WEEK 7: POWERFUL PRESENTATIONS

             Dear everyone,        

            The readings that week helped me to get the right idea what a real interactive Powerpoint presentation is, how to create one and how to present it. Teaching a large class is not an easy job. To attract the attention of  many people who have different styles of learning, different abilities and motivation to learn, the teacher should be not only well-prepared but should know how to use activities distinctive from those in the textbook. Technology comes to help. "Personalizing Language Learning in Large Classes" offers ideas, some of them so simple, but very effective. They can be perfect solutions of reorganizing the classroom and engaging the students more actively in the learning process.
         "Best Practices in Presenting with PowerPoint" and "New Ways of Using PowerPoint" from the UO's Teaching Effectiveness Program show us  how to turn a lecture into an interactive experience for students. I myself have often used PowerPoint  in my teaching, but not  interactively. I knew nothing about interactive presentations and now creating one was an amusing experience for me. Although some of the elements of my PowerPoint show are not in the way I wanted them to be, I can still say that I already have my first interactive  presentation. I tried to insert a video but I couldn't do it in the right way, although I followed the instructions. I have a slide show, too. For unknown reasons to me on the wiki it doesn't open. In the saved file on my computer it does. I don't know what  wrong I've done. PowerPoint presentations are attractive and combine a variety of techniques. I went through all the published shows on the course wiki and liked them very much. Some of my coursemates are very experienced.
        During this week another exciting thing I did was going through the class blogs of  Gulsen and Dilip. What I read and saw was really amazing.
        In the passing week I spend some time in my 11th Grade / upper-intermediate class / preparing the students for the WebQuest of my project which we will do next Thursday. We talked about the possible elements of the WebQuest, I gave them the topic and asked them  to look for some information. I also made a short survey about their expectations. I am going to make some changes. Gulsen is going to be my peer viewer and probably Marcia. I rely on their opinion, so I am expecting them to give me a hand. I am ready to help them with their projects, too.
        The past weeks were busy, the coming look even busier. I am ready to do my best.

       We shouldn't forget that we,  teachers, are like the conductors of an orchestra and it is up to us what kind of music will be played and how each musician is going to perform.

My best wishes to every one of you,
                          Zlatka