I use me experience in the field to design my specific media, I like power point because it lets me be in complete control.
Jessie,
Media choices that are varied and abundant give students more opportunity to immerse themselves in the lesson.
Barry Westling
It depends on what I want the students to learn or do. Most days during theory, I will use the whiteboard or power point. Other days I use chart tablets so that if a student is absent he may use the chart paper to find the key ideas that he missed.
Erin,
PPT is great, but is but one of many tools. Any craftsman has many tools, and each one is used for a specific purpose. So it is in the instructional process.
Barry Westling
After going to Stratford to see the speaker who talked about teaching strategies, I made one major teaching change. He recommended not using power points as often, so I began to become less focused on them. Now I integrate more use of the white board, hands-on demonstrations, classroom activities, and other interactive learning techniques that have decreased my dependence on power points. I think PPTs act as a good supplement but should not be the focus of the lesson. I consider them a supplement. Since I decreased my use of them, I have actually noticed my student grades go up!
Jeff,
Right. I imagine better photographers are somehow able to capture moments and a feeling. Photography is out of my expertise, but perhaps using colored sand, watercolors, or paint mixtures to create "a feeling" or mood could be used as a supplementary activity to emphasize the power and influence color has visuals, such as photos?
Barry Westling
Robin,
Interactive lessons involve multiple senses, and therefore, retention of learned material is more likely to be recalled and applied.
Barry Westling
Teaching photography, PowerPoints with photographs naturally dominate, but hands-on with cameras and lenses, passing around books and shooting in class for Photoshop demos engages them kinesthetically. Anything that surprises and varies the pace is good.
Like others have said, it depends on my class. I teach art. Sometimes projected video instruction is helpful, a Powerpoint can also deliver the material for more lecture-based courses, but demonstrations and group work (basically making the course interactive) have always worked the best in my classes.
Brian,
Policies do vary among institutions. Seeking out creative methods to keep our lessons fresh and interesting is a continuous work in progress.
Barry Westling
This would not work at my school. students are not allowed to have there phones out during class time any us as instructors are not allowed to play you tube videos during class time. we use power points and pass around a lot of broken parts or equipment and also cutaway parts for the students to see
Chris,
Super. With student engagement, their participation contributes significantly to understanding and application.
Barry Westling
I select media for content delivery based upon the subject matter and my audience. I do use power point presentations quite often, but I like to involve my students in class discussions and group activities throughout the presentation to keep them more engaged. I have also used videos to present material with a play/pause format to elaborate and encourage discussion. Most of my selected media for content delivery encourages teamwork and critical thinking processes.
ROBBIN,
Accountability is a foriegn idea for some students. One suggestion would be to insert a disclaimer about PPT slides in your syllabus. Related to that might be a brief statement on the first PPT slide (and printed copies) that reflects your policy and sentiments.
Barry Westling
I select the media for my classes based on what I am teaching.
Power point slides are a great way to cover material that is the foundation of the lesson (the basic information that will introduce the subject to the students). I like to provide copies of the slides, two to three slides per page. This allows the student to take notes related to the points I am discussing. I remember how hard it was to take page after page of notes in classes I took in my early college years. You would be concentrating so hard on outlining what the professor was saying that you were guaranteed to miss the point she was trying to get across.
What I don't like about power points is that the students will not prepare for class (i.e.: by doing their readings) and will say after a test, "You didn't discuss it in the power points so I didn't study it and you shouldn't mark my answer wrong!"
I use YouTube videos to demonstrate procedures to the students that they will practice in their labs and in their clinical fields.
Jeanne,
Variety rules. And the internet and YouTube, etc. are great ways to provide pertinent (and short) segments that enhance learning. And I always create my own PPT slides in order deliver my lessons in the way I feel is most relevant.
Barry Westling
I like to vary the media to mix things up. Often the canned PPT's come with the instructor desk set. Those need to be edited, since they are not much shorter than the actual chapter. I really like the idea of hands on media. Students are always more interested in real models vs. things they read in the chapter.
Samara,
Great way to effectively use PPT!
Barry Westling
Patricia,
I think students learn better and retain more when they use their hands in some way. It's a way to involve multiple senses.
Barry Westling
I teach sociology and there are an array of theories and theorist. I heavily rely on PowerPoint slides to link the two. In fact, I often have my students do this. For instance, I ask what theory or theories follow from a particular sociologist. The picture and name would be on the PPT slides and the students will be searching their notes or the book for the theorist to put forth related theories. Once the students have done their best, the next slide will have the name of the sociologist and the theories linked to him/her.
