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