Useful blog - please take the time

I came across this list of teaching blogs when looking on the internet and took a look at them. The depth of knowledge and intellect on display in them is quite awe inspiring; that teachers, who we know to be some of the busiest people can find the time to produce such polished works is amazing.

I took a look at the blogs, and was particularly taken by dontwasteyourtime

David Hopkins - a picture from his about me profile

This blog, written by David Hopkins, an e-learning consultant at Warwick University fully embraces much of what the internet has to offer in terms of social media. Mr Hopkins gives his readers a total of 20 different links to various sites that allow him to have a presence on the internet. Many of these I had not heard of before. About me, academia.edu, klout and future learn were some that were new to me.

Future learn offers free online courses and if we are so minded we can learn of many things, including the "methods & scientific underpinning of forensic science, from crime scene investigation to reporting evidential value within a case" and "how to achieve consistent and excellent results in all aspects of dental photography."

It is clear that the author is a technophile, and from navigating around his blog I have learnt much about what is available to teachers who are able to access technology and are inclined to use it. He provides his own reviews of a plethora of tools, gadgets and apps that are available. Often, these tools are not specifically for teachers, but the advantages that they confer (e.g. time-saving, organisation, engagement) are very useful for teachers.

In the short time that I've been looking at his blog I've learnt about tools I had no knowledge of, as well as more about tools I thought I understood. His style of writing is open and engaging, and it's clear that he has a passion for his subject.   

PowerPointless?

Of late, we've been learning more about the Microsoft package Powerpoint (PP). PP is a presentation tool allowing the user to create a series of slides which can contain a host of different types of information. This information is used to augment presentations. I have only given presentations a handful of times, and I have used PP a total of once on those occasions.

In my role as a teacher, there is not much call for me to use PP, as I work one-on-one with my students. However, a good working knowledge of the software will be very useful as most of my students are expected to give PP presentations as part of their course.

When I think about what may be asked of me in the future, or what I may wish to do then I think that having a knowledge of other presentation tools will be incredibly useful. I say this because as well as being useful for my professional development as a teacher at the Met University, I also work as a job coach, advocate and mentor for people on the autistic spectrum. Part of this role involves going into work places and helping my clients' colleagues understand the effect autism can have on people. I anticipate that being able to produce effective and memorable presentations will be of great benefit to me in this role.

Over the course of the ICT module, I've been introduced to several other presentation tools. Indeed, a brief look online throws up a wide selection. One that I've been impressed with is Prezi. I like the easy way that it allows for non-linear presentations to be put together. This is useful for exploring a topic with a group of people, when the discussion is more important than information the person giving the presentation is providing.