Multimedia and the 21st Century Learner

I have been teaching for fourteen years. Students have changed drastically in that short amount of time. Video games, MTV, sugar, Red Bull, whatever the cause, students’ attention spans have waned considerably over the last decade and a half. Teachers, to remain effective, must adapt to this change.

I teach U.S. History. I can remember being in high school and college history classes that consisted of teacher centered, straight lecture. In fact, most of my classes were taught in that fashion. Now if I lecture for any longer than thirty minutes my students quickly begin to either sleep or climb the walls. Multimedia tools have proven to be a godsend on this front. The Promethean Board is my best example of this. What used to be a simple outline on an overhead projector is now a dynamic and interactive medium including pictures, video, and sound. I can now teach in a more engaging manner that meets the needs of diverse learners.

Multimedia tools can also facilitate school to home communication. Montgomery County Public Schools use Edline on the secondary level for example. I can upload files, pictures, and links on my Edline page allowing parents and absent students to follow the happenings of class. A second obvious multimedia tool for improving communication is the school website.

Competing for students’ attention against the lure of Wii, The Black Eyed Peas, and Facebook is not easy. Utilizing multimedia is a must in the teacher arsenal.

Effective websites

Websites have become increasingly important for schools over the last decade. In many cases they are the first impression of a school to the public. A parent moving to the area and researching options might learn a lot from a school’s site, for example. As in real life, the first impression can be lasting so it would be wise for schools to make the most effective site possible. In class, we were given a list of twelve elements to an effective website. There are great ideas such as; having an appealing design, including pictures of diverse, happy students, including directions, and contact information. I would like to add that ease of navigation would be wise. Further, in a school as diverse as mine, having site versions in different languages would also be advisable.

For my website, I have chosen to go with Google Sites. I will be including the following elements:

1.) Graphs containing H.S.A. scoring information

2.) Links to MSDE and MCPS sites for testing information

3.) Plans for improvement

4.) Future goals and AYP percentages

5.) Links to MSDE and MCPS sites for practice tests etc.

6.) Strengths and weaknesses of the school

7.) Ways technology can be incorporated into improvement

Specifically, I will be including easily comprehendible graphs detailing the recent scores earned by Blair students. These graphs will clearly show the areas of concern and celebration for the school community. However, the most important elements that I feel needs to be included are links to information on the tests themselves. Parents need to readily understand the importance of the tests, the requirements, and explanations for various acronyms.

Powerpoint: Pros and Cons

I will be using Powerpoint for my presentation to the EDUC 590 class. I have chosen this program for a few logical reasons. First, it is a widely used program. In the teaching world it is rare to come across people who are not familiar with Powerpoint. As mentioned in the state standards it is advisable for administrators to model effective use of technology. Using Powerpoint would also facilitate the shared school vision dealing with use of technology. Second, Powerpoint is an effective way to share data. Simply talking to people about statistics can be dry and the audience can have a difficult time interpreting data. Displaying the statistics in graph form is an effective way to share information.

There are some pitfalls in the use of Powerpoint, however. People tend to go overboard with all the bells and whistles available in the program. All the fading, zooming, and noise can become distracting for the audience. There is also a tendency to overcrowd slides. Putting too much information on individual slides makes them overwhelming and difficult to read. Finally, presenters have a habit of simply reading what is on the screen. In my experience, teachers become annoyed and lose interest when they are read to. Powerpoint should be used to enhance your presentation in order for it to be effective.