Hello my dear friends and a Happy
Valentine’s Day to you all.
This week is surely an interesting one: We
are learning to use technology tools for creating student-centered classes,
including large classes. Luckily there is again good information about the
subject to be found on our ‘Building Teacher Skills Through the Interactive
Web’ –site.
I have tried to create PowerPoint
–presentations after having a couple of school projects, and PowerPoint is an
excellent way of showing results or presenting facts or almost anything. I have
to admit that at this very moment I have no idea what an interactive PowerPoint
presentations looks like. One reason is, of course, that I haven’t yet got
acquainted with the articles provided by our professor in Oregon.
One task during this week is also to begin
implementing a technology-related change in our classes, and keep a log to
record what we have done and how the students responded. This week is not the
best for me to fulfill this requirement as this is the last week before our
Winter/Skiing holiday, and Thursday goes when the students who are leaving our
school for preparing to the finals present their show. The show is not always a
nice one as they usually seem to believe they ridicule their teachers as much
as they like. And on Friday those who are left as the ‘oldies’ have their party
it’s like a prom.
Talking about large groups, I consider
20-25 to be a large one as we only have about 90 students in the whole school,
but someone else might think that’s quite a small group. Be the group large or
small it is always a challenge to keep all the students interested in what I’m
teaching them.
Sinikka
Wednesday 10:00 AM
I'm still at sick leave but today at least think I'm well
enough to start doing an interactive PowerPoint. I plan to do it about word
order, but the plan might still change before I'm ready. Yesterday I
encountered a problem that shouldn't be possible in Finland and not in our
house (as my husband is an electro-computer- etc. engineer), there was no
access to the Internet or the connection was very poor. Occasionally I did
manage to read the sites, though. I do sympathize with those coming from
Vietnam or Nepal (where even the supply of electricity is uncertain).
I might ask my dear son if he could help and tell me what he
knows about the English word order, he might also find good sounds and pictures
to enhance the presentation. Well, he is at school now but when he comes back I’m
sure he is willing to give me some of his precious time. He is studying English
so he can pilot my presentation.
Have a nice day, dear colleagues!
Dear Sinikka,
ReplyDeleteYes you are right. Things are getting more interesting and complex as well. May be we have not read the study material. But we are entering into the crucial stage now. Let me tell you that even I don't have any idea of what an Interactive PowerPoint presentation is. We will learn it in the due course may be within a day or two. And when we talk about a large class, in my situation a large class consists of 150 students. We do teach such huge number of learners.Just imagine we don't have any other way out other then resorting to Group work.
That's all for now.
Regards,
Nizara
Dear Nizara, thank you for reading my blog. I really admire you for handling such big groups as you told you have. It's even more than students my entire school. so much have I learned about the PowerPoint that I believe now that I'll survive making an interactive presentation. Maybe I'll try something with grammar, time will tell.
ReplyDeleteHave a nice week, Nizara.
Well Sinikka, age is no excuse. I think we even become more mature and learn to do things better. I have been teaching for a bit over 25 years now and I still feel I can improve - a lot! I stagnated a bit while the three kids were little, but the more autonomous they become, the more time I find to devote to my career and I feel just fine. When I decided to do a masters degree 3 years ago in ICT I didn't know what I was getting myself into. I felt kind of lost at first and there were so many things I had never heard of... Well, I learned! I didn't have the time to master every single tool, but I became a lot more confident and autonomous and now I'm not afraid to try. I just wish I had more time!
ReplyDeleteYou're so right,Luisa, age is not the key word it's time.
ReplyDeleteHi Sinikka
ReplyDeleteI hope you feel better today. In this Century as Ariel explained As teacher we have to fight agains age, time and tittles, sometimes we study a lot and when we open a classroom room: S U R P R I S E!! more students than we imagined, new learning difficulties or needs in our students, or phisical or technology resourses don't help us our teaching process, but we have to apply our imagination to change time, needs, physal conditions, resources and to apply our best techniques to make the best class each day! Let's try everyday again and again be ready for new surprises....
Kisses
O.Flores
Dear Sinikka,
ReplyDeleteHow are you today? Hope that everything is going well at your end.
I also tried out the ppt interactive. It was fun looking at what I have tried. Yes, it is somehow giving more interests to the students as they can have opportunities to expose to diversified contexts of teaching.
I really admire you for what you have done. It seems Webskills is always in your mind even when you are not feeling well.
Keep moving my friend.