Sunday, March 2, 2008

Pappas Technology

Technology has taken us from chalkboards to power point presentations. As teachers, we no longer catch students passing notes, but rather text messaging their friends sitting two rows away. Technology has taken us from black and white movie projectors to high definition DVD videos. It has taken us from hand written papers to online blogs. It may even take my job one day! This is based on the premise that technology is evolving exponentially and human beings are not. So, before I am replaced by a mechanical instructor I would like to share some ideas on how I might use technology with my upcoming lesson.

The first use of technology that I plan on using is power point. Power point provides the following advantages:
· Organization of the material you intend on presenting
· Eliminates the need to “write” notes on the board
· Long term storage for future presentations
· Allows students to acquire the presentation on their home computers by simply downloading it
· Pictures and videos can be incorporated into the presentation through power point. This adds a spatial dimension to your presentation.

Power point also presents the following disadvantages:
· Must have a computer and projector in order to present
· Time required to create a power point presentation can be lengthy. However, once it is created it can be reused for many years.


In addition to power point, I will include a 10 minute VHS video clip with my
lesson. Unfortunately, I lack the means to splice the video into the power point, so I will need a VCR in order to present the clip. Regardless, this strategy can induce a student’s interest to the material being presented. It also provides another source for the students to learn from. I have noticed that 10 minutes seems to be the ideal time when presenting a video. Anything more and students tend to doze off. Breaking up your lecture with a 10 minute video can reset the students attention. I have also noticed that frequent use of videos can increase class morale. These are the reasons why I have chosen to use a video with my lesson.

The last use of technology that I will use for creating my presentation is the internet. I will use the internet to gather information from credible sources. I also intend on giving the class an article on the subject I am presenting, which was taken from the internet. I will even provide students with suggested websites for further studies. As a teacher, the internet has become my ally. It has become part of my everyday life. Hence, I intend on using it for my class presentation just as I do in my everyday classroom. Furthermore, I will use the internet as a means of communication amongst the students and myself. I will provide the class with my e-mail address incase they would like to get in touch with me about the presentation or have any questions regarding the material. I will even take it one step further and provide my cell phone number incase students would rather reach me that way. You may e-mail me, call me, or text me with any questions you come up with! This includes all of the forms of technology that I intend on using with my presentation.

3 comments:

Jenny said...

well pete, i dont think anyone could make a robo-pete to replace you! power point is definitly a valuble tool. i have never thought i had good handwriting, so i would welcome any kind of improvement. but at the same time, ive noticed that after i have been typing for a while, i have trouble forcing my hands to go back into pen and paper mode.

KScott said...

Nice (re-)statement of pros/cons, Pete. One thing that struck me: your identifying the fact that, once written, a PowerPoint could be used year after year...might be a disadvantage, as well.....

Nilisha7 said...

Yea, Technology is starting to take over. When I Subbed at a Elementary school for fourth graders, they're were about five boy students taking my picture with their cell phones. I thought that was really funny. I didn't get a cell phone till my last year in high school. Technology is getter younger and younger!

~Nilisha W.