Day 12 - Going on the Road

How to Begin a Presentation
I learned to be concise and to the point when presenting to an audience and not to provide to many details. A good strategy I learned from the article was a good point of reference of whether or not your presentation is concise is to practice sharing your presentation while traveling from one floor to another in an elevator....very clever!

Tips for Presenting to Young Audiences

Although I have presented many times to young audiences, I was amazed at the great tips that I learned through this article. A few of them really resonated with me...

I must admit that I take young people's facial expressions to heart when I'm presenting....The author was right when he said, "Shallowness, insincerity and callousness are masks young people wear, but rarely indicate who they really are plague." This is a helpful reminder for me to ignore their "masks".

I also agree with the author when he says, make your presentation come alive. Middle school
students are the most challenging, in my opinion, to present to. However, when I speak from the heart or am just plain "real" with the students, I'm better able to grasp their attention.

The True Power of Simplicity was another great tip for me. As an administrator, I have to be able to toggle my language to match the audience that I am working or speaking with. It is really a true talent to be able to toggle back and forth from speaking with the various people in a school community...students included. :-)

5 Fail-Safe Tips When You Forget or Get Flustered During a Presentation
Provided some really cool tips, which I actually could of used during a presentation last week. :-)

While presenting last week, I actually lost my train of thought....a drew a complete blank as to where I was going with the slide and bulleted list...I could have tried the Fiddle with Fodder tip to regain my train of thought....if I could go back into time, I would have taken off my glasses, since I wear glasses, to verify my notes. Or, even better, ask the audience about the temperature and their comfort level....now, where was I? :-)

The Power of Body Language
I always try to be cognizant of my body language; however, I know that I can improve in some of the areas that have been outlined. I feel fairly confident with making eye contact with my audience, but may need to video tape myself to reflect on my overall posture, gesture, and body movement. These tips will help me tremendously as a further my administrative career. It will also assist me with my dissertation defense!

Day 11 - Use of Student Portfolios in the Classroom

I really liked the idea of using student portfolios to report student’s progress and involve parents, which was covered in the article Student Portfolio’s, Classroom Uses…

I would agree with the article that it is highly important for parents to be educated on the use of portfolios - in my opinion, primarily because parents are accustomed to the manner in which they were once graded/assessed as a student. Furthermore, change in general can be difficult for parents to accept.

I like the idea of using portfolios to compare achievement across classrooms and/or schools. I believe this to be a more authentic way for teachers and the school to individualize and highlight each student’s growth. However, I agree with the article that if schools are to utilize student portfolios school wide, standards and guidelines for assessing the student would definitely have to be in place for consistency.

In order for teachers to effectively use portfolios, they will definitely require the support of administration.

My school does utilize student portfolios school wide; unfortunately, we do not consistently practice sharing them with the parents...(not sure why this practice exists?)....At any rate, the student portfolio, in general, have been used for teachers to learn about the students as they enter a new grade level. As I begin to plan for the new school year, I was excited thinking about implementing the use of electronic portfolios; however, now I think I must first educate our parents on the use of paper portfolios, prior to launching the use of e-portfolios!

Day 10 - Student Portfolios...

Using student electronic portfolios have proven to be powerful tools, as illustrated in the articles under 'day ten' by teachers that are successfully using them.  

Reading about the many examples has inspired me to begin this implementation with my teachers.  However, I realize the vitality in being cognizant of not enforcing the initiative by a 'top-down' approach, as I'm currently taking a class on implementing change.  Instead, I think a better approach would be for me to begin by having discussions about electronic portfolios with a few teachers...(some that are 'go-getters' and perhaps with some of the 'resisters').  If and when, I'm able to gain 'buy-in' from the select teachers, then, I can begin to implement the use of student electronic portfolios.  I believe showing teachers examples of how student e-portfolios are used will also spur interest and motivate them to try them.....

Most importantly, I want to begin the process slowly, offer support, as well as help sustain the reform through providing training, funding, on-going support and by recognizing their efforts and successes!

Day 9 - Electronic Portfolios

Okay, I must admit that I'm having difficulty keeping all of this electronic portfolio information straight. :-( However, I think they are very powerful. They allow both students and teachers to share/ highlight goals, accomplishments, as well as reflect on their progress via the use of technology resources. With regard to electronic portfolios for teachers, they can serve as a useful way for sharing successful practices with others.

I think some people may feel overwhelmed using electronic portfolios at first, but with a little time, technological competency, and commitment, they can effectively be designed by students and teachers.

I'd love to see more of my teachers using these with their students...I hope to share what I've learned with them....hopefully I can inspire them!

Day 8 - Electronic Teaching Portfolios

The creation of a comprehensive electronic teaching portfolio is an effective way to highlight a teacher's goals, skills, accomplishments, as well as self-reflections.

Although professional electronic portfolio can be designed and presented in many ways, some key components to include are: personal background information, teaching artifacts, and professional information, such as providing a vita, examples of lesson plans and/or meaningful projects.

From an administrative stand point, I believe professional electronic portfolios to be a more effective way of showcasing one's skills and talents during an interview, in comparison to sharing a thick binder loaded with paper artifacts.

Day 7 Readings - Tips for Different Types of Presentations

Day seven readings Tips for Different Types of Presentations was right on time for me, as I’m preparing for a presentation this week. Although I have delivered many presentations, I must admit that I was feeling a bit nervous about this one. Why? The content is not my area of forte. However, after reading the articles, I feel energized and confident to tackle the design and delivery of my presentation!

What I learned:
I must be prepared and know what I’m going to say. If I don’t, the audience is sure to catch on to my feeling of uncertainty. Also, the two main objectives is to present the new information in an enthusiastic manner that will inspire. (These two go hand in hand, and do not work in isolation). Additionally, I must ensure that I include the following three components: facts and supportive data; examples or analogies that add meaning and context to the data and reasons this is important to your listeners.

Interestingly, using a storyboard is very helpful for designing any type of presentation. Personally, I tend to want to dive right into the presentation without mapping it out. The outline/storyboard will not only help with the overall organization of the presentation, but addressing difficult questions as well. (In my opinion, anticipating what a member of the audience might ask is the most difficult piece to presenting, as I must be well versed in my topic and respond as accurate as possible).

Finally, I must be prepared for the presentation. It’s true about the cliché “practice makes perfect”! A technique that I learned was to sing the information…this will help me memorize the content. Another technique I learned was to remember to speak with them, not at them. My job is to inform my audience in a way that is easy for all to understand.

Day 6 Readings – Multimedia Peripherals

I really enjoy taking photos, especially using a digital camera. The fact that you can delete those poorly taken photos is awesome! (Trying to get my mom to convert to using a digital camera...I know, everybody should own one by now. ;-)

The article that provided the Top 10 Tips for Taking Digital Photos was great! Not to toot my horn, but I do feel like I take effective pictures. I am pleased to discover that I am using most of the tips provided. Two were new to me: using the flash outside and move it from the middle.

I hadn’t realized that I could use a flash outside to reduce shadows on subjects. I always thought that if there was sun out, my photos didn’t require a flash. Now I know.

The other tip, 'move it from the middle', is something new that I will try. I usually aim to center subjects – I think it has to do with the perfectionist in me to always have things perfectly situated (centered, straight, etc.) :-0 I will definitely be more creative the next time I photograph an object/subject.

Regarding scanners, I think it’s great that this tool exists. Personally, I do not enjoy using them. ☹ Yes, they can come in handy, especially for scanning items that are pre-digital, (is that a word?)...However, I think it requires an extra step and additional work.