Week6, Reflection

At this week we discussed issues of student engagement and using Interactive approaches in teaching. These are important issues, because without student interest, the effect of our teaching would be minimized.
When I read the topic at the beginning of the week “Online assessment” http://tep.uoregon.edu/technology/assessment/onlineassessment.html , it did not give me any ideas about real meaning of using assessment online. After watching several tutorials on Blackboard and Angel learning systems, I understood that they are powerful softwares where I can create quizzes for assessment and use technology online. For instance, “Blackboard's Assessment features provide instructors with tools for building online assessments using different question types. These assessments can provide students with immediate feedback, are automatically graded (with the exception of essay questions), and scores are logged into the online Grade Center.”http://tep.uoregon.edu/technology/blackboard/docs/blackboardassessment.pdf.
I love the statement that introduce online assessment system such as student engagement into curriculum; more frequent assessment; a time-saver; practice with technology-based format; location and time independent; immediate feedback; and so on. Isn’t it a dream of a teacher to use it? I wish to use one of them for my teaching. I think that it cost a lot of money to buy such program? I am not sure. Now I have just a dream to use it)
By discussion about engagement of students and through the readings I have learned that there are as minimum two approaches such as use of technology and Interactive lecture that will help in activation of student interest to the themes that they cover in semester. Interactive lectures and use of technology are continuously linked to each other, because at the lecture teacher can use computers, portable computers and projectors, clickers, scan, printer, and so on. (http://tep.uoregon.edu/technology/lecture/improveslides.html ). In a time of presentation, teacher can use Interactive segments such as brainstorming, predictions of demonstrations, collecting student response, interpretation of graphs, and so on (http://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/interactive/bytype.html ).
It is a good practice to videotape lessons and to use it for students who were absent or for students who want just to listen to lecture again and write the questions for discussion. At the same time, teacher can reflect on the lecture and think how to improve it at the next time. Additionally, teacher can share with others by videotaped material and discuss it with the goal of professional development.
Teacher can encourage students’ interest to lecture by discussions at the class and out-of-class by online discussion. This strategy will provide for students an opportunity to introduce idea, and to reflect on ideas of other students. They will use argumentation with facts and evidence and introduce it by discussion in class or online. According to this, we have to teach students write messages, letters, and thoughts for discussion. They have to learn how to use arguments in speech and writing. Students will improve their critical thinking skills by asking questions and providing answers through discussion.
Even more, we discussed the issues of teaching a large class and the challenges that it has. My classmates shared that not many of us teach a large class, but there are some. Sometimes, I teach 60 students in a group of Discussion Club. Thus, this aspect is significant for learning as well. What was useful from reading that I could analyze the role of interactive lectures for a large class with different lectures format ,and understand that students have to be involved in the learning process. Teacher can use “think-pair-share” strategy; “a minute paper”, “ a Concept Test”,” Scripted Cooperative learning”, “Concept Maps”, and many others. Students have to have a time for individual thinking about the question, and then share it with others, because students in a large group can be shy and will escape to share ideas before the large group, but these strategies will let them think about idea and introduce it to the person who sit close to him/her. Teacher can use any methods that will attract attention of the students, such as a blind slide in PPT and to see the reaction of the students if they follow the lecture(from our reading).
Also, we discussed the value of collaborative learning and cooperative learning in presenting Interactive lectures. From the definition: “Collaborative learning is a situation in which two or more people learn or attempt to learn something together.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collaborative_learning. “Cooperative learning is an approach to organizing classroom activities into academic and social learning experiences. Students must work in groups to complete tasks collectively.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooperative_learning . By these styles of learning, students will have a chance for feedback from teacher and also from their peers. They will improve their work together and everyone would be responsible for the product that they have to create together in pairs or in groups. “Combining lecture with short, pair or small-group learning activities keeps students interested, motivated, and involved” (Rick Finnan and Donna Shaw). They will feel the value of lecture, because they will be engaged through different formats. They will develop critical thinking skills, problem solving skills, cooperative working skills, communication skills, computer skill, and so on. There are several examples that support ideas of interactive lectures. For instance, by watching video “Active Learning Classrooms: Everyone is engaged!” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7xidmVt0uE&feature=related I could see that all students are engaged in the process. Students work in groups and all of them have access to Internet by laptops. The teacher stands in different parts of the classroom and observes the process. She can move easily to each group, in order to monitor their work and answer on some students’ questions. From the video “Introduction to Physics” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQra4baNwP8 , the teacher asks students to think individually and then share their ideas with pairs. The teacher introduces a topic by motivating question. Teacher presents the problem question to students, they think about correct answer and then they check it in a class. On the next step she introduces a lecture, but always includes students into discussion. Students love such strategies of teaching, because the teacher constantly thinks how to “maximize effect of learning to her students”. Teacher could present the lecture and expect from students their active discussion in a group, because positive environment allow them to participate actively. It’s also very important to receive a feedback from students that allow immediate response from teacher (Laura Guertin , Rebecca Teed). For this reason, teacher can ask students to raise their hands to count responses; to use “A, B, C, D” cards; use a finger signals; electronic classroom communication system. For written response can be used open-ended or complex response; one-minute paper, and so on. In oral response can be used student participation in discussion. Teacher has to provide feedback in time and it would be significant for students to know what they have to improve and think about it.
It was an interesting topic to discuss creating Power Point Presentation and using it in Interactive Way. I summarized for myself the rules for creating PPT. They are: use 18-36 pt for text writing; one idea per visual; keep visuals simple; do not distract audience by your slides; use graphics properly. From the article “Presenting with Power Point” I have learned that I have to think who is the audience, what students will do before, while, and after the presentation. What questions will I ask and what questions they might ask. I can support my PPT with handouts, but I have to think for what purpose I will use them.
Readings were useful, because by the article “Creating Interactive Presentations using Power Point”, I could learn for several strategies on creating PPT, but what was the most interesting that I looked through the tutorial that explains the differences between Power Point of 2003 and Power Point 2007( that I have) after that I could find several actions buttons that I could not find before in my PPT program.
It’s wonderful resource that I could watch by video clips. You tube Interactive Power Point Tutorial http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgPO-agnnMk it was not so successful, because it just stopped at the middle of show presentation ,but at the end of the week I could open it and view to the end (And it happens when I have already learned how to create Jeopardy Game myself- without this tutorial!, but it’s cool!). Another option is “Using PowerPoint to Make an Interactive Story” http://www.microsoft.com/education/story.mspx let me think about creating PT with Interactive story that I can use for my future project. As the result, I created 3 versions of PPT, one of them with Quiz (human biology), another with Jeopardy Game (zoology), and the third one for anatomy. I have learned to make transitions of slides and to create Quizzes myself. I like this activity, because I can share the process of creating Interactive PPT with my students and teachers. In addition it was important to understand the role of Interactive PPT as a tool that allow students to be active and “to do smth.” during PPT presentation.
By the way, I found the site http://www.brainpop.com/science/ that is nice to present to students, because there are animation video, activities, worksheets, vocabulary, and so on. I can use it with trial for 5 days, but I can find interesting ideas for teaching there.
In addition, at this week I could “review and polish” the Plan that I am going to implement in my teaching as a Project. This process requires me to think about the value of this Plan for the students. I think how can I engage them by the Project, what would be interesting to them and essential for studying the Human biology.