Week 5 - Assignment 1: Reflection 4

Engagement this week required the creation of a Powerpoint presentation, a Glogster and a Prezi. While I had used Powerpoint a number of times I had never considered to use it in a way that the user can interact other than "click to go to the next slide". All three tools were surprisingly simple to create, yet are able to be developed further to hone in on skills and creativity. 

• Click here to view my interactive Powerpoint
• Click here to view my Glogster
• Click here to view my Prezi

Some suggestions on how these tools can be used in a primary school classroom are as follows:

Curriculum: Geography

Topic: Countries around the world

• Students can create a "virtual museum" using an interactive Powerpoint to showcase their research about their chosen country (pictures, soundclips etc)
• Teachers can use Glogster to create a virtual worksheet for their students by embedding videos to watch and links to visit so students can complete the activities
• Teachers can use Prezi as a way to introduce a unit - attends to "global" learners who need to see small pieces put together to make a whole picture

I had not used an interactive Powerpoint, a Glogster or a Prezi before and I was a little apprehensive on the use of these in the classroom. However, after creating all three tools myself I am now full of ideas on how to use them within lessons. In fact, I am so inspired I am planning on using a Glogster for a lesson plan for an assessment task this term.

Week 5 - Prezi

Please view my Prezi presentation below.

I will admit that after viewing an example of Prezi used for an assessment task in this week's tutorial, I was nervous to use it for the first time because of how content-filled it can be. It took quite a while to load, I felt the layout was confusing and it could easily flip back and forth as it liked - not a nice, simple and organised way to present information. Well, I was wrong! I used one of the templates available and did a simple presentation of my university journey.

This tool would be great to use in the classroom because it is so simple and easy to use (much to my surprise!), but it has the ability to be as advanced as the user's skills allow it to be. A teacher could place activities, questions and resources into a Prezi for students to access online for an engaging and exciting lesson. Alternatively, the cool zooming transitions between slides gives a modern spin on traditional slideshows.

Week 5 - Glogster

Please view my Glogster below.

(This Glogster was made using Glogster)

While I usually prefer simple layouts and a "minimalist" style of graphics and animation, after being shown an awesome example of how Glogster can be used in this week's tutorial, I was hooked. I love how bright and interesting a Glogster can be - when done right. It was so simple and easy to create something so visually stimulating in a matter of minutes. I was so hooked that I have decided to use Glogster as a digital resource in a Lesson Plan for an assessment task for another course.

Glogsters can be used a number of ways in the classroom, as a more "static" presentation rather than clicking through slides. Videos, links and activities can easily be embedded into the Glogster and the one Glogster can be used as a web-based, interactive "worksheet" - which gives worksheets a chance to break away from the usual stereotype of being "bad pedagogy" when used in the classroom. Alternatively, it can be a way for students to present and integrate information.

Week 5 - Powerpoint

Please watch my interactive Powerpoint below. 

 

(This powerpoint was created using Microsoft Powerpoint and then uploaded onto Authorstream)

Personally, I love Powerpoint. It might be due to the fact that I am largely a visual learner, and I love the way information can be condensed into a few slides of text. I emphasise a "few" slides because I am all too familiar with being bored to death in the classroom when viewing slide after slide of words that could be summarised to avoid the entire class falling asleep. 

I recall an assignment on Canada I had in grade 6 where I recorded my oral speech and had it play over my slides with pre-recorded transitions. While this is very basic in ways to use Powerpoint, the class thought I had the help of my dad to make it, which I did not! After doing some research I have found Powerpoints can be used for so much more than just oral speeches.

In the classroom, using an interactive element is a fantastic way to engage the user, rather than simply clicking through slides of information. Some examples of interactive Powerpoints are virtual tour/museums, interactive tutorials, embedding videos/sound clips and "make your own ending" stories. Some of these could be made by the teacher as a means to learn, or they could be created by the student as a means to display and integrate information.