Model Schools Learning Experience

Taken from State Education Department Learning Experience Form

SPEAK TO ME: Integrating Powerpoint into Middle School Science

Author: Karen C Hall
Date: January 1999
Title 3 Learning Experience

Taken from State Education Department Learning Experience Form

TITLE:

SPEAK TO ME: Integrating Powerpoint into Middle School Science

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• DESCRIPTION OF LEARNING EXPERIENCE

  OUTLINE

  Please provide the following information about each learning experience. Feel free to submit more than one learning experience. For each one submitted, use a separate Learning Experience Information Form and a separate description. Please number according to the outline below and be sure to write a response to all eight sections.

  LEARNING CONTEXT

  ELA 1.1 Students will acquire information from text and electronic sources to understand a science- based social issue.

  ELA 1.2 Students will interpret the information gathered into their own words and present it using Powerpoint.

  MST 2.1 Students will retrieve, process and communicate information as a tool to enhance learning.

  MST 2.3 Students will learn that science cannot answer all, and technology cannot solve all human problems or needs.

  MST 4. LE7 Human decisions and activities have had a profound impact on our living environment.

  Connection to Instruction

  This experience is currently being used in a middle school science setting, though it could easily be adapted for any setting. The intent is for the student to discover information about a science based social issue (Library Research skills and MST), summarize the information in his/hertheir own words (ELA) and present it to his/hertheir peers using Powerpoint and the desktop projector (ELA). Depending on the topic the student choosess, other Sstandards areas may be addressed.

  What Students need to know

  a) Summarization skills

  b) Powerpoint software and use of the desktop projector

  c) Oral presentation skills

  d) How to create a bibliographical citation

  PROCEDURE

What the Student does:

1. The student chooses a current issue as the basis for the summarization. The choices given include current periodical literature, an Internet article, and/or the Science and Society section from each chapter of the textbook (Glencoe LIFE SCIENCE, 1997 McGraw-Hill Co.).
2. The student summarizes the information from the article using a graphic organizer.
3. The information from the graphic organizer will be entered into the computer using the software program Powerpoint.
4. The student will present the Powerpoint presentation to his/her their peers using the desktop projector.

What the Teacher Does:

1. Creates a graphic organizer skeleton that will be used to summarize the information
2. Creates a mini-manual that can be used by the student to prepare the Powerpoint presentation
3. Assists (chaperones) middle school students with an Internet search
4. Models creation of bibliography
5. Gives a checklist and rubric at the beginning of the experience to present expectations.

INTRUCTIONAL/ENVIRONMENTAL MODIFICATIONS

Describe the procedures used to accommodate the range of abilities in the classroom, such as:

1. Students who work in the Learning Center or the Resource Room will create their summary with assistance. They are encouraged to read orally read and summarize one paragraph at a time.
2. Students who finish early are encouraged to add more than two sources of information, csomparing and contrasting differing opinion s about their topic.

MATERIALS & SUPPLIES

1. Article from periodical, Internet, or Glencoe LIFE SCIENCE textbook to summarize
2. Powerpoint mini-manual
3. Grading Rubric and checklist
4. Computer with Powerpoint software (MS Office package)
5. Desktop Projector
6. For the student, and For the teacher.

ASSESSMENT TOOLS & TECHNIQUES

(SEE ATTACHMENTS FOR ASSESSMENT TOOLS)Describe the:

1. The student’s grasp of his/hertheir topic is evidentanalyzed by his/hertheir ability to answer questions asked by the audience after presenting. Students in the audience are required to ask a minimum of 3 quality questions over the course of all presentations.
2. The summary is evaluated by the instructor for completeness and organization. The teacher will skim the article as the presentation occurs to ensure that all points have been covered.
3. 3. The student’s ability to use the presentation software and his/hertheir oral presentation skills are evaluated using the checklist and rubric.

• techniques used to collect evidence of student progress toward meeting the learning standards (e.g., observation, group discussions, higher analytical questioning); and
• tools used to document student progress (e.g., scoring guides, rating scales, checklists, projects, taped performances).

TIME REQUIRED

For each aspect of the learning experience, state the amount of time for:

planning

implementation; and

Assessment.

Planning : The students are given one week to choose the article they will summarize.

Implementation:

Day 1: Model summary skills, and perform the summary.

Day 2 and 3: Two 38- minute periods are needed to enter the summary information into Powerpoint and add the technical aspects of the program (font, color and background changes, add clip art, etc.) . An additional day may need to be added, depending on keyboarding skills of students.

Day 4-? : It usually takes about 8 minutes per presentation. This stage is dependent on speed of network, number of students, etc.

Assessment: Student assessment is done during the presentation phase of the experience.

STUDENT WORK

Send samples of student work that reflect the diversity of students participating in the learning experience

REFLECTION

Comment on the learning experience, including:

• how it might better meet the needs of ALL learner;
• how it might better support student progress toward attainment of the learning standards;
• how to expand the connections to other learning standards; and how it reflects current scholarship in your field and "best" classroom practice.

This learning experience allows the student to enhance oral presentation materials with "flash". Students that struggle with the written word can still excel at the presentation by learning the information and using the slides to jog their memory.

This experience has been changed for next year’s use to include the use of more than one source of information (for mastery), and inclusion of reference citations. e.