Trish Thinks About Technology

New Hot Potatos Activity

With this post, we’re going to practice different ways of uploading audio to our blogs.

No hice nada audio.

trying again

From edublogs.tv

We talked last night at length about what constitutes good and bad usage of PowerPoint presentations, and LaDonna even mentioned her dread of PPT’s on the first night of class! Apparently, this is a powerful topic and universal topic!

Well, it is actually.

When we talk about PPT’s we are, of course, thinking about them in terms of classroom teaching, but PPT’s are also widely used for professional presentations, conferences, online learning, and business presentations. PPT is simply a tool that can be used to present information visually, just as a book is a tool for presenting ideas textually. As such, PPT is neither inherently good or bad, but it’s our use of PPT that determines whether or not we are using a tool effectively for it’s intended purpose.

Some of the best advice on the use of PPT’s actually comes from the business and marketing world, but as educators we tend to not look in that direction for guidance. Therefore, I’ve found several very concise and respected sources online that I want to share with you.

1. Seth Godin wrote one of the most widely-referenced works on Bad PPT Syndrome, and then recapped it on his popular blog.
   • Here’s the original work in PDF format.
2. Here’s a blog completely devoted to the effective use of PPT.

Finally, here’s a GOOD presentation about BAD presentations.

So, to reiterate, PPT, like all technology, is a powerful tool when wielded in the hands of a skillful user, whether in business or in education.

During the first night of class we discussed the various components of the class environment and how they can positively or negatively impact learning.  While we were talking, I made a list of those considerations and projected it on the screen.  At the time I claimed that I could think of a use for technology in each of those consideration.  [This is not to say that technology is a panacea for all the ills of the classroom, but it is a powerful tool that may be effective for a variety of situations.]  So, as promised, here is our list of characteristics of the learning environment and my brainstorming of technology applications for each item.

• Scaffolding learning – Wow! That’s a huge topic, but can be addressed in so many ways! For instance, suppose your students are working on learning a part of dialogue.  You could have a picture of the dialogue that sets up the scene so that your students, then run an audio clip of the dialog along with the picture so that your students can hear the pronunciation and inflection.  Then, you could create an interactive Hot Potatoes activity that scrambles the word order of the dialogue and your students could rearrange the parts to recreate the dialogue or create new ones!
• Learner-centered, not teacher-centered – rather than delivering the information to your students, have your students perform web quests to present the information to you and their classmates. 
• Learning styles – As we discussed, students have individual learning styles.  By presenting information using a  range of multimedia, such as audio, visual, experiential tasks, and textual modes, you have a better chance of addressing more of the learning styles of your students in every lesson.
• Situated learning – Learning that occurs within the environment in which it will be used or assessed is important in every discipline, but in language learning we try to bring as much of the language to life in the classroom using techniques such as TPR and staying within the target language.  The beauty of internet technology is that we can simulate the environment better through authentic learning materials, international broadcast
• Low Affective Barriers – Through technology such as recorded oral assessments, students can submit their work privately and avoid the public performance anxiety that often accompanies learning.
• Class size – In a large class, how will individual students interact with you to get the help they need? Could they use email or chatting? You could also consider “online office hours” or times where you are available online to help your students with their questions regarding homework.  In very large classes, you also can get overwhelmed with copious amounts of paper handed in by students.  Using an online submission method for homework would cut down on the load you carry to and from school!
• Motivation Theory – Making learning meaningful, personal, and applicable is an important compenent in motivation for learning.  Using current technologies such as podcasts and blogs, student-generated media, mobile-learning opportunities, and individualized learning resources can go a long way towards making learning, and achievment, an intrinsically motivating factor in your class.  Of course, extrinsic motivation never hurts either! In that case, a well-designed interactive game can be fun, and therefore motivating, and the opportunity to play the game can be a type of extrinsic reward in itself!
• Classroom management strategies – have you ever done a websearch on the term “classroom management”?  Do it! I dare you!  You will uncover a vast world of tools and blogs for this very topic, as teachers from all over the world post their favorite tips for managing successful classrooms.  Many of them also post downloadable tools and templates, such as seating charts, gradebooks, worksheets, and classroom pledges.
• Access to resources – HUGE! The internet is the world’s largest reference library! Literally, volumes of culterally rich information is at your students’ fingertips, and not just textual information, but visual and audible information as well.  Want your students to experience festivals and c
• Teacher is motivated – Two of the things that I find most motivating when I teach are 1) I’m organized and know what I have planned, and 2) I can see students constructing language and exhibiting behaviors indicative of language learning.  In the first instance, you can use any number of technology tools from spreadsheets to blogs to help you organize your lessons and keep yourself sane during the schoolyear.  For the second instance, you could have your students create presentations, webhunts, short films or slideshows, etc. 
• Physical layout of class – You could use a graphical layout program, such as Microsoft Visio, to create a class layout plan.  Likewise, you could use different technology enhanced learning-stations around your classroom to move away from postivist teacher-centered instruction.
• Physically inviting learning space – You can use images found on the internet and printed on a color printer to liven up your learning space.  You can also create forms and graphics using tools such as MS Publisher to create colorful charts and learning aids for your class.  If you don’t have windows in your classroom, you could install colorful and L2-related screen savers!  Or create your own, using images and slideshow programs. 
• Assessment - Aside from using word processors for creating assessment instruments (tests and quizzes) you could also use quizzing software, you can track performance using spreadsheets, and you can even collect data using automated polling software and track responses so that you can identify which questions your students had the most difficulty with.  On the other hand, you could use technology-enhanced student-created projects to assess learning, but be sure to have a carefully-designed rubric in place for scoring!
• Positive reinforcement – Positive reinforcement can be as simple as a smile, but a smile can be fleeting.  You can create a more lasting impression by creating a “certificate of achievement” using desktop publishing software? Better yet, consider sending notes of praise to your students by email.  They can save or share these emails with family and friends to showcase their learning.

So there you have it! As promised, I have described two or three scenarios for each area of consideration in which technology can be used to address the many facets of the learning environment.

Of course, this is by no means an exhaustive list!  I would love to hear your comments and suggestions for other ways to use technology!

Please post freely in the comments section!  See you in class!

Hi Everyone!  Have you ever left class and think to yourself, “Gee, I wish I’d said something about that subject while we were on the topic?”  Every Thursday when I drive home after class I think of things I wish I’d said!  So I started this blog as a way to put those thoughts down and to share them with you as we go along during the Spring Semester.

This blog is just my thoughts on class, the topics we discuss in class.  Sometimes, I may post interesting things that I find in my ventures around the world of language-learning technology, but if they are here on this blog and NOT on the official class blog, they are not required reading. Think of it as more like a combination of recommended reading and a friendly after-class study group.

Feel free to ask questions about the topics I post here, but if you have any comments or questions about the class in general, please post them to the regular class blog so that Dr Swanson can also see them and respond to them.