As I look forward to next week's endangered species presentation, I have the following thoughts.
Tech projects are not shared well in large, open house presentations. The open house presentations find the family members more interested in talking with each other. Plus the noise of the event makes it difficult for family members to thoughtfully interact with a detailed online presentation on a small computer screen. Yet, when you're sharing presentations for a large number of students, it is overwhelming to show all 25 at once. In the past, teachers planned the presentation for a few students each day. The parents of those children were invited, and it created a nice forum for student share with one another too. I will have to think of the merits of an all-class share vs. the merits of a few-at-a-time share as I approach next year's program.
This year's share will include Google presentations, short movies, murals, a class film, and a short introduction. To make the presentation special, we'll include the following.
- We'll make use of the outside lab and inside lab (if available) for student tech share from 8:00-8:45. That will give families space to pay attention to students' online presentations.
- At 8:45 we'll show the class film and I'll say a few words about the students' effort throughout the project as it is important to note all the learning details that go into a big project. At that time I'll also pass out a small recognition of a job well done to each child because often in a big share, individual efforts are not recognized.
- Finally, family members will have a chance to visit and view the murals and displays.
As education changes, our presentations and share will change too. The key is to think about the multiple student shares you promote each year, and determine how to make those shares inspiring, motivating, and enriching for children and the audience too.
