Thoughts on PowerPoint

I had heard a lot of buzz about the "PowerPoint is Evil" article by E. Tufte  when it first came out.  Having finally read it, I can see why it created such  an interest. 

I have used PowerPoint a handful of times with my classes.  There is no question that a teacher can eat up a lot of instructional time when working with PowerPoint. We all know we need to make the most out of every minute of a student's day, whether we're trying to close the achievement gap or stick to our learning objectives.  It's a little scary that we could be spending our precious time worrying about font choices for a presentation.    I think it can be easy for teachers to get caught up in some of the cool aspects of technology and forget that basic skills are really the most important piece.  The key here is, as in any good lesson, the teacher needs to stick to the learning objectives. (and they need to be meaningful and relevant!!) 
Having sat through countless boring PowerPoint presentations, I do agree with Tufte.  It's the content that matters most.   Students need to be exposed to the latest greatest technology, but only if it directly supports the learning standard. 

 We would probably be better off without PowerPoint in the classroom until we can be sure that the content will be the priority rather than the format.  I do think that it should be used when making modifications for students with special learning needs.  It can be very effective for certain students.

By the way, I find it really alarming that kids might be spending more time in front of screens or completing assessments then in the block area or at recess.  I have always been taught that recess is the most important period of the day and play is the best way to teach communication skills and social competence.

Personal Reflections

When I decided to enroll in Educational Technology this past summer I wasn't entirely sure that I had the skills needed to complete the course. I felt a range of emotions. After the first class, I actually considered dropping out and trying to get my money back.  I reminded myself that, although I am not much of a risk taker, it would be crazy not to give the course a chance.  On the one hand, I felt like I had enough classroom experience and training to be able to apply the technology to real life lessons.  However, I felt like I was going to fail miserably when it came to using the technology and putting it into practice.  Although, I have begun each of the projects that have been assigned with a feeling of dread, by taking small steps, or as we say in teaching, "chunking" the assignments, my confidence has grown tremendously.  Not only am I managing to complete the work, I'm actually having a lot of fun!!  

What I am realizing now is that Educational Technology is turning out to be a life changing class for me.  I know that sounds like a ridiculous exaggeration but more and more I'm certain that it's a valid claim.  I am really proud of the work that I have completed.  The Adobe Photoshop image manipulation was definitely the toughest project for me. There were so many tools and options and I had a hard time keeping the layers straight.   I loved using Photostory3 to create the digital story.  I also really enjoyed using Inspiration to create the concept map on Universal Design for Learning.

This is turning out to be a terrific course for me.  Coming from a very traditional educational background, it is refreshing to be able to express my learning in a format other than a written paper.  The  course is well organized and the content is extremely relevant.  I definitely plan to recommend it to others!

Please note:   My website is under construction and can be viewed at:  students.fairfield.edu/alexandria.cirasuolo

Is Teaching the Right Profession for you?

Response to "Caring, Engaging, Learning, and Leading"  by Eric Sheninger (Guest Post) on the Dangerously ! Irrelevant Technology, Leadership, and the Future of Schools Blog   10/11/2010


Okay, I know that teachers are envied because they get their summers off and appear to have a family friendly schedule.  But is that a reason to drop everything and join the profession?  If you think so, you had better check out this blog!    Finally, an administrator spells it out for for teachers and I couldn't agree more! 

Eric Sheninger is a fourth year high school principal from New Jersey.  He pretty much sums it up when he describes what he expects in a teacher.  For starters, prospective teachers might want to ask themselves one really basic question.  Do I like kids?  I know this seems so simple that it's almost outrageous to even point out. However, sadly, I have worked with a number of teachers who don't seem to even enjoy being around children.  Obviously, the students are usually the first to pick up on this kind of sentiment and the results are often very depressing.

Passion, enthusiasm, and risk taking are all components of good teaching.   You need these pieces to be able to create engaging lessons for students.  If a teacher isn't happy working with children, he or she is probably unable to relate to the students.  If you aren't making connections with your students, it's almost impossible to put together curricula that is relevant to them.  We all know that if what you're teaching isn't perceived as relevant, it's probably not going to be retained and applied properly.  So in a way, you're wasting your time.

