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Saturday, May 22, 2010

Week 7: Technology, Interactivity. Large classes

It's a bright warm May morning in my city now, when I am writing. I am listening to some music... and I am daydreaming.  Few minutes ago, while I was reading your posts and I decided it's time to share my thoughts about this week.

For me, from the very beginning, this week had a name: challenge. Why? Because so far I have considered Power-point is a great tool (even if I prefer the Mac Keynote) for presentations. I said presentations. And if they are presentations, I don't didn't know they can become interactive too. Now, I know, and I even created one. And ideas came and expanded for another one, and so on. I learned how to make them interactive. I created a jeopardy on grammar for my 12th graders, and I am very curious to see their reaction. I have to wait till next week. It was not at all difficult, as I watched the tutorial on Youtube and I learned how to make mine. But, there are so many things to say about interactive presentations and they can become so interesting...

Then, I read about interactive presentations and on a post on Nicenet I shared my opinions and experience in creating power-point presentations. There are many pitfalls which can be avoided - not to transform the presentation in a boring note-lecture.

And then, the great challenge: interactivity in large classes. I started by stating the advantages and disadvantages of large classes. I'd like to try to teach a large class, but I can't for the time being.

I am quite disappointed as I managed to do nothing from my plan this week. I wanted to have my class with the 9th graders in the IT lab. Well, I couldn't. The teacher who offered to accompany me fell ill and I simply could not work with my students as I had wanted. Moreover, this week our school celebrated its 40th anniversary and the whole school / program was upside-down. But I hope next week will be better, even if on Monday we are free - a religious holiday and ... no school, that is no class with my 9th grade. However, I keep my hope alive.

Thank you all for the nice comments you posted on my blog last week. They really meant something to me...

Here is my school: 1970 - 2010


4 comments:

  1. Dear Nadina:
    Your game is just great!
    I also liked the challenge of creating an interactive PPT. In fact, I am still working on that since it has been kind of difficult to me to put my ideas into high-tech stuff inside the presentation.
    As you state in your post, there is a great risk of not using PPT appropriately and get students bored with that.
    Good luck with your project! Keep us all posted with the updates!
    xx
    Eve

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  2. Dear Nadina,

    Thank you for you explanation about using action buttons, it helped. I liked your jeopardy game, it's great. It took me sometime to create my PowerPoint for week 7, that's why I will try to practice with interactive PowerPoints after finishing the course because I intend to use them in class more often.

    Regards

    Maha

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  3. I also like your powerpoint. I am sure your students will enjoy it. Hope your time and schedule will cooperate according to your plan... goodluck... nice job

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  4. Hello, Nadina!!!

    Every time, when I read your post I feel our connection more and more. For example - this week- we also don't go to school on Monday because og religious holiday - The day of Trinity.

    Besides, our school is also preparing to the presentation at the regional educational exhibition (we are making the special board with information about us). So you pictures are very useful for me.

    My school is quite new, this winter we celebrated 15th anniversary. We had a great celebration and the head of the distric trade union (guild) promised us to pay for the bus trip to any place of Ukraine for the teachers of our school. So this Saturday 42 teachers and workers of our school went to excursion to the capital city Kyiv for free. It was really great to spend a day in the capital.

    Ruslana

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