What is my personal style?

Understanding one's personal style is important to knowing how and what type of presentation technology to use.

My style is relaxed, good use of humour. The rapport in the classroom is based on trust, but we still have our distinct roles. I am still the teacher.

I use the chalkboard quite a bit. A quick sketch can enhance a student's understanding of a topic. It may not be as technically correct as a photograph or a slide show. But even a badly drawn sketch can be funny and add to the atmosphere in the class.

Interestingly enough, I have a student who is allergic to chalk.

I like to use technology in the classroom, but to augment what I am doing or saying, not to replace me as the teacher. I have one film that I show about the island of Crete, but I mute the volume and do all the speaking myself. I emphasize different points than the original voice actor.

I stop films all the time to emphasize what students are looking at. I have a number of powerpoint presentations, but they are mostly pictures and I provide the narrative.

Student centred learning is very important. Inquiry models, group research, debates, culminating activities, are all ways for students to learn on their own. This is directed learning because we give them skills and direction and the students find things out on their own.

The key is to vary the style and the form of delivery. Seatwork, games (Latin pictionary), puzzles etc. are all very good. I do have students present fairly often. In Junior Latin class they must present with some form of AV (does not need to be computer or ppt.) In CHW3M1 (world history to the 16th century) the students will do one 2 min presentation (oral, no AV), one 5 min presentation (oral, more polished, a photo of a famous person). One 5 min presentation with limited AV. One 15 min presentation with complete AV.

At no time do I require students to use presentation software. Students may present in skits, interviews, formally, or other ways (films).

But many students opt to use ppt. because it is relatively easy to master and can produce nice results.

Over the last several years I have kept a number of student presentations because many are quite good. I have also been putting some more complicated lessons onto .ppt so that they will save me time in class in the long run (less prep, less time at the board, clearer presentation.

A chief concern is whether changing technology will make some of my hard work obsolete in the future.

For now this is my style.

Cheers,
Dan