We know you better than you think. Even if you’ve never been to the CTL at Macomb, called us, emailed us, or even heard of us, we do know something about you. To prove it, we’re going to tell you something about yourself right now…. ready?
Ok, here goes: you understand the importance of using visuals in your classroom presentations, and you love free stuff.
See, we do know you!
Lena, thank you for participating! And so… what do YOU think?
It’s the oldest teaching trick in the book… and it never fails to bring your students [back] to life. And that trick is humor! Sometimes, as educators, we take ourselves a little too seriously (what?! never!). Find cartoons related to your subject, bring in some crazy props, and try something new! Your students will appreciate it! We are, after all, “on stage” while we’re teaching.
Speaking of humor, I’ve stumbled upon an interesting video that I think we can all appreciate. It’s a stand-up comedy routine by Don McMillan, a PHD-holding comedian, called “Life After Death by PowerPoint.” His bit on PowerPoint is hilarious… and also very true. Enjoy!
Posted in New tools and ideas, Teaching and learning strategy
Tagged humor, new ideas, PowerPoint, presenting
PowerPoint is just one of those things in life that we, as educators, will have to encounter, whether we like it or not! If done right, it can be an asset to our teaching toolbox. Since we’re going to be using it at some point, let’s become more efficient! Here are a few tips that will kick-off the new “10 Hot Tips” series. Enjoy!
Posted in Tips and techniques
Tagged 10 Hot Tips, Classroom Technologies, PowerPoint, presenting, tech tips
Yes, I know, this is very strange. Two posts in one day?! This could mean one of two things; I’m either procrastinating and avoiding my other duties, or I’ve found something really cool and just had to share it right away! Or… it could be due to both reasons (*cough*).
“Note & point” is one of the coolest blogs I’ve found in a while. If you’re looking for PowerPoint or Keynote presentation design ideas, this is the place to start. You can even download PDFs of the featured presentations. If you’re like me, and always trying to create more interesting presentations, check it out!
I’ve been doing it wrong all along, and so have you!
Garr Reynold’s approach to presentation design is fresh and effective. As referred to in this previous post, we follow many incorrect conventions when creating our instructional material. The madness must stop! Here are a few ways to find the path to presentation zen:
And, of course, consult with your campus Center For Teaching and Learning for assistance!
Posted in Teaching and learning strategy, Tips and techniques
Tagged blogs, new ideas, PowerPoint, presenting, teaching strategies
Have you seen the Educause website yet? If not, what are you waiting for? Educause is a great resource for educators. Among those resources is their “7 Things you should know about “ series, which provides information on emerging instructional technologies in plain English!
Here is a link to one such article that relates directly to our last post:
7 Things You Should Know about Clickers
(Next to “view this resource,” click on the PDF icon.)
Posted in Classroom Technologies
Tagged Classroom Technologies, PowerPoint, presenting, TurningPoint, web resources
We’ve all been through this nightmare – sitting in a dark room, staring at a screen filled with clip art and an endless army of bullet points while the presenter reads the slides aloud, as you struggle to stay awake. Oh, the horror! Is this the best way to present information to a class? Of course not! Then why subject your students to that same torture? Stop PowerPoint before it harms more students!
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