In this lesson, teachers will have an opportunity to demonstrate a sound understanding of the outlining tool in Power Point and a knowledge of a few other Power Point concepts. They will also get to plan and design effective learning environments supported by technology by developing appropriate learning opportunities that apply technology-enhanced strategies to support the diverse needs of their learners.

Theory Connection: Primarily Behaviorism/Some Cognitive

This type of lesson is really training and training lends itself nicely to behaviorism. With behaviorism, learning in small chunks and the use of rewards are key aspects. With teaching teachers something like Power Point, and especially with such limited time, I have found that giving them the material in small doses is quite effective. There is a bit of cognitive theory embedded in that the focus of the lesson is really to use the outlining feature of Power Point to keep their attention on content as opposed to the "fancy" part of Power Point.

Oh…here comes Mrs. Thompson. She looks rather haggard, but is smiling and apologizes for being late. I tell her that it is okay, we are waiting for a few more folks to arrive. (I am beginning to think that maybe I should not try and begin these classes until 3:00 PM)

By 2:55 PM, only one person is missing and I decide to begin. I welcome everyone and make sure to have them introduce themselves, as there are teachers from different buildings here.

I start by asking for a volunteer to go first to introduce themselves. Mrs. Trader raises her hand quickly and I say, "Great! Volunteers always get candy!" I give her the basket to pick a candy bar. There are big smiles from everyone, but especially Mrs. Trader. (Candy even works for adults! This is a good thing!)

Introductions are over and the last person arrives. I have her introduce herself and now, at 3:10, I finally begin the class.

"Let's start by counting off by three's. Will all the one's please meet in the back corner, the two's can meet over there and the three's can meet up towards the front of the room. In your groups, please talk about the various ways you present information in your classes. Keep track of the ways you come up with and we will come together as a whole group to share our ideas in about 10-15 minutes." (I am not sure about the value of breaking them up into small groups for this discussion, but I think it is somewhat beneficial in that they may be more willing to share and open up with smaller numbers at first.)

Groups meet and discuss. Fifteen minutes later, we gather as a whole group and I ask for a volunteer to go first. About four hands go up at once. I see Mrs. Witmer's hand first. "Great! Mrs. Witmer wants candy!" (Agh yes...behaviorism at work!)

Several others share and then Mrs. Trader says, "Wow! That thing is cool! What is that?" She is referring to the Smart Board. I give them a brief explanation about Smart Board technology and they all want to know where they can get one and how much they cost?

I take the time to explain briefly about Smart Board technology and tell them that such a board can cost between $1500 and $3000. Several of them say that they will tell their principal's about this and put it on their "wish list." (It would be oh so nice if they actually could convince their principal's to buy one for each of there buildings!)

"Okay...back to the discussion now. Given the various methods you all mentioned for presenting information to your class, what are some of the things you need to take into consideration when you are preparing your lessons, in any one of these manners?"

Most everyone has something to add to the discussion and they mention things like: amount of material, amount of time, availability of resources, class control/student learning styles, etc. I try and get them to see that planning a technology-rich lesson is really not that much different than what they are already familiar with. "When you are planning to do a lesson that utilizes Word or Excel or even Inspiration or Power Point, you still need to consider the same types of issues. You need to think about the amount of material you will cover, the availability of all of the resources (in particular the usage of the lab if that is necessary), the skill level of the class, the time available, etc."

Mrs. Thompson mentions that time is a huge factor and in her opinion, a big obstacle when she could present the same material without integrating technology with considerably less preparation time. I tell her that that may be true. However, I suggest that with technology, as with anything else new to her there will be some "upfront" investment time in terms of learning the programs, getting used to working with them, etc., but that ultimately, both she and her students will benefit greatly. "Technology is not going away," I remind them. This prompts a discussion about how student's are enriched by true technology integration. (I also can now use this time to talk a little about some of the things I have learned in this class, sharing some knowledge about how students learn and how technology can truly enhance student learning.) Part of my job, I remind myself silently, is to get teachers to accept and then to embrace technology. It is not as easy at it may seem, but it is getting easier.

