Instructional Technology and Media for the Classroom

1. Instructional Technology and Media for the Classroom

2. Why Use Visuals? • The audience is 43% more likely to be persuaded • Same material can be covered in 25-40% less time • Retention is improved up to 38% • David Peoples (1992), Presentations Plus, John Wiley and Sons.

3. Why Use Visuals? • The presenter is perceived as being • More professional • More persuasive • More credible • More interesting • Better prepared • David Peoples (1992), Presentations Plus, John Wiley and Sons.

4. Chalk/White Board Flip Chart Posters Actual Objects Flannel Board Bulletin Board Opaque Projector Overhead projector Slides PowerPoint presentations Films and Videos World Wide Web Computer software Miscellaneous embedded objects in plastic resin words written on glove fingers Types of Visual Media

5. Chalk/White Board • Every room has one - use them • Write LARGE and legible • Always title what you put on the board • Compartments of the ruminant stomach • Parts of the flower • Don’t teach to the board • Avoid turning your back to the students for long periods of time

6. Flip Chart • Can be prepared in advance • Easy to make and use • A good change of pace • Relatively inexpensive • Can utilize color • Portable • Turning pages reveal information and paces your presentation

7. Posters • Portable • Good for diagrams, illustrations or collections • leaves • insects • seeds

8. Actual Objects • Whenever possible, bring actual objections into the class • sparkplug • oxy-acetylene rig • plants • chicken • tools • Keep the object out of sight until ready to use (play on curiosity)

9. Flannel Board • An “oldie” but goody • 3 x 3 Board is covered with flannel • Pieces of flannel are cut out in shapes and stuck to the board • Great for teaching landscape design • Words can be written on strips of paper (with little bits of sandpaper glued to the back)

10. Bulletin Board • Can communicate information • Should be changed regularly • Good activity for students

11. Opaque Projector • A real dinosaur • Used to project pages of a book or actual objects (provided they are thin)

12. Overhead Transparency • Can cover more material • Prepared in advance • Face the class • Professional looking • Can skip material • Can use a “cheat” sheet easily • Can use over and over

13. Slides • A smart teacher will carry a camera at all times • Slides of student projects make excellent teaching aides

14. PowerPoint Presentation • Used by cutting edge teachers • Has various features that can hold the classes attention • Projected through: • A LCD projector on the overhead • A converter hooked to a television • A video projector • More later...

15. Films and Videos • Films and filmstrips are rapidly disappearing • Sources of Free Videos • Venard Films • Farm Film Foundation • At the start of the year, order videos for the entire year

16. World Wide Web/Computer Software • Thousands of agriculture sites can be accessed • There is considerable agricultural software titles • They can be projected using the same technology as PowerPoint presentations

17. Principles of Designing Visuals • Avoid using all upper case • Eliminate unnecessary words • Use consistent fonts, sizes and weights • Remember the six-by-six rule • Limit type faces and type sizes

18. How big should the letters be? • A transparency held up (no projector) should be readable at six feet. A A A

19. How big should the letters be? • You should be able to read a slide held at arm’s length. A A A

20. How big should the letters be? • For computer generated presentations, use the pre-designed templates in the presentation program • If electronic presentation on television, use a 40+ font, sans serif AA A

21. Color and Design • Dark colors make the best background for slides and slide shows • Light colors are best for overheads • Use clip art sparingly • Keep the same design through out the presentation

22. Electronic Presentations • Don’t get carried away on different transition effects! • Use sound in moderation • Use animation in moderation

23. Major Presentation Programs • PowerPoint • Harvard Graphics • Corel Presentations • Astound • Freelance • Persuasion

24. Steps in Preparing a PowerPoint Presentation • Open the PowerPoint Program • Select a template • A template is a predesigned format for a presentation. I say, er I say how many templates comes with PowerPoint?

25. Sound • CD tracks can be played!

26. Preparing Presentations • After text, graphics (clip art and video), and sounds are in the presentation then: • Make text builds, animations and slide transitions • Slide Show - Custom Animations • Add other special effects • Slide Show - Action Settings • Quick and Dirty shortcuts

27. Adding Pizzaz! • For simple animations, insert a clip art graphic on to your slide and then add an appropriate animation effect from the “slide show menu” • A sports car clip art was placed above this red section on the right edge. • Then “crawl from left” was selected from the animation effects menu.

28. Non-Linear Presentations • Prepare all your slides • On the “home” slide insert clip art, objects or words for people to click on to go other places • For each launch point: • Slide Show • Action Settings... • Hyperlink to: • Slide Click here to see an example

29. Odds and Ends • Links to Web sites can be inserted in PowerPoint (must have the URL) • If the computer is connected to the Internet, you will go to the web site • Slide Show • Action Settings • Hyperlink to: • URL http://www.presentations.com/

30. Odds and Ends • YOU can put your PowerPoint presentations on the World Wide Web in less than 10 minutes (provided you have access to a web server)

31. Teaching with the Web