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Sunday, November 6, 2011

The Essence of Webskills Week 6

Hello everyone!
"Let's go interactive!"this is the essence of Week 6 in Webskills.
Week 6 is simply awesome! All the suggested readings offer an array of information on how to improve delivery of instructions. These all provided strategies on engaging students in the learning process. Inputs on how to conduct interactive lectures from the http://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/interactive/index.html has provided a very comprehensive presentation on how this can be done in classes as it enumerates specific examples and techniques designed to involve students in large and small lecture-based classes. This is very relevant in our local context.
This week's inputs about making classes  interactive using Powerpoint make the week even more beautiful and challenging. I say "challenging" simply because this is entirely different from what I've been exposed to and far different from what I've been doing. The article from http://www.garrreynolds.com/Presentation/slides.html "Top 10 Slide Tips" and http://thejournal.com/articles/2000/08/01/creating-an-interactive-powerpoint-lesson-for-the-classroom.aspx "Creating an Interactive Powerpoint" offer comprehensive ideas which teachers can learn from. True enough, I have been using Powerpoint when I conduct training or seminar for teachers but this has not been done interactively. The presentations were simply used as visual aids and these didn't involve interactivity. During this week, I got the pleasure of watching and reading through the different Powerpoint presentations from Webskills participants. Indeed, those were all impressive. In fact, when I showed it before my 10-year old son, he enjoyed watching and answering on the quizzes especially from those PPT created by Tariq and Dragana. This makes me more convinced of how beautiful interactive PPT presentations are.
Now, I start creating one for my class.  It takes me several times to read and re-read the articles for interactive Powerpoint and for several times watch the video tutorial at Youtube.com. For a neophyte in technology utilization, it isn't that easy for me but I believe this attempt for change shall bring forth worthwhile learning experience for me and my students. Hopefully, I can finish and upload my project at Donna's Wiki before the clock strikes 12 midnight by Sunday in Oregon.  I can't become an instant expert on this, it takes time, training and practice for me to perfect creating PPT presentations for instructional purposes and for breaking the monotony of using blackboard and chalk in teaching.
Well, the challenge is still on and the passion is still alive. All through this time, Webskills  lets me discover many things about myself and the tasks that confront me week by week.
MABUHAY!
REBECCA

3 comments:

  1. Hi Rebecca,

    Nice line ""the challenge is still on and the passion is still alive.!". As I always say to my students "Some people see the opportunity and some seize it." You seem to have seized things well. I appreciate your efforts you have put in throughout the week in order to make your week count. Honestly I also had interactive-phobia. Remained busy in learning some extra bits of PowerPoint. I share the same thoughts that this learning will not only be useful for us but for our students as well. By the thanks for your wonderful and cheerful posts on Nicenet. They are surely source of knowledge for me.

    Tariq Hayat

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  2. Hi Rebecca .
    I feel so identified with your thinking that I would like to have you as my peer for the project.Is it OK?
    Maria Elena

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hello Marilen,

    Sure, I'l consider it a pleasure to be working with you in the peer review.

    Best regards,

    REBECCA

    ReplyDelete