My experiences as a student with technology in the classroom have been relatively positive throughout my K-12 school years. I was first introduced to "beginner" programs such as Microsoft Word, Powerpoint, and Excel in elementary school through class lectures, assignments, and time spent in the computer lab. Although my knowledge of these subjects were limited to the basic functions, I think it created a foundation to build upon in later classes. Past teachers of mine would use Powerpoint to help organize the subject matter being discussed in class and allowed students to see the main points of that lecture. A majority of my education took place in the Bay Area (Silicon Valley) where technology has been thriving for the past twenty years and I think it really impacted how teachers taught in the classroom. As I aged and felt more comfortable with using computers and other pieces of technology in high school, the amount of time I spent using it increased as well. I think it was really beneficial to have the resources and knowledgeable teachers who were able to help expand my skills in this subject area by included technology in every day lectures.
If I were to teach tomorrow I think I would most use Microsoft Powerpoint for class lectures or assignments and a website similar to Blackboard to allow students to access class material at home. I think if done correctly, Powerpoint can be really useful in the classroom because of its layout and easy to use features. I think it helps "map out" where the class discussion will be going as well as make note taking easier for the students. I have been in my fair share of classes that have "text-heavy" slides with limited pictures and realize that this can be detrimental to any class. However, I think adding fun interactive slides to the Powerpoint can help the class better understand the material. Using Powerpoint for different assignments, students can have a chance better their skills in this area while learning more about a certain topic and present it to the class.
John,
ReplyDeleteHave you observed yet in the Eugene school district? I ask because I am curious if you see a great disparity between what technology is available for students' use here versus what you had in the Silicon Valley or if things are pretty similar.
PowerPoint can be a very effective teaching tool, if used correctly...and that's a big IF. Unfortunately, most people do exactly what you described - fill the slides with too much text. As long as you remember the whole point is to provide VISUAL talking points, your use of presentation software to support instruction should be beneficial.
FYI, there are several spelling errors in the first paragraph...please consider editing/revising this post to earn credit for it. If you do make changes, email me when complete and I'll reassess it.