For our latest task in my SEDU 183 class here at Edinboro University, we were to complete a PowerPoint to be based on a PA standard for whatever grade and subject we wanted. To accompany our PowerPoint we were to create a narrative with the goals of our lesson and PowerPoint. We then were to present our PowerPoints and Narratives to other members of the class. Sounds too easy right? Well, there was a catch, and what was the catch you may ask? We couldn't use the PowerPoint as a means of Direct Instruction. This is what most people would typically expect of a PowerPoint; create 15 slides of facts on a single topic.Well, we weren't allowed to do that. That's just too easy! We were to step outside of our comfort zones and explore other ways that PowerPoint was meant to be used! So, we were to make a PowerPoint that could fit somewhere into our lesson that then helped to enhance that lesson for our students.
No Direct Instruction Allowed!!
I decided to choose the Kindergarten age group for my subject area. I chose a standard from the mathematics section dealing with teaching the students the meaning of equal and not equal. I decided to use my PowerPoint as a closure activity to check for comprehension. As I went along making my PowerPoint, I tried to stick with easy fonts and bright colors to appeal to the young age group of children I was dealing with. I also chose age appropriate pictures of things the students would be able to recognize. I felt my PowerPoint was like a type of game; I proposed two groups of objects and the students got to choose whether they were equal or not equal. They were to work on a computer by themselves and 'play the game.' I stepped out of my comfort zone by adding narration to my PowerPoint. As my instructor pointed out, Kindergartners most likely wouldn't be able to read, so it was essential to add narration to guide the children through the activity. I have never done this before, but I was surprised at how quickly I got the hang of how to add the sounds. Another risk I took was timing my slides and adding more complex animations. For example, in one part of my PowerPoint I had the children count with my voice. I had the objects enlarge as my voice said each number.
I thought my end product turned out beyond what I expected it could. I learned how to utilize action buttons, and successfully incorporated them into my creation. I am also very pleased with how my presentation went, besides the fact that my group could not hear my narration because of the other noise occurring in the classroom. I received a lot more positive feedback than I was expecting as well. Some of my group members said that they "wished they had that much free time," when in reality I lost my flash drive containing my almost complete PowerPoint project and had to start from scratch the day before the assignment was due. I was surprised I finished the project at all and surprised it received so much positive reinforcement.
The other members of my group did very well with their projects as well. Surprisingly, I learned quite a bit from them. Sadly, though, if I was on 'Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader,' I probably wouldn't have won. I had a hard time answering Third Grade Science questions! I thought it was neat how all of us chose different age groups and subjects to focus on.
Here is my narrative I did for this project! Click on the first hyperlink. I'm not sure how to get my PowerPoint to show up, but I guess that'll just be one of my next tasks to learn how to do(:
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