TappedIn Tech Task

I finally went to a TappedIn discussion tonight. It just seemed like none of the other times discussions took place worked for me. It will be nice when the semester ends and life slows down a little! Anyways, the discussion I went to was about storytelling in the classroom. It was very interesting. The guest speaker was a man who designed a website where kids can create their own comic strips. In doing this they learn about story lines, sequencing, and plot development. It is especially good for autistic kids and ESL learners because it provides visual clues. This is also good for kids who simply struggle with words and language, because it combines words with pictures. This can give them the motivation to create stories and continue to develop their skills. Everyone can be successful with this, and feel a sense of accomplishment in their creation. The thing that most struck me was the variety of ways in which to tell stories. We can show even the most struggling or reluctant learner that stories are for them - sometimes we just have to think outside the box. It is part of human nature to tell and listen to stories; everyone likes stories. This discussion gave me lots of ideas and made me think. TappedIn is a great way for teachers from all over the place to collaborate with each other and share ideas. I think I may just use it in the future.

Reflecting On The Semester

Well, it's here - the end of the semester. At points throughout the long, cold winter it seemed to drag on, but now that it's nearly over it seems like the first week of classes was not that long ago. I can definitely say that my knowledge and comfort level with computers has increased. It's the kind of thing where you don't realize how far you've come until you actually stop and reflect on it. Yes, reflect, the dreaded "R" word of the education program. I know way more now about the trends of technology than I did at the beginning of January. The reason I signed up for this class is because I knew I needed to learn more about technology if I was to be "with it" in the classroom. I am very pleased that this class succeeded my expectations. Not only did I learn a lot, but I feel way more confident using computers both for personal and classroom use. Power points no longer seem scary, and I've discovered BlueDot as a great way to keep track of useful websites. I created a WebQuest, posted an online portfolio, and learned where to get free software. I realized that the Internet can be a great collaborative and resource tool when teaching. I feel much more ready to embrace the changes technology will bring to the profession of teaching, instead of fearing them.

The Wild Card of Presentations

Well, it is that time of year when it is nothing but one group project after another. Projects can take on any number of forms, some relying heavily on computers and some not using computers at all.

Last night I did a presentation in which 75% of it consisted of power point and videos found online. This definitely added to the stress factor beforehand, because as we were setting up, we discovered that our opening video would not play, and it was key for introducing the presentation. Then, we found that the music would not play for the power point, and without it the power point would not be nearly as effective. After quickly scrambling to resolve these situations, we were able to pull off the presentation without any glitches. We were already feeling nervous to begin with, but these problems prior to the presentation definitely escalated our stress levels. I can think of a number of group presentations I have been in and watched that have encountered similar problems, and when these problems cannot be fixed the consequences can be disastrous to the presentation.

I am currently preparing for another presentation for Thursday that does not involve any technology at all. Rather, we are doing mock interviews, story telling, and using posters for visual impact. We don't have to worry about anything going wrong, because we will have total control over everything. This will definitely cut down on any anxiety we might be feeling, because we don't have to deal with the "wild card" of computers.

Although these two presentations are very different in the mediums we use to present them, I think that both are informative and engaging. It seems like so many people feel obligated to use power point in their presentations because it is "the thing to do". It is a great tool that can add a lot to a presentation, but I don't think presenters should solely rely on it. Many people think that a presentation will only be effective if power point is used. This is not true - I have seen plenty of boring power point presentations. Power point, when used effectively, can really enhance a presentation, but it should not become the presentation. An engaging speaker often doesn't need any visual aid. And there are so many other mediums to use in presentations that present information in a fresh, creative, interactive way - skits, stories, activities, posters...there are so many inspiring options, we should not feel limited only to power point.