Another query that a prospective teacher may want to consider is again, seemingly simple.  Do I really get excited about learning?  Do I see myself as a life long learner?  Am I curious about things?  If so, great!  You'll probably be able to model these habits is an authentic way.   It may even be contagious!  If not, beware!!    Students can almost always tell if you're faking it.   You'll see.  You're not going to be an incredibly effective educator.

We all know that teaching is not easy.  Yet, surprisingly, most people overlook the most important requirements of the job.  If the core responsibilities that teachers face aren't a good fit for you, you may want to rethink things.   A summer vacation isn't worth the trouble!   Trust me.

Inquiry-Based Learning

What does it mean to be too teacher-directed in your teaching?  I think we all know the answer to that question. Haven't we all been in classroom where the teacher talks way too much?  We've have been taught that educators are supposed to be focused on supporting and guiding students in their learning.  What does that mean exactly?  It means that students are the ones who need to get excited and curious about all aspects of their learning.  This type of student engagement begins with getting students to ask questions.  The teacher needs to create a safe environment where it's okay to explore.  A variety of resources need to be made available for discoveries to be made.  While this all seems very obvious, in today's world of teacher accountability and testing, it's can easily be forgotten.  Good teachers and administrators recognize that while exploration may look a little "messy," it is the key to being able to apply skills and information.

Why does this matter?  How does Inquiry-Based Learning help in the real world?   It is helpful in a number of ways.   We live in a world where people must be able to adapt to an ever-changing set of challenges and demands.  Inquiry-based learning is very useful in teaching students to ask questions, think critically and find solutions.   For this reason, it can be very beneficial to students and teachers.  We all know how incredibly important 21st Century skills are for workers of all ages these days.  Building this skill set should be a critical objective for any teacher.  The students of tomorrow will have to be  good problem solvers.  They'll have to be able to 'think long" about a topic.  They'll have to possess good "habits of mind".    Furthermore, students are supposed to develop a true love for learning that stems from their experiences in the classroom.    By asking questions, and focusing on the "process" of exploration and discovery, students are able to direct their own learning.  As a result, the students will be more connected to what is happening in the classroom.   If this is true, they will presumably take ownership over their learning and therefore be able to apply more of their learning and skills to new situations.

Universal Design for Learning - A Concept Map

I downloaded a 30 Day Free Trial of the Inspiration Software program and used it to create this concept map.  Inspiration is a very easy program to use.  It does not have nearly as many features as Adobe Photoshop.  Nevertheless, it is a very helpful and fun tool that can be used to organize ideas.  The concept map that you see below is one that I created to better understand the ideas related to Universal Design for Learning.

Universal Design for Learning is a very interesting concept which basically enables educators to provide more options for their students.  We all know how incredibly important it is to differentiate for all students.  The strategies and ideas presented through Universal Design, allow teachers to design lesson plans and activities that are better suited to their students' needs.  This in turn, allows them to better achieve the learning objectives and goals that they have set for their students.  If properly used, Digital Media can also be used in numerous ways to better reach students with a variety of learning styles and needs.  The possibilities for manipulating text and images are endless!!

A possible use for Adobe Photoshop

Adobe PhotoShop can be helpful to educators in many ways.  It is an extremely versatile tool!  The sample student activity above demonstrates one way Adobe PhotoShop might be used with a third grade class.  Sarah, Plain and Tall, by Patricia MacLachlan is a very well written story with a lot of imagery and figurative language.  Throughout the book, Sarah, who is the main character, is experiencing an emotional struggle between returning home to the family she misses and staying and developing a relationship with her new family.  Her feelings change from chapter to chapter.  In this case, the teacher might have students manipulate an image of themselves on a continuum to represent how they think Sarah is in a story is feeling after each chapter.  The students would also be asked to explain their thinking and support their ideas with examples from the book.  This lesson plan would specifically address the CT State Content Standard #1, which relates to Reading and Responding To Texts.  This standard states that: "Students will read and respond in individual, literal, critical and evaluative ways to literary, informational and persuasive texts."    Some of the objectives listed under this standard include having the students:  

	a.     describe the thoughts, opinions and questions that arise as they read, view or listen to a text and use relevant information from the text to summarize the content
	b.     use what they know to identify or infer important characters, settings, themes, events, ideas, relationships or details within a work
	c.     analyze, elaborate on and respond critically to works
	d.     identify the type of text and use strategies (talking and writing, utilizing graphic organizers, drawing, listing, creating time lines, etc.) to accomplish a range of reading tasks
	e.     ask and answer their own and each other’s literal and inferential text-related questions
	f.     listen to, read and view texts, tell periodically how they think texts will turn out, then read to decide if their predictions prove accurate
	This use of Adobe PhotoShop corresponds to all of the objectives listed above.  In addition, this lesson idea could be adapted to a number of reading lessons.  For example, a teacher could present students with a persuasive essay and ask them to choose and defend a perspective of their own using the above continuum.

