Suites Hotel and Spa is usually located at the ninth level of the hotel so you don’t have to be worried about annoying traffic noises below. Because the suite is too spacious, it has its separate living room. They say that you’ll live like a prince if you come here in Spain. Now I have attested that it’s true.
The whole room itself is exhibited with modern artworks. And it has a magnificent view of all of Madrid as if you’re on top of the hill or the chopper. Indeed, once the sun is about to set, you can actually see its glow reflected over the roofs and windows of the towering buildings in the Madrid sky rise. Since the hotel is known for its spa, let me tell you about it. The spa itself offers a variety of services ranging from facials to massages to mineral baths and other forms of physiotherapy. At the health club, there’s a solarium and for an extra charge, you can enroll with a Pilates class and mix yourself with men and women. There are separate saunas and steam rooms for men and women though.
FOR me, teaching adults is just like teaching nursery kids. They are hard-headed and will constantly challenge the professor for a number of reasons. The first reason is since they’ve achieved college education already, the continuing learning student would feel that he or she has the same degree of knowledge as what his professor possesses. The second reason is ego. As an adult, the student may feel insulted if the professor corrects him or her that he/she is wrong. The third reason could be that the adult student is paying his tuition and he or she does not take salary from the professor because he or she is employed, so why does he or she care? Whatever the reasons are, professors in adult learning need to prepare for the daunting task ahead? There are three ways in which professors can achieve this – the right techniques in course preparation, facilitation and assessment.
The first thing to do is create a harmonious atmosphere between you and your adult students and between the students themselves. Professors in online courses have this advantage already. They do not necessary come face to face with the students and would interact on them through the Internet only. Thus, harsh exchange of words or ideas can only be limited to text or audio and video media. Nevertheless, don’t undermine this potential threat – it still is psychology harmful for both the professor and the student. The student in particular may be frustrated in not passing the course if the continued online verbal assaults would not decline.
To establish rapport between you and the students, email to them one by one your home webpage. In that welcome page, vividly outline the student on what he or she will expect from the course. Be friendly in your introduction but don’t make it too personal. Remain to take control as you are the professor. Always remind the student that the grade he or she will be getting is just commensurate to what they’ve learned. Inhibit yourself from all responsibilities that is associated with the student’s grade. You are just there to correct the students’ exam, not evaluate them. Let each of the students introduce themselves CV style. But never ever seduce a student sexually or ask other favors from him or her. That is a ground for sexual harassment and other ethical policy violations.
On the actual course itself, preview the topic with a video-audio presentation. Of course, this must be the responsibility of the course director already. It would be stupid if the professor himself will be the one to excruciatingly prepare a video presentation. Next, encourage the students to research on the Internet and delve more on the topics at hand. To do this, provide the students a list of WebPages that he can research upon. Encourage the students to have a web conference and discuss the topics thoroughly. With that, you need to enumerate a few questions so chatting among the students would be intelligently done. The biggest tip of all – make online adult learning fun.
