PowerPoint for Social Studies

If used effectively, I believe that PowerPoint can very a very useful tool in a social studies classroom. It’s unavoidable to lecture some of the time for this subject area, so PowerPoint can be a useful aid during the lecture. They should be a guide in helping students take notes. The key is to make it useful for the students, and not a distraction.

There are many positive uses for PowerPoint. One way to do this is to put up names and dates, so that students who are visual learners can still keep up with the lesson.  Some students cannot pick up some of this information just by listening, so having the correct spelling and dates can be really useful for them. It is also helpful for showing pictures and documents, perhaps instead of printing them and passing them out.  Showing pictures can really help a student understand a concept or time in history that students may not completely grasp. For example, when teaching a lesson on trench warfare in World War I, a concept that students may not be familiar with, you could show pictures of the trenches. The pictures will really show how life in the trenches really is. Also, PowerPoint’s can be used multiple times a day, and can be used in subsequent years.  Once a presentation is made, a teacher can use it for all the applicable classes throughout his or her day. This eliminates needing to write information on the board, and worrying if you have dry erase markers or chalk.  And depending on the grade level, PowerPoint’s can assist students who have missed class.

While PowerPoint has positives uses, there can be some negatives also associated with it in a social studies classroom. One factor is that it can be a distraction, especially if there are a lot of words and information on the PowerPoint. This is especially true if the slide is not directly related to what the teacher is talking about (i.e. if the teacher delays going to the next slide). Additionally, some classrooms may not have the proper equipment to present a PowerPoint presentation. And along those lines, there can always be technical problems that may cause delays.  

Technology Autobiography

Our generation is unique in the way we have been expose to new technologies. We are at the age where we still remember bulky cell phones. We remember dial-up Internet. We weren’t born into a world with all this technology at our disposable. It evolved in our lifetime. We saw the advent of camera phones and colored screens and texting, as well as phones that carried the Internet and MySpace. We experienced the thrill of being able to access Facebook from our LG enV phone. Every aspect of our lives has now changed to cater to this new age of technology.

The third most important piece of technology in my life is my computer. We had a Mac when I was growing up that I used to play games on. It wasn’t until fifth grade when we started using the computer for projects and assignments. It was so novel, so exciting to be able to take a break from pencil and paper. Now, typing up assignments is required for almost every assignment in school, even small ones. My computer is essential to my academic success. It has everything I need for class and enables me to complete my work.  One of the most important negative aspects of the computer is your health. It’s bad for your eyes to be looking at the screen too long. Also, most people do not practice proper posture and wrist positioning, which can cause pain.

The second most important piece of technology in my life is the Internet. It became most important to me when AIM and MySpace became popular, but it is now important to me in regards to my academic career. Online journals and newspapers archives have become very important to my major and me. Online library catalogues are also very helpful because I can browse the catalogue from home and then go to the library with a list of call numbers for the books I need. This has made writing papers and doing research much easier than it used to be. The downside to this is how easy it is to put information out on the Internet. This means that not everything you read on the Internet is true or verified. This is why Wikipedia causes so many problems in schools. As we grow up and use the Internet more and more, it becomes easier to tell what information is reliable. However, younger students may not and it can cause a problem for them in the future.

The most important piece of technology in my life is my smartphone. I truly use it for everything. I check my Facebook, twitter, and email exclusively on my phone. I rarely use the computer for doing that. I also use my phone as a camera, music player, nutrition tracker, alarm clock, weather checker, bank record, GPS, and much more.  I literally have the world at my fingertips. The downside to this is the anxiety of always needing my phone right there. I rarely ever actually use my phone in class, but I always want to have it right on my desk. In other cases it is a distraction and keeps me from schoolwork (usually readings).  

These three technologies have definitely changed the way in which I learn new information. My smartphone has changed the speed in which I am now accustomed to getting my information. Four years ago I would have had to wait to check my email until I got home, but now I can check it every ten minutes. I can also get news updates from my twitter. The Internet has changed the mode in which I receive new information. Instead of getting information from textbooks, I can get it online. I have a larger database to browse through while doing research. And the computer had made new information accessible and all in one place.

Much of what was said in the video holds true for me and my three technologies. The first student in the film says that technology is convenient, no matter what you are using it for. This is very true for me, and it is represented in my smartphone. It is no doubt convenient, and I use it for academia and leisure.. A few people in the clip mention using technology for gaming and programing and creating websites. This is definitely something that I cannot relate to. For some people it is a part of their life, but I would never include those as essential technologies for me.