Next, thank goodness you are covering this and addressing this in a professional manner. So many teachers think that they can just type those old transparency slides into PowerPoint and the kids will be more receptive. Not the case as you have shown in your research and literature review. In your presentation you cover the elements of design in a masterful way by showing us contrasting examples of exciting and boring. To back up these points you used research to show that rich digital media will aid in an educators efforts to engage students.
After watching the second video it was clear that you have done plenty of work in order to be comfortable in PowerPoint. In order to show educators how to spruce up their work it is important that you are a master of what you are teaching. Educators are not unlike their students in that at the first sign of ignorance they lose that “This person knows WAY more than I do, I should pay attention!” If you lose your audience when teaching new technology you will never convince them that your way of presenting is better and worth learning. The only thing I would change is slowing down the video portion. If this makes the video too long I would suggest segmenting the video into shorter lessons.
Great line: The perfect PowerPoint will not hide an imperfect presenter. Again so many educators think that just using PowerPoint will save them. Not the case. Your point here is that we need to create great PowerPoints and also practice those presentations to really engage and inspire our students. Thank you for such an engaging presentation!
I especially like how you reminded people not to overpopulate their slides. One thing I can’t stand is a presenter that reads the screen to me, word-for-word on a text-heavy slide. I also like your tip for giving the handout at the end so to increase attention and engagement. Thank you for this great presentation and all of the helpful reminders on how to use powerpoint as an effective and engaging presentation tool. You definitely have a good eye for art and visual composition, I have learned quite a bit from you being on “The Team” as we worked through this program at FSO. The only piece of the presentation you might want to think about improving is the video. Somehow it changes the flow of the presentation and could potentially hurt audience engagement.
After reading Presenation Zen, it looks like you have adopted some of the styles into your presentations. Knowing that much of application training requires you to be hidden behind the lectern. Your lecturing and simple (but concise) presentations are not only eye catching but also allow for some creativity which goes hand in hand with your content area.
Your action research has proven that less is more when it comes to PowerPoint. Less words on the slide means less words to read which means more content to remember. This thinking will require the presenter to be better prepared. Rehearsal should be imminent which not only reinforces and adds excitement to the presentation but also “works out the kinks” prior to presenting live.
Along the same lines of your presentation design, it should also be noted that video in a presentation should follow the same guidelines. Shorter videos will keep students engaged while longer videos may deter from the learning process.
The links to all of our presentations are below. I have also included my comments under each person's name.
Michael George: Click Here
Virginia Holm says: Michael - I think this type of response system would be great in tests and quizzes, but would be difficult in projects and papers. I like the idea of the second attempt. Students seem to gain confidence when given another try. It also helps to promote their recall on the topic.
I wonder if you only had one question per page on traditional testing methods, if that would decrease anxiety to the extent that the online assessment did? Perhaps it’s not so much the test but the amount of information on the test that causes stress. Did you attempt an online assessment with multiple questions on each screen? How does the online assessment increase or decrease student confidence while the traditional keeps them neutral?
Your presentation was well designed and easy to follow. On the Immediate Feedback slide, I would consider changing the bolded font to another color - perhaps a light golden yellow for further emphasis. I couldn’t really tell it was bold - but then again I am practically blind. Overall I enjoyed your presentation. You kept the audience engaged with questions and were very clear and direct. I look forward to learning what your further evaluation brings to the topic.
Virginia Holm: Click Here
See comments from peers above. Be sure to download the presentation so that you can view the presentation, speaker notes (which would be the lecture portion of the presentation) and the design elements as they are intended. Google Docs tends to undo the format in some instances.
Michael Hood: Click Here
Virginia Holm says: I think that this topic has a lot of growth potential. We are blocked from FB until after 4pm to discourage students from abusing it (which they have in the past). Your topic is an excellent choice for an Action Research topic.
I agree that PLCs could increase teacher interaction both school and district-wide. Since FB is the most common, and most blocked, perhaps you could research other platforms such as Schoology that could include not only your cohorts but students as well. Do you plan to present to your Administration on the validity of adding this learning tool into the classroom?
In your Conclusion, do you have a solution to adequately addressing the hurdles? I hope that you continue your efforts and research on your AR topic and that you find success in implementing PLCs into your school. On a technical note: under “results” make sure Facebook is capitalized.
David Hotler: Click Here
Virginia Holm says: David, you can tell that this was a project that you felt strongly about. Your research and re-evaluation show that you took to heart what created problems for teachers in successfully using the SRS. Your final comments about frequent practice of learning new tools really says it all. Too often we are introduced to new methods and technology that leave us excited only to lose interest due to lack of time and commitment.
I think the success in the video versus the live presentation and Schoology is that it allows teachers to learn at their own pace and convenience. Attending training sessions is part of the job, but often leads to resentment due to time taken away for the classroom, paperwork and student follow-up. I am glad you found success in that most teachers plan to use Promethean again. Do you plan to follow up somehow with the ones that have said they would use it?
Your presentation overall was positive and clear. Your PowerPoint laid out well and easy to read. It highlighted points that you further discussed in your presentation. On the Student Response Systems page however, I would flow the sentence under the bullet and out of the graphic. It could be difficult to read from the back of the room.
