In the seventh grade my parents enrolled me in the laptop program at the junior high. We had high expectations for the program and my parents felt it would be a great way for me to learn technology skills that would prepare me for the future. However, the A.B. class (English and history) only scratched the surface for incorporating technology by teaching the foundational basics for using Microsoft Word and Powerpoint. Moreover, the software was simply used to replace worksheets and normal written work. The repetitiveness, redundancy, and lack of creativity involved made the experience dry. In many ways, I began to despise Powerpoint and dreaded using it as a presentation tool. As I reflect on my experience I realize that much of my distaste for these tools stems from a lack of creative instruction or opportunity to use this tool in diverse contexts. I also have realized that many of my students today experience the same dislike because teachers have failed to challenge their use of presentation tools and develop means of instruction that will encourage students to learn new things. I firmly believe presentation tools are a powerful platform for helping students understand material, but must be used appropriately in the classroom. Below are a few ways to which presentation tools can be used to effectively enhance both instruction and student demonstration of knowledge and the relative advantages for educations.
Benefits for student learning:
- Teaching students to use different presentation tools (rather than continuously using the same tool) “breaks the mold” (“Prezi- Advantages and Disadvantages”). From Prezi to SlideShare to VoiceThread to Animoto, each presentation tool has it’s own distinct features. Therefore, introducing students to different tools creates a “newness” factor that will motivate and engage students (“Prezi- Advantages and Disadvantages”).
- New presentation tools forces students to think critically in order to learn the ins-and-outs of each tool.
- Many free, web-based presentation tools are available. Most tools are accessible via smartphones, tablets, and computers. In addition, free presentation apps makes the tools more accessible. Here are a list of some free presentation resources.
- Offers students opportunity to collaborate with others. Edutopia blogger Eric Brunsell conducted research on the benefits of student collaboration and found that:
- Students had more time to think, reflect, and process ideas
- Students conducted mini-research as they composed discussion posts
- Students learned from each others' ideas
- With modeling and support, students used higher level thinking skills as time went on
- Anxiety decreased during online discussions, which led to higher participation in both online and face-to-face discussions (Brunsell).
- Lastly, presentation tools are part of the 21st Century Learning standards, which seek to prepare students to be college and career ready. One of the standards requires students to, “Understand and utilize the most appropriate media creation tools, characteristics and conventions” (“Media Literacy - The Partnership for 21st Century Skills”).
Relative advantages for educators includes:
- Creates a bank of resources that teachers can pull from and access to better instruction and delivery of content. We all know that time is a teacher’s greatest enemy, so being able to “steal with zeal” (a motto I learned teaching abroad in China) is effective. I often will research educational Prezis related to the content I am teaching and then alter the content to fit the specific needs of my class. This both sharpens my understanding of the content and helps improve the content delivery for students.
- Allows for opportunity to collaborate with colleagues. I will often work with my Professional Learning Community to develop presentations that are interactive and engaging for students. We work collaboratively so that we can help one another be sure the content is clear and combine teaching styles so that we offer students the best opportunity to learn.
- I tend to be long-winded when giving instruction. Therefore, presentation tools help me to condense information into manageable chunks. Moreover, it allows me space to teach with more enthusiasm and spontaneity (often where my best instruction comes from) because the presentation serve as an outline for what is being taught.
- They are also extremely engaging since they allow teachers to incorporate multi-media (i.e. video, polls, surveys, quizzes, etc.). By including these elements, teachers find themselves in a position to better captivate student attention.
- Lastly, presentation tools can be used for diverse purposes. They can be used to create activities where students aren’t just creating activities, but building timelines, mindmaps, and for jigsaw activities.
Resources
Media Literacy - The Partnership for 21st Century Skills (Media Literacy - The Partnership for
21st Century Skills) http://www.p21.org/about-us/p21-framework/349
Prezi - Advantages and Disadvantages - Instructional Tech Talk (Instructional Tech Talk)
http://instructionaltechtalk.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-prezi)
Brunsell, E. (2011, August 22). Web Tools Blog Series: Tools to Help Students Collaborate.
Retrieved February 14, 2015, from
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