I think presentation materials are actually a really great idea in classrooms. Writing on the board gets boring, repetitive, and causes students to lose interest really quickly. I know I did, and the only time I ever really paid attention in class is when I had something interactive to work with, like a specific study guide or worksheet/outline to follow along with. My high school teachers really never used powerpoints, and they were rarely used in middle or elementary school. I think that a visual presentation of the information, in a way that can be customizable and exciting for students is a really good way to keep students interested as well as teachers. Doing the exact same thing for 180 school days a year gets repetitive for teacher and student alike. Of course, there can be a downside to relying heavily on presentation materials. Teachers can not give the class the attention they deserve if they're focused on the computer/screen/what have you, and students might not feel they are able to ask questions or interact as much as they might in a traditional setting.
I used my PowerPoint to create a history lesson on World War I for my assignment this week, and I think it addressed all of the knowledge dimensions. The information was reformatted to match my specific theme, and organized in a chronological order. This would help to keep the students organized and focused while I lectured. I also might provide a supplemental outline for them to fill in. I'd provide spaces and all of the information on the slides, but more room for the rest of the lecture that isn't on the slides. I'd be asking many questions throughout the slide, so I'd also provide an area for the students to write down their own answers, even if they didn't say them out loud to the class. This would help with all three dimensions, conceptual, factual and procedural.
A technology issue that interests me at the moment, is still Web 2.0! I really am interested in how teachers are going to integrate the technology more over the coming years, and whether or not it will be as effective of a teaching tool as I believe it can and will be! I know a lot of people don't agree that Web 2.0 should be a big part of classrooms (and I don't either, but I think it's great in small doses!), so my question is.. if you don't intend on using Web 2.0 technology, what will you use to get messages across quickly? There's always email, of course, but how often do third graders check theirs (: ?
We Moved!!!
14 years ago
I didn't think about the distraction that the computer could have on the teacher but I also think it would be exponentially easier to have a Power Point rather than cramping your hand on the white board. I also liked the idea that studetns would get bored quickly with whiteboards, because I know I do.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you about what you said about Powerpoint. I think that it's a tool to use, for sure, but I think that when you mix it up and use it every and now and then it can be really helpful because you're right: 180 days of the same thing gets old.
ReplyDeleteI did a very similar thing with my powerpoint, where I presented information but also assumed I'd be asking a lot of questions. But, I had one slide that had one major question on it for a classroom discussion. Yay!