E.Learning and Power Points

I'm rather fond of power points. I personally think that power points can be very versatile. The complexity of each power point depends on the creator, the information being addressed and the actual use of the power point.

I have tried to upload (without success, but will keep trying), an example of a power point that was used during a University presentation on NAPLAN. It was used to support the information, to provide a visual focus to the audience, and act as "palm cards" to the presenters. Power points are effective used in this way. They provide a method to keep the audience interacting visually with the spoken word. It also provides the presenter with an effective way of staying focused on the information that they are presenting.

Here is a snap shot of a slide from the power point that I could not get to upload.

I have been in classrooms where teachers no longer always ask students to cut 'n paste pictures onto A2 card and hand write their "found" information. Instead students are given lessons on how to use the power point program and their USB sticks in class time. Then in class and as homework they create their own power point to present their information to the class as an oral presentation. They are then assessed on their oral skills, information provided and on the power point itself.

Moving away from the power point being used as presentations, the power point can also be used in classrooms to assist various types of learning styles to research information on "topics". For example, I tried to upload (again without success, but will keep trying), a "talking book" designed to provide information on "hermit crabs" in a Science lesson. Students have a visual, kinaesthetic and auditory approach to reading about hermits crabs, and it is self paced.

Here are some snap shots of some of the pages from the talking book. I could not get this to upload either unfortunately.

Talking books are also available as "fiction" stories. Either way, in classrooms students could make their own talking book. However, in regards to "narratives", a year six class might decide that they would like to help the Prep students with their reading. The year six class could write their own story or a recount on a chosen story, then write (type) this up as a talking book (as their "good" copy). Using other Key Learning Areas, such as The Arts, year six students could create their own illustrations to be scanned and inserted into the talking book. Or they could ask the Prep teachers and students if the Prep students would like to help with the illustrations. Therefore this could be implemented as a collaborative task to coincide with a real life context, such as "National Book Week" being celebrated in the school.

In regards to digital pedagogy, use of power points in either manner shifts the focus away from using and learning ICT tools and skills, to a way of working in a digital world (CQ University, 2010.) Students can work through the learning processes using traditional tools (i.e. pencils and paper) and modern ITCs (computers, power point program, scanners, etc.) to end up with a product that relates to the twenty-first century student (i.e. talking book). The use of power point in these varying ways all coincide with the Big Six approach and its six stages of successful information problem-solving (Berkowitz, et al, 2001, 2010.). It also links to the TPAK approach (Mishra & Koehler, 2006.) where knowing how to use the technology in actual learning of specific content is highly important.

References:

Berkowitz. B., Eisenberg. M., & Johnson. D. (2001). The Big 6 - Information & Technology Skills for Student Achievement: Skills Overview. Accessed July 22, 2010 from http://www.big6.com/2001/11/19/a-big6™-skills-overview/

Berkowitz. B., Eisenberg. M., & Johnson. D. (2010). Information, Communications and Technology (ICT) Skills Curriculum Based on the Big6 Skills Approach to Information Problem-Solving. Accessed July 22, 2010 from http://moodle.cqu.edu.au/file.php/4033/LMC_Big6-ICT_Curriculum_LMC_MayJune2010.pdf

CQ University (2010). FAHE11001 - Managing E-Learning: What are the Roles of ICT in Education? Accessed August 8, 2010 from http://moodle.cqu.edu.au/mod/resource/view.php?id=91800

Mishra, P. & Koehler, M. (2006). Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge: A Framework for Teacher Knowledge. Accessed July 22, 2010 from http://site.aace.org/pubs/sigs/sig-Mishra-Koehler-TCR.pdf