Today, I had the need to teach using some direct instruction before letting the students work in groups on projects. I borrowed some material from my CT, and I made a Prezi. Seeing the results and interest from the students I cannot recommend this enough.
While PowerPoint and other presentation software used to be and exciting change from overhead projectors, they lack the excitement and inherent engagement they had in the past. They zooming effects of Prezi, set to a picture of the Crab Nebula, got students "oohing" and "ahhing" a somewhat dull topic. They even laughed when the big picture was revealed, and I made the pun- now you can write thesis statements that are out of this world. You may view it here. English teachers, feel free to steal/adapt.
So use it. Go to the website and play around with the blank template. (The remanufactured templates don't leave much room for customization.) This is no so much instructions, though I could make those, rather this is a technology recommendation, a tech-ommendation, if you will.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Exponential Laziness?
One of the things I debate as an English teacher is the use of SparkNotes, or simliar book summary products. While they are not a substitute for reading the novel, I can see the value as a review tool and a way to revisit something already read.
Videos and film also have mixed, though mostly negative, impressions as an educational tool. It is a shame, but not my argument in this post.
I bring this up because I just found this.
Video.
SparkNotes.
Video SparkNotes! My brain is struggling to cope with this.
In less than 10-minutes a viewer can passively absorb a text. At the moment there are nearly two dozen of these summaries. I am still reviewing these cultural phenomenon, so I will not pass swapping judgement of their usefulness.
As it is, SparkNotes are typically a tool for students who do not want to read. Now Video SparkNotes can enable kids who are too lazy to read the SparkNotes!
I will be the first person to defend appropriate use of video of films in class and the validity of the artfulness of the medium. But this has some unsettling implications. Can you reduce Romeo and Juliet to a 9 minute and 18 second clip and still appreciate the value of the story? Probably not. Viewers may get the gist of the plot, but they miss the heart of the story: the themes, the linguistic intricacies, and the build-up that make this a classic piece of literature.
They may be a good tool for review, but there is no way to regulate that. To allow students to savor the creations of these great authors requires, I need to employ thoughtful instruction on how to approach a piece and look for more than plot. This is a call for attention as to how to get student to appreciate a novel in a world where tl;dr* is becoming a ubiquitous term. (*too long, didn't read)
Videos and film also have mixed, though mostly negative, impressions as an educational tool. It is a shame, but not my argument in this post.
I bring this up because I just found this.
Video.SparkNotes.
Video SparkNotes! My brain is struggling to cope with this.
In less than 10-minutes a viewer can passively absorb a text. At the moment there are nearly two dozen of these summaries. I am still reviewing these cultural phenomenon, so I will not pass swapping judgement of their usefulness.
As it is, SparkNotes are typically a tool for students who do not want to read. Now Video SparkNotes can enable kids who are too lazy to read the SparkNotes!
I will be the first person to defend appropriate use of video of films in class and the validity of the artfulness of the medium. But this has some unsettling implications. Can you reduce Romeo and Juliet to a 9 minute and 18 second clip and still appreciate the value of the story? Probably not. Viewers may get the gist of the plot, but they miss the heart of the story: the themes, the linguistic intricacies, and the build-up that make this a classic piece of literature.
They may be a good tool for review, but there is no way to regulate that. To allow students to savor the creations of these great authors requires, I need to employ thoughtful instruction on how to approach a piece and look for more than plot. This is a call for attention as to how to get student to appreciate a novel in a world where tl;dr* is becoming a ubiquitous term. (*too long, didn't read)
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