Thing #14: Powerful Presentations

I remember when I was a student and had to spend hundreds of dollars each year to keep my resources up-to-date. Luckily, students no longer have to do that, as we have so many digital resources at our disposal. What I like about many of the options I just explored was how easy the were to use and how they could be used virtually anywhere. Some of the most common free resources to create powerful presentations are:

Of course, I am now a huge fan of Google Slides. This is not the first Google tool that I am just now discovering, but I absolutely love it. It is so easy and clear to use. Something that I absolutely loved about Google Slides was being able to embed YouTube videos directly into the presentation. This eliminates the possibility of inappropriate ads being displayed and just gives the video an overall cleaner presentation.

For my first time using Google Slides I chose to modify an old PowerPoint Presentation that I had made for my unit on the Civil Rights Movement. In my opinion, the overall appearance of the presentation was so much better in Google Slides. Check it out for yourself by clicking here.

Reflection

I loved my experience with Google Slides and look forward to using it in the future to both update and create new lessons. Thinking about how I am going to use this lesson with my students, I always spend a few weeks each year discussing the Civil Rights Movement with my students, being sure to add as much information as I can about the role of Detroit, both then and now. This presentation really brings this topic to life, especially when talking about Motown. I think that it is imperative that all students have access to appropriate digital media resources to really be able to understand what they are learning.

If I think about the SAMR levels that we talked about in previous Things, I think that this lesson is a great example of how a lesson can Augment student learning. Talking about music is one thing. Being able to experience it — see, feel, hear — is another. Most students think that they have never heard Motown music before, but once we start listening, they realize that they do know many of the songs! I think that the activities that would follow as a result of this lesson would allow learning to be redefined. Asking students to think about the role of civil rights in their country. Does discrimination still exist today? If so, is it the same or has it changed? Being able to use digital resources enables students to take their learning to the next level.