What?
This week we learned about Picassa and how it is used. We took pictures last week with our digital cameras to add to Picassa this week. In class we learned how to make a presentation in Google Presentations using Picassa. Kristina, Matt and I created out presentation and finished it during class.
So What?
Picassa and the presentation project that we did are going to be great resources for my future as a teacher, student and colleague. As a teacher, I plan to use Picassa for our classroom projects where we use digital cameras so that we have a place to store our pictures. We can also use them to create presentations on different subjects that we are studying at the time. I found many websites that give ideas of lesson plans that can use digital cameras and then I can incorporate Picassa and Google Presentations.
As a student, I plan to use this program instead of Power Point. Power Point and Google Presentations are new to me. I had used Power Point twice before this class and just learned how to use Google Presentations. They work very similar but I now know how to use presentations and Picassa together and it was very simple. I plan to use Google Presentations for any future presentations that I have to do for my other classes as well. I feel more confident using Google's tool.
As a colleague, I plan to use Google Presentations and Picassa when I have to do a presentation in front of my other colleagues in meetings. One of the huge benefits of using Google Presentations is that we can work on this project with our team because we can add whomever we want so that they can also work on the presentation. So, any presentation/project that has to be done can be done on our own time if we are working with others because we'll all have access to it. I think this is an awesome feature!
Now What?
This technology means that I can put pictures that we've taken in class (my future class)and make a presentation about whatever project we were working on. This information allows me to use more technology in my classroom and I can involve the students in the projects (picture taking, adding them to Picassa and then making the presentation). I can put the students into teams and have them create their own pictures and presentations on a given topic. I think that they will enjoy doing these assignments plus they can collaborate with the other students in their teams when they are at home since they can work on the projects even if they aren't together.
I feel that this information will help me to be a better teacher because I will be more aware of the many different types of technology that can enhance my student's learning. It also allows them to do some hands on work which is how some of the students do their best learning. It will also prepare them for the future and they will be confident in their technical abilities in the future. It will help me to be a better colleague because I have knowledge of the different technologies available. I can bring more knowledge to the table that will benefit out team. Like I stated earlier, it will help us to create better presentations as well.
I am really excited about Picassa because I can use the program for my own family as well as for my future classes. Each week I am surprised at how much information is out there that I don't even know about. This class is definitely good for me because I am learning so much and plan to use it all.
Video Reflection
The video was pretty funny! I think the guy that was presenting had some good pointers and did it in a way that was entertaining. Some of the pointers that I got from him were:
1. You don't have to put every word that you are going to say on the slide. I have noticed that a lot of people try to pack too much info into the slides and it looks really messy and boring.
2. Make sure you use spell check. He said that spell check is there to help you find the words that haven't been spelled correctly, use it! It cracks me up when my professors spell things wrong on their presentations because they require that we have everything spelled correctly but they don't. (Not all of the professors, just a few of them...)
3. Avoid excessive bullet points. This is a good reminder. I sometimes do this and need to remember that not every bit of information needs to be on the slide. I can verbally tell the information to the class too.
4. Bad color schemes. So many times I've seen presentations that are hard to read or see because the person used yellow or too light of a color. Stick with darker colors which are easier to see.
5. Too many slides. Keep the slides to a minimum. If you are switching from slide to slide and there are too many, your presentation can quickly get boring.
6. More data doesn't equal a good presentation. Enough said.
7. Too much animation. Too many things happening on a slide can be confusing.
8. The type of font you use says something about you. He mentioned that if you use the default font it looks like you're boring and can't make a decision. It was pretty funny. He says that you should choose something easy to read but fun.
I liked the video for this week!
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