As I read the assigned chapters for our second set of Reading Notes, I noticed that some of the guidelines for teaching now are completely different compared to the guidelines that I had to uphold as a student. Both Davis and Lang mention how teaching techniques change over time, and especially as new technology is tested and implemented. One of the ideas which kept replaying in my mind as I read was that I must let go of my previous notions regarding how material should be presented, since everyone has different learning styles.
I was taught to regularly use PowerPoint as a main method to present my assignments since you can always incorporate different types of visual aids into this type of technology. After reading through Davis’ and Lang’s ideology behind technology, they both mention that PowerPoint should not be used all of the time, and it actually should not be used for the full class period (Davis, p. 453). I believe we should discuss this in class because I think many of us use PowerPoint for a majority of lectures. Even if I am assigning a class activity, I still tend to use a slide in PowerPoint to list the directions of the activity/assignment. It may be a great idea to discuss what sort of material should be listed on a PowerPoint slide, and which types of material should be placed on the board, or shown with an overhead projector.
This leads me to the second topic I feel we should discuss in class. We try to use PowerPoint and possibly other forms of technology to teach students during lecture; however, are we all falling into the trap of deciding what should and should not be covered in class? I have mentioned to my students on the first day of class that they are responsible for all the material in the chapter, and that I will use lecture time to focus on some of the main ideas. Our textbook chapters have a lot of information, and we have a limited amount of time to spend on each chapter. How do we know which materials to cover, and which materials to leave out? Davis suggests limiting the amount of points we make in a lecture since, “research shows that students can absorb three to five points in a fifty-minute period” (p. 159). The chapters in the textbooks we may be using have well over five points per chapter. Are we putting students at a disadvantage by not discussing a majority of the chapter? Or, are we hindering students’ ability to learn by giving them too much information to begin with?
I believe a great way to help combat “information overload,” inside the classroom may be through new technology such as lecture capture (Davis, p. 136). Davis explains how certain instructors feel that uploading their lectures may result in a decrease in attendance. What may be worth discussing in class is the idea of using lecture capture to supplement what is being taught in class. Maybe we can have students prepare for class by doing the assigned readings and watch a video lecture. When the students come to class, they have the video knowledge from part of the chapter, and then we would only need to cover other bits and pieces within the allotted class time. Then again, is the time we use planning, taping, and posting the lecture captures taking away from other types of preparation we could be doing for the same class, or other classes?
I was taught to regularly use PowerPoint as a main method to present my assignments since you can always incorporate different types of visual aids into this type of technology. After reading through Davis’ and Lang’s ideology behind technology, they both mention that PowerPoint should not be used all of the time, and it actually should not be used for the full class period (Davis, p. 453). I believe we should discuss this in class because I think many of us use PowerPoint for a majority of lectures. Even if I am assigning a class activity, I still tend to use a slide in PowerPoint to list the directions of the activity/assignment. It may be a great idea to discuss what sort of material should be listed on a PowerPoint slide, and which types of material should be placed on the board, or shown with an overhead projector.
This leads me to the second topic I feel we should discuss in class. We try to use PowerPoint and possibly other forms of technology to teach students during lecture; however, are we all falling into the trap of deciding what should and should not be covered in class? I have mentioned to my students on the first day of class that they are responsible for all the material in the chapter, and that I will use lecture time to focus on some of the main ideas. Our textbook chapters have a lot of information, and we have a limited amount of time to spend on each chapter. How do we know which materials to cover, and which materials to leave out? Davis suggests limiting the amount of points we make in a lecture since, “research shows that students can absorb three to five points in a fifty-minute period” (p. 159). The chapters in the textbooks we may be using have well over five points per chapter. Are we putting students at a disadvantage by not discussing a majority of the chapter? Or, are we hindering students’ ability to learn by giving them too much information to begin with?
I believe a great way to help combat “information overload,” inside the classroom may be through new technology such as lecture capture (Davis, p. 136). Davis explains how certain instructors feel that uploading their lectures may result in a decrease in attendance. What may be worth discussing in class is the idea of using lecture capture to supplement what is being taught in class. Maybe we can have students prepare for class by doing the assigned readings and watch a video lecture. When the students come to class, they have the video knowledge from part of the chapter, and then we would only need to cover other bits and pieces within the allotted class time. Then again, is the time we use planning, taping, and posting the lecture captures taking away from other types of preparation we could be doing for the same class, or other classes?
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