I just finished my assignment! Wow, Skip I can see how you would feel nervous about doing this assignment by distance. Reading some of the other students entries from the blackboard examples made me wish that I could of been in class. Even if only to see and hear the other students. I hope I wasn't the only one pulling my hair out. Thankfully, I was able to make it through and I didn't loose much hair......or sleep.
Now, as far as using PowerPoint as an instructional tool. I found that as I created each slide I needed to think about each action that needed to be accomplished by the end of the instruction. Sometimes, it was difficult to put into words where I needed my student to go on the screen. Action arrows and call outs really helped to direct attention. I can see how having a lesson saved and ready to play would really help students. In a differentiated classroom, where a student may need extra help, a lesson such as this could fill that need.
I could also see it being used as a reinforcement for a student that is ready to move beyond the basics. Some students are very technology wired (ha, ha) and would benefit from this hands-on approach.
I know that I could find myself using PowerPoint to teach lessons and to provide continuing instruction for various subjects. PowerPoint is an amazing presentation tool and can be applied to many different areas of instruction.
Instructional Unit Atoms and Presentation
15 years ago
4 comments:
I agree that power point can be an amazing tool! I probaly would've pulledmy hair out, but I have a very knowledgeable sister who knows all about Excel, and I have done many power point presentations before, where I did pull my hair out!
I just like using PowerPoint so I had fun. Plus, Excel is my special baby when it comes to computer software (I normally work in accounting).
I think much of the challenge from this assignment comes not from PowerPoint itself but from--as you say--the need to think very carefully and critically about how you present instruction to your students. Facility with PowerPoint is important (I think) for teachers, but it's really just the tool to express your ideas about how a lesson should proceed. Anything that forces us as teachers to think about their own instruction is a good thing--that's how we get better.
I hope you didn't tear all your hair out. Your project is excellent.
It will be very nice to see how all that hair and tears came together into a wounderful PowerPoint tool for education.
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