On this lesson I taught students how to create an Exit Presentation. The big idea here was to introduce them to Prezi as they create the last part of their Exit Presentation. It was my original belief that one of the challenges would be assessing growth and another concept would be the use of the right tools in order to convey the information desired. In actuality, the challenge was convincing the learners of the need to develop the skills required to use this and other web 2.0 tools. I used three pedagogical strategies, Discussions, Modeling and Demonstration, and Problem Solving. The theories I used are Informative Processing and Cognitive Constructivism. The learners characteristics I used focused on Self-Efficacy and Visual-Spatial Intelligence. For this lesson I used Prezi, a web 2.0 technology. The use of Modeling and Demonstration fit perfectly in how Prezi was taught. I believe that my choice of technology helped teach the big idea by showing the learners the flexibility of this web 2.0 tool and the professionalism it presents. I taught 12th grade students, and the lesson was easier to implement than what I had originally expected. Some were curious about the tool we were going to use which helped with the lesson. Other students did not see the purpose of using a tool like this. For this lesson students learned to use Prezi in order to create the presentation “A Plan For The Future”. By the end of the lesson, students learned how to create a proper articulated presentation using a web 2.0 technologies. They learned how to be prepared and organized in order to deliver an on time presentation with all the necessary aids and materials. They learned to balance the use of visual materials with oral communication.
One of the explicit assumptions, is that this generation of students have a much easer time using and incorporating technologies of this type for communication in social media. Another assumption would be that future learners will spend more time communicating through web 2.0 technologies more than face to face. One of the implicit assumptions, is that this generation of students can adapt to new technologies and changes in they way communication takes place. Also, this generation of students would prefer sharing, interactions, and communications with convenient web 2.0 tools. My first and foremost goal when presenting this lesson and all lessons is not focusing on the usual debate of depth vs. breadth, but to show learners how to gain knowledge. Therefore, the affordance for imparting knowledge this way is clear. It allows students to be more engaged in the given material, the true potential of the material shown can be tapped by the educator or it can be presented in a way that allows room for self-discovery. The constrains were always divided into two. First, is the abilities of the educator to establish a way for the student to be vested. This ability is displayed by the educator and its goal is to extrinsically drive the learners self-discovery. Second, is the ability of the learner to possess the intrinsic drive that will push to self-discovery.
Learning took place in a computer classroom setting, where students had the ability to use the program presented immediately after the lesson. The learning took place as a collaborative endeavor where students collaborated, and have the flexibility to answer their questions online through tutorials and other tools. Learning how to use Prezi was a problem based assignment, where students need to use adaptive learning as they discover other qualities and virtues of the program. These new qualities and virtues are integrated together with the existing knowledge, thus, providing learners with the capability to create original and innovative work. This lesson was an activity in constructivism, the whole point of this activity was to conduct experimental learning, which they currently have done through real life experiences, and construct the knowledge they will gain. The only aspects of behaviorism that I can relate to this lesson, go back to my belief in teaching learners how to learn. One of the accomplishments of this lesson, in a behaviorist perspective, is that the student were aware of some aspects of web 2.0 tools that fall within their level of comfort which is measurable. One of the unforeseen consequences of teaching students how to learn through self-discovery, is that now they have the training needed to investigate on their own, any web 2.0 tool they choose. Lastly, because learners had the ability to measure their knowledge and learn new knowledge, they can now change their original behavior. This lesson was intended to supplant the previous curriculum. This was done in order to enhance the learning and application of new and old material.
Since Prezi is a web 2.0 tool, with this lesson we had access to the internet and multiple ways in which people present this subject and learning through tutorials, online instructional sessions, etc. Because of this flexibility, this lesson can be easily be tailored to address the weaknesses of some learners. Due to the collaborative nature of this assignment, the important differences among learners were addressed as they leaned on each other as resources. The students were also able to go online to find answers to questions. Prezi is mainly used as a visual and engaging representation of the ideas shared, it is necessary that the learner and the educator both know how to create, copy, capture, and manipulate pictures using the software provided. This also includes familiarity with Creative Commons. Lastly, there must be some technological awareness factor, which at this point in time most students already possess. But it is possible that the teacher may not because they are not spending as much time online as students do. It is necessary that the educators know the tool being used better than the students. The only demands that are relevant to this kind of work are awareness and flexibility. Educators and other users must be aware and able to adapt, if necessary, the multiple tools that a web 2.0 program offers. The assumed knowledges that I consider important are the ability to navigate the internet, using picture editing tools, word processing tools, and that students understand how to create flow and convey an idea through other means other then their ability to speak.
In order to assess students, I provided and explained the rubric they will be using to present adequately. Second, half way through their completion I sat down with each student and went over their presentation. I provided input on the layout, style, information, flow, tools, and timing. I made it clear that this project hinges on their commitment to accomplishing it, and that when it is time to present they need to be ready. As an educator I know that this statement will only work for some of the students, therefore I also explained to them that this project did not only help themselves, it also helps their fellow classmates as they show other ways in which the assignment can be completed, thus helping other learners succeed.
I could say that technology was the lesson, thus, it plays an important role. The lesson relates to the learning and use of a web 2.0 tool. Technology offers the same level of advantage and disadvantage. Because technology and the use of the internet is center to the lesson, it provides an ample amount of information and freedom for knowledge growth and creation. On the other hand, this same freedom is its biggest disadvantage. For example, so much time can be spent online researching what needs to be done and how it needs to get done that nothing is completed. The use of Prezi allows for the ability to create a presentation that is interactive and can be magnified and/or reduced in order to deliver a point or an idea. This facilitates learning by providing the students with the capability to arrive at their conclusions in their own individual manner. Because of my assortment of students, my expectations of students responses to this technology was varied. I knew that some would see it s a waste of time while others could get lost in its potential. At the end of the lesson my expectation where met, but I’m happy to say that all student even in the smallest of ways were participating in self-discovery. All the students where curious about using Prezi, for some the curiosity turned into interest and for others it did not directly transfer into desire to use and learn Prezi. I had to make a strong point that the use of this technology had relevance to their future endeavors.
Finally, most of the student questions had to do with the particular capacities of Prezi. I was able to address them through scaffolding. The questions on flow I was able to answer as we walk through the idea they were trying to convey. Making sense was a progression in which students slowly moved through what they were doing. Beginning with establishing an idea and more specifically, what needs to be done for the idea to be developed. Following with the construction of their vision, writing of their script, and using as many tools as they though necessary. Lastly, taking the time to modify their final product in order for it to fit their original vision.
