Wednesday, July 7, 2010

President Obama: Incredible Speech!

Death by Power Point -
PowerPoint has been my saviour as I have begun this interesting journey from suburban GP beavering away in my office to University academic out in front of a class room of gen y students.
I started my academic career as a slightly anxious public speaker, but deep inside I aspire to be a performer.
Today in ED6111 we learnt the rules of Power Point presentations but what about Simple Good Speaking. Are there some simple rules to guide us I hear you ask? Ask and you will receive:-



Engage from the moment you start speaking. Humour if you can but certainly speaking with courage and conviction don’t read your presentation, ever. If you read anything, you are a bad speaker.





Be funny. Look for jokes and comic approaches, and think of interesting and compelling stories. If you’re not good at telling jokes download some great graphics to illustrate a point but make them relevant. Ask questions of the audience – make them become involved. Look them in the eye and move around the stage or room to keep their attention. Be passionate and enthusiastic. Enthusiasm and charisma are more important than content because the students puts tremendous value on delivery. This doesn’t mean you can have bad content. Have great content. Deliver it even better.





Rehearse an opening paragraph and a closing punchy line and ensure that your content follows through with logical progression.





Ask for feedback but don’t get offended by constructive criticism. Public speaking is a skill. There are natural born speakers, but even they can improve.





Barack Obama is the consummate speaker – WATCH AND LEARN:









WHAT IF YOU WANT TO MOVE BEYOUND POWERPOINT






















Take a look at this. It helps you make the kind of presentations we dream of! http://prezi.com

death by powerpoint

Death by Power Point -

PowerPoint has been my saviour as I have begun this interesting journey from suburban GP beavering away in my office to University academic out in front of a class room of gen y students.

I started my academic career as a slightly anxious public speaker, but deep inside I aspire to be a performer.

Today in ED6111 we learnt the rules of Power Point presentations but what about Simple Good Speaking. Are there some simple rules to guide us I hear you ask? Ask and you will receive:-

Engage from the moment you start speaking. Humour if you can but certainly speaking with courage and conviction don’t read your presentation, ever. If you read anything, you are a bad speaker.

Be funny. Look for jokes and comic approaches, and think of interesting and compelling stories. If you’re not good at telling jokes download some great graphics to illustrate a point but make them relevant. Ask questions of the audience – make them become involved. Look them in the eye and move around the stage or room to keep their attention. Be passionate and enthusiastic. Enthusiasm and charisma are more important than content because the students puts tremendous value on delivery. This doesn’t mean you can have bad content. Have great content. Deliver it even better.

Rehearse an opening paragraph and a closing punchy line and ensure that your content follows through with logical progression.

Ask for feedback but don’t get offended by constructive criticism. Public speaking is a skill. There are natural born speakers, but even they can improve.

Barack Obama is the consummate speaker – WATCH AND LEARN: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R83xMWtEp7k

WHAT IF YOU WANT TO MOVE BEYOUND POWERPOINT

Take a look at this. It helps you make the kind of presentations we dream of! http://prezi.com

Monday, July 5, 2010

what is authentic learning

Patterns of engagement in authentic online learning environments
Jan Herrington Ron Oliver Thomas Reeves that
Authentic activities promote engagement
Some argue ( Petraglia 1998) learners need to be persuaded that they are participating in an authentic learning environment . But others argue that we need to be able to suspend disbelief as in a wonderful movie. Students themselves may find that such authentic tasks may seem not “academic’
10 characteristics have been listed
• Tasks must have real world relevance
• They are ill defined requiring students to define the tasks and sub tasks needed
• They require complex tasks to be investigated over a sustained perioe of time
• Authentic tasks provided students with complexity so that they must investigate from different perspectives
• Collaboration is encouraged
• They are integrated seamlessly into assessment
• They create polished product in their own right
• Authentic activities allow competing solutions and diversity of outcome

Digital Natives V Digital Immigrants

I have spent most of my working life in Leichhardt – Sydney’ little Italy. Immigrant culture is a wonderful thing . Come to a new world with an open mind and a willingness to work and you will learn by absorption and filtration. If you are set in your ways and do not leave the safety of the home you will scarcely move at all. The working man - even if he is a labourer and has no need of written English, but he will soon become proficient as he needs language in order to survive. He learns from his work mates. Whereas his wife can survive in the home without the need to expand her horizons. She can survive by staying in her own comfort zone. Shop where they speak her own language and use the skills of the rapid learners ( her children who are not afraid to make mistakes) Our students are our teachers in this digital world. I do and will continue to use them and learn from them.

Neuroplasticity is a concept that has been written about at length by Norman DOIDGE in the Brain that Changed itself http://www.normandoidge.com/normandoidge/MAIN.html . His hypotheses is that the brain structure is not fixed and that by immersion and intensive training, new skills can be acquired and old skills that have been lost can be regained. – Use it of Lose it

I therefore intend to leap in to this wonderful new age to acquire the skills and proficiency of the digital native. But books will always be a joy and pleasure. But if I am looking for up to date medical information I would always look on the net first.