by Jim Bowling
"Wow! That was really fun! I want
to use this for all of my lessons!" These are very
encouraging words to hear from a preservice teacher who
was once computer-phobic.
In my "Computer Apps in
Education" course I teach soon-to-be teachers the
basics of PowerPoint. We include clipart, organizational
charts as concept maps, and downloads from the Internet.
By the end of the course, the students
have presented their slide package in front of their
peers as if it were a real class: worksheets, notes, and
so on. I am continually amazed by the creativity shown,
and the students often comment, "I didn’t know
I could do this!"
These tech presentations create a
learning atmosphere that addresses visual, auditory,
and—for those who are interactive—kinesthetic
learning styles. Now they have some rudimentary tools to
use as they enter the technological arena of the
classroom of the next century. With this small success,
they are more confident in tackling the more
sophisticated technology.
Yes, it worked for me in the classroom.
Email: Dr. Jim Bowling