Response to " Teddy Bears go Blogging"

I really enjoyed reading this article.  This is a terrific use of technology in the classroom.  Brenda Sherry has developed a wonderful program that many teachers could easily replicate.  Blogging between classes is an exciting way to teach reading and writing.  It is also a tremendous way to build community.  I can only imagine how thrilled the students must have been to communicate in such a dynamic way.  I would love to hear about the relationships that were formed.  Can you imagine the writers meeting face to face after a lengthy series of exchanges?  Now,that would be a lot of fun!! 

Very often students who are reluctant, struggling writers feel incredibly frustrated.  This type of immediate audience, and therefore gratification, might encourage students to enjoy the process more.  This is an activity that definitely addresses some of the, "21st Century skills" that are so often referenced.   Written communication between colleagues seems to be the driving force in most workplaces.  I can't think of a school based activity that better supports the acquisition of these types of skills.

I am especially impressed by Brenda Sherry's attention to detail in the safety department. The use of the keyboard and oral messaging is also very useful for students who may need modifications in the writing department.  I believe that this kind of activity is an excellent use of instructional time.  It's also an inexpensive way to allow students to "visit" other places.  If I were to launch a unit like this I would definitely use the book, "Whoever you are" by Mem Fox!!

Content Standard 1: Reading and Responding K-4

This is the standard that I plan to focus on for the semester.  I am not yet sure how I will link activities for different learning styles to this standard.

I may create a storyboard with a variey of leveled and short texts that link up with corresponding minilesson or guided reading activities. It may be better to have them link up with independent reading activities and leave the guided reading/minilesson  piece to the teacher.  I really am not sure yet. I need to become more familiar with what storyboards are typically used for.  I also need to brush up on my Fountas and Pinnell books to come up with some ideas.  I need to make sure that I have all of the learning styles covered.  What about differentiating for students with special needs?    I plan to research this next week. 

Movies in class - What a novel concept!

Creating Lifelong Learners
by Matthew Needleman
9/6/2010

"The Right Way to Show Movies in Class"

Okay, what I like about this blog is it actually addresses/presents a suggestions on how to best implement a concrete activity (ie; showing a movie to students) that teachers can examine, consider and potentially use.  So much of the professional development training that is designed for teachers seems to fall very short in the most important area.  That is, while pedagogy and philosophies are incredibly important, many teacher instructors are unable or unwilling to suggest actual lesson plans that incorporate their ideas.  Teachers are always looking to create new lesson plans or learning based activities.  They desperately lack the time to collaborate with their peers so this blog is refreshingly simple and useful.   

 The blogger Matthew Needleman presents some very good strategies. Having worked in a few schools where movies were forbidden I think he is brave to address the topic.  I agree that if presented properly, the movie viewing will be taken seriously by the students.  Even more importantly, it can and will be extremely effective in achieving learning objectives.  Let's face it a teacher can present all the articles/readings in the world on the horrors of fossil fuels etc. but a simple film that depicts exhaust, oil spills, mining disasters etc. can have much more of an impact on students.  

One important tip that I would add would be to make sure that you preview the movie ahead of time.  As with any lesson, the objective should be clearly stated in kid language.  A teacher should definitely point out the part of the film that addresses the objective and that they want to students to pay extra attention to during the film.  As Matthew Needleman points out task to be performed during the film is a must to not only improve student focus but to also remind the students that the movie viewing is to be taken seriously.  I love the evaluation piece.  I wonder would the teacher tell the students at the beginning of the movie that they'll be expected to evaluate it at the end of the clip?     Furthermore, what about extension activities?  What might they include?  I think that there are some remaining challenges for teachers on how to differentiate for students with different learning styles and special needs.  Nevertheless, movie viewing is a definitely worth using in the classroom!

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