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ENGL665: Teaching Writing with Technology

Shelley Rodrigo, Author
Week 4: Sept. 15-21, page 1 of 5
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Kim NL3-Google Presentations

Prior to starting this program, I knew about the Google suite (docs, etc), however, I had only used it minimally. However, in the last few weeks I have become a convert--it automatically saves! I can access on any computer with internet access! I can share and collaborate! With that in mind, I decided to try out Google Presentations because I have never used it before. Once I started using it, I realized it is basically the same thing as PowerPoint. There were a couple of differences to note, however. For me, the best thing about Google Presentations was that it was easier to bring in images and videos from the web than on PowerPoint where images must be downloaded first and the embed code for YouTube videos must be tweaked before they can display properly. Some drawbacks I noticed were that there is a much more limited number of templates available to work with. Also, while adding images and videos is far easier, there doesn't appear to be a way to include audio. So if I wanted to include narration with a presentation, it doesn't look like this would be possible. I realized this issue when trying to find a way to have Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall" playing for one of my slides. I had to settle for just embedding a video. 

The most promising feature of Google Presentation to me is the ability for collaboration. Remembering the days of working on a PowerPoint for a group presentation and how difficult that could be (either having to coordinate all being in the same place as the same time, passing the file along one by one, or creating a Frankenstein presentation out of independently created slides). I think students would be really pleased with the ability to collaborate this program creates and the opportunities for more balanced work load through synchronous and asynchronous work. 


This week I looked at Mike's use of Mind Meister for NL3 and Amy's use of PowToons for BR 3.

This was the second time I've viewed someone's use of Mind Meister, but since I wasn't using a mind mapping program myself this week, what really struck me when viewing Mike's notes this week is how helpful they are for a shorthand note taking tool BECAUSE they minimize they amount of text/material you can include. If I wanted to quickly remember what New Learning Ch. 3 was about, Mike's map would help me quickly remember the content. Like Mike said, mind maps also make a lot of sense for in-class activities while presentation software seems better suited for out of class projects/assignments.  

For Amy's PowToons, what struck me the most is how professional looking the finished product looks. And with her observation that the program was relatively easy to use, I think students would be really excited to use this program and about what they are able to produce. I liked her idea of using it for narratives. I think students would have a lot of fun turning their narratives into videos like these and because it privileges visuals more than just text, students would have to think about how to visually represent their story. I'm curious about the amount of music selection. Choosing the right "mood music" could be a powerful tool in translating an essay into a multimedia project, but if there isn't much selection, that could put a damper on things.


In terms of the reading, I completely identify with the notion that "sleeping on it" really works. It amazes me how many times I am stuck on something or am not making much progress on something, but when I return to it the next morning, it seems so much easier or I am so much more productive. It's nice to know science backs up my own observations of my working process.

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Discussion of "Kim NL3-Google Presentations"

Very helpful!

Kim, this is a richly detailed overview of this chapter, and I plan to refer to it often! It seems like this program allows visualization of key concepts without relying too heavily on text. I really appreciate your use of the concept wheels and the word clouds -- I imagine this type of visual summary would be very useful when encouraging students working with source texts in research!

Posted on 17 September 2014, 6:57 am by Amy  |  Permalink

email

I'm still just happy about the email you sent; you used Google Presentation EXACTLY the way I've used it for years (have students fill in the slides).
:-)

Posted on 24 September 2014, 10:52 am by Shelley Rodrigo  |  Permalink

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