Finally, we get to the "click zone," as Punya calls it. I ask them to log-in and open Microsoft Power Point. As usual, the people from off- campus schools will need to be reminded to change the domain so they can log in. Mrs. Witmer keeps getting a log-in error. She has forgotten what her password is. I try and prompt her memory. "This is the same log-in and password you use every day when you log in to your classroom computer," I tell her. "Oh," she says,"now I know what it is!" (I do not know if this problem will ever change or get better...not remembering passwords. I think to myself that I have good job security! However, I worry that in the fall when they require people to change passwords every 30 days, how much more difficult my job will be. Oh well...) Two other people have problems but manage to get logged on with a little help from me.

Everyone now has Power Point open. The computers are slow, especially for those folks from off-campus schools. They are working over the T1 Line. This prompts a brief explanation of the difference between fiber optic lines and T1 lines. (Dealing with these kinds of extraneous, but sort of related topics is always an issue for me. The question becomes, "Do I have the time to devote to this now?" Of course, these are also good teachable moments, in my opinion, so in this case, I opt for the diversion.) "Let me start by giving you a quick look at the Power Point window." I go over the various menu items and briefly tell them what some of the more important and commonly used items are. Specifically, I point out the view menu and the corresponding buttons on the lower left hand side of the screen. I take them to "Outline" view and begin asking them about what they know and what they teach their students about outlining in general. I show them how the tools work and get them to see that this is a great writing tool for themselves and for their students.

Once I do the brief tutorial, I ask them to each come up with a small topic or brief lesson that they would typically teach their students at the beginning of the year. I give them a few examples (classroom rules, what to do in case of fire drill, homework procedures, etc.)

Now they are each to begin outlining what that lesson would look like, being sure to focus on content. I tell them that they are gearing for a 7-10 minute lesson. (If I had more time for this class, I could make this longer and they could really do something they can use, but time, or lack there of, is always a factor in my teaching.) I give them about 15 minutes to accomplish whatever they can and I go around the room and help those who need help.

Again, I am on a strict timeline and must watch the clock. Unlike the classroom teacher who will see the same kids the next day to complete an unfinished lesson, I will only have these people in class for this day. I need to get as much in as I can in the amount of item I have available. (I know I can always follow-up with each teacher, and I typically do that, but again, time is huge factor for me. I am responsible for the training/development of 435 teachers and over 200 support staff. There is only one me!)

When about 15-20 minutes has gone by, I call the teachers away from the computers. "Hands up...this is a stickup," I say. "Candy for the first person I see completely away from the computer." Mrs. Trader is fast. Her hands are in the air as soon as I say "Hands up!" (Chocolate candy works so well with adults!)

"Now, let's talk about how to turn this outline into a presentation!" This is the part they have all been waiting for. I show them slide transitions, slide designs and custom animation. The room is buzzing. They cannot stop talking. They a re so excited about how cool this stuff is! (This is the best part of my job...seeing teachers get excited and motivated by technology. I LOVE IT!!!)

Mrs. Miller wants to know if you can add sound to these. I had not planned on showing them today, but I decide there is enough time and I show them anyway. Now, Mrs. Jobson wants to know if I can show them how to add a picture. Once again, I take few minutes and show them the insert picture feature. They are all tickled. I can hear them talking about what they will do with this when they get back to the classroom. I tell them that this is just the basics of Power Point. I try to get them to understand the real power in this program. I remind them again to think "out of the box" so to speak and to try and come up with as they might utilize what they have learned in their classroom immediately. I tease them with the idea of creating a jeopardy game with this program and how that can be such a valuable tool for students. I say "tease" because that way, when I offer a class on that topic, I know several of them will make a point of signing up for the class. I end the session with a Q&A and ask them to fill out a brief evaluation. I also pass around the candy basket and remind them that I need my job to help pay for my children's college education...not to mention my own. :-) They laugh, of course, because so many of them can relate! (All in all, this day went okay. No major glitches in the software or the lab.