PowerPoint cool skills

Since we now embed personal computing skills like MS Office into the curriculum, it is not uncommon for me to visit classes to "review" software and teach them some fresh skills. Incoming students don't need to know how to use PowerPoint or Word... but rather need some neat tricks like how to embed YouTube video, and to snip maps from Google Earth.

I always cover basics very quickly for those who need a refresher, but the priority of the lesson is to create presentations quickly and conservatively that look professional. No more flying objects and custom color schemes that may be very distracting to the audience while very time-consuming to make. I always enjoy sharing a funny "What not to do with PowerPoint" video with them too.
Don McMillan: Life After Death by PowerPoint

Students always need to be reminded not to READ from their slides, so asking them to minimize text helps. Eliminating animation also lets the presenter stay focused on what she is saying!

Comments

Use Polling for formative assessment in a Flipped Lesson

I like the term "flipped lesson" for now, since none of our teachers have flipped everything they do! Here is a nice article about how using Poll Everywhere (a free online polling system) can give your feedback after students watch a video or uploaded lecture, etc. If the poll is well designed, it can provide information about what material needs further instruction, gather excellent questions for the next class, etc. Click this link for the article... http://blog.polleverywhere.com/flipped-classroom-assessment-with-poll-everywhere/?utm_source=Poll+Everywhere+New+Feature+Newsletter&utm_campaign=30d3b12e48-Winter_Newsletter_2013_Gen_Olders_3_star_2_2013&utm_medium=email

Digital Storytelling

Digital storytelling is a broad term for an audio/visual “report” which can be a cultural story, historical biography, poetry, interview, news story, radio advertisement or book review, first person account or journal entry...any digital project can be seen or heard. I saw many examples at CUE, and they range in complexity from simple audio to audio with images to documentary “movies” with audio, video and still images. Some of the projects moved us to tears, others were humorous, and all were creative and intelligently constructed. Our laptops have the capability to do any of these things, and most students know how to organize images, sound and video already. If you have an upcoming assignment or project in your class and would like to update the format, please let me know. After a planning session with me, I will come in and facilitate the class while you provide the support for the subject matter. Links to explore: http://techteachers.com/digstory/examples.htm http://www....

Infographics - "More than words can say"

We've seen man eye-catching and engrossing infographics lately. Here's a great one... http://www.studyblue.com/projects/infographic-mobile-studying-online-flashcards-on-smartphones/ and here's "40 useful infographics " that present a range of styles and topoics . http://sixrevisions.com/graphics-design/40-useful-and-creative-infographics/ Here's a mini course on infographics in education, designed by the NY Times: http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/23/teaching-with-infographics-places-to-start/ And here's a great list of infographic information and samples: http://www.delicious.com/jkrauss/infographics As a teaching tool, here's a list of infographic sources: floating sheep: www.floatingsheep.com cool infographics : www.coolinfographics.com GapMinder : www.gapminder.com information is beautiful: www.informationisbeautiful.net But what about having students CREATE infographics as projects? Here's a great article! htt...

Tech Happenings @ LvHS

Search This Blog