On getting riled up about public school

I just read an interesting article advocating for the public school system and more or less against private schools, and realized that this exact dichotomy has been on my mind a lot. I'm a product of the California public schools, through the university level, and I'm currently a graduate student at a public university in Oregon. My children, the ones who are old enough, attend a public school. It's imperfect but worthwhile. We've exercised our district-approved right to choose their school, and have never regretted it. It's not our neighborhood school, and the commute is the one thing that bothers me about sending them there, but it's a small town and the drive is actually only about six minutes long and we walk or bike when weather permits. We chose this school initially because they offered a bilingual immersion program; this has been amended a bit over the years, but Spanish is still being offered for fourth graders and up, which I certainly appreciate. They also have a full time music teacher and the most culturally diverse population in the district. I don't think my kids would be exposed the variety of experiences and socioeconomic realities anywhere else in town, and I see this as a valuable attribute that private schools, at least the ones in my community which are all expensive and religious (neither of which would describe me!), can't offer. I'm finding that I just really believe deep down that though there are plenty of challenges, our public schools are not broken and that with enough enthusiastic involvement from teachers, parents, and other citizens the schools can be vibrant and inspirational centers of our communities.

Clear and to the Point: aligning Power Point design and presentation with NETS Standards for Teachers

Chapter 1 of Clear and to the Point (S. Kosslyn, 2007) outlines eight basic principles for successful PowerPoint presentations, many of which align with the ISTE NETS Standards for Teachers . The basic premise of the chapter is that by being cognizant of simple elements of human psychology we can avoid common pitfalls in the design of Power Point presentations, thereby streamlining the learning process for the audience. Following are the relevant standards and design/psychology principles.

Standard 1, part a: “Teachers promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness.” I will be teaching at the elementary level, where the use of Power Point is still somewhat innovative in and of itself. Regardless of authorization level, a teacher who uses this medium as outlined in this chapter will be exhibiting inventiveness and creativity.

Standard 2, part b: “Teachers develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress.” While all eight of the principles outlined in the chapter relate to this standard, the principles of Relevance and Appropriate Knowledge are especially related. When the presentation is customized for the knowledge level of its audience (a classroom of students), they will be easily able to be active participants, simply because they will be able to follow the lecture.

Standard 3, part c: “Teachers communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats.” Simply put, a clear, concise, and well designed presentation, whether it’s for students or colleagues, will accomplish this standard. Designing the bones of the slide show according to Kosslyn’s principles is a straightforward way to be sure that your message is not obscured or misunderstood.

Standard 4, part b: “Teachers address the diverse needs of all learners by using learner-centered strategies providing equitable access to appropriate digital tools and resources.” Conscientious use of design elements in a Power Point presentation, such as perceptual organization or compatibility will ensure that the lesson addresses the needs of all learners.

It seems to me that many of the principles outlined in this chapter are relevant to teaching in general, regardless of the medium. Assessing the audience before the presentation is vital; the teacher must understand what the students already know, and must provide just the right amount of information to be engaging without either boring or confusing the class. The basic design elements covered in this chapter are also very helpful; keeping relevant information easily accessible by the audience will obviously make for a successful presentation.