Dennis Woodward: Click Here
Virginia Holm says: Dennis I feel for you with a ratio of 65:1 and constant evolving technology. I hope you are able to grow your support staff soon. On slide 4, your first bullet point says “Digital storytelling can be used to facilitate critical think and promote student centered learning” should that read “critical thinking”? I agree with you on self-paced training, especially among educators. With their schedules stretched so thinly, offering the ability to learn on their own schedule and pace will probably increase their interest in learning new technology. Video integration is important, but I would hope that perhaps their were a way for those who learn better through reading could download a pdf or there be a balance of video and text, much like your presentation.
I was saddened to see only a 10% participating during Cycle 1. It must be frustrating to have people come to you with problems that are easily remedied via a self-help video but they refuse to take the time to do it themselves. I think many people are like that in that they expect the IT guy to “fix it” because they deem themselves “technology illiterate”. What if our students limited themselves that way. They would never get past kindergarten.
In your speaker notes in slide 7: “I would like to be able to assist all teachers succeed with integrating and implementing the technology that the Academy has invested.” Should that be “all teachers to succeed”? Anyway, great AR topic, well done. I wish you success in the continuation of the implementation. I am sure that once the word is out that the program will always be there and is being added to for all skill levels it will be received more positively.
I wonder if you only had one question per page on traditional testing methods, if that would decrease anxiety to the extent that the online assessment did? Perhaps it’s not so much the test but the amount of information on the test that causes stress. Did you attempt an online assessment with multiple questions on each screen? How does the online assessment increase or decrease student confidence while the traditional keeps them neutral?
Your presentation was well designed and easy to follow. On the Immediate Feedback slide, I would consider changing the bolded font to another color - perhaps a light golden yellow for further emphasis. I couldn’t really tell it was bold - but then again I am practically blind. Overall I enjoyed your presentation. You kept the audience engaged with questions and were very clear and direct. I look forward to learning what your further evaluation brings to the topic.
Virginia Holm: Click Here
See comments from peers above. Be sure to download the presentation so that you can view the presentation, speaker notes (which would be the lecture portion of the presentation) and the design elements as they are intended. Google Docs tends to undo the format in some instances.
Michael Hood: Click Here
Virginia Holm says: I think that this topic has a lot of growth potential. We are blocked from FB until after 4pm to discourage students from abusing it (which they have in the past). Your topic is an excellent choice for an Action Research topic.
I agree that PLCs could increase teacher interaction both school and district-wide. Since FB is the most common, and most blocked, perhaps you could research other platforms such as Schoology that could include not only your cohorts but students as well. Do you plan to present to your Administration on the validity of adding this learning tool into the classroom?
In your Conclusion, do you have a solution to adequately addressing the hurdles? I hope that you continue your efforts and research on your AR topic and that you find success in implementing PLCs into your school. On a technical note: under “results” make sure Facebook is capitalized.
David Hotler: Click Here
Virginia Holm says: David, you can tell that this was a project that you felt strongly about. Your research and re-evaluation show that you took to heart what created problems for teachers in successfully using the SRS. Your final comments about frequent practice of learning new tools really says it all. Too often we are introduced to new methods and technology that leave us excited only to lose interest due to lack of time and commitment.
I think the success in the video versus the live presentation and Schoology is that it allows teachers to learn at their own pace and convenience. Attending training sessions is part of the job, but often leads to resentment due to time taken away for the classroom, paperwork and student follow-up. I am glad you found success in that most teachers plan to use Promethean again. Do you plan to follow up somehow with the ones that have said they would use it?
Your presentation overall was positive and clear. Your PowerPoint laid out well and easy to read. It highlighted points that you further discussed in your presentation. On the Student Response Systems page however, I would flow the sentence under the bullet and out of the graphic. It could be difficult to read from the back of the room.
Dennis Woodward: Click Here
Virginia Holm says: Dennis I feel for you with a ratio of 65:1 and constant evolving technology. I hope you are able to grow your support staff soon. On slide 4, your first bullet point says “Digital storytelling can be used to facilitate critical think and promote student centered learning” should that read “critical thinking”? I agree with you on self-paced training, especially among educators. With their schedules stretched so thinly, offering the ability to learn on their own schedule and pace will probably increase their interest in learning new technology. Video integration is important, but I would hope that perhaps their were a way for those who learn better through reading could download a pdf or there be a balance of video and text, much like your presentation.
I was saddened to see only a 10% participating during Cycle 1. It must be frustrating to have people come to you with problems that are easily remedied via a self-help video but they refuse to take the time to do it themselves. I think many people are like that in that they expect the IT guy to “fix it” because they deem themselves “technology illiterate”. What if our students limited themselves that way. They would never get past kindergarten.
In your speaker notes in slide 7: “I would like to be able to assist all teachers succeed with integrating and implementing the technology that the Academy has invested.” Should that be “all teachers to succeed”? Anyway, great AR topic, well done. I wish you success in the continuation of the implementation. I am sure that once the word is out that the program will always be there and is being added to for all skill levels it will be received more positively.
