Inauguaral Address

that's it. i've been avoiding it for years, but now it looks as though i have no choice. my words will officially go on the record for you to read. initially, they will serve my pursuits academically, but most likely will evolve to more. so here it goes...

in an effort to get the ball rolling, i figured i would discuss something that bothers me. powerpoint. in particular, educational powerpoints. do i use and make them? yes. have i felt like they were effective? sometimes.

my main question, though, is why do i feel like teachers think they are the only option? i think most teachers who don't put quality time into preparation, collaboration, and execution want to rely on a script. powerpoint is your answer. but why not more?

i remember one of the first examples of media i focused on at Full Sail was a clip that showed the differences in presentation between Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. Gates' presentation was full of visual media, graphics, and stimulating fonts that displayed while he regurgitated information. i was impressed, but didn't really retain anything substantial other than saying, "wow, that looked cool." Jobs, on the other, crafted his presentation through the art visual storytelling. i remember few slides that precisely illustrated the core of his presented information. it was very calculated, rehearsed (in the good way), and full of depth. i wonder which one helped me more as a learner.

i think educators can benefit from this model. make your classroom tell a story. turn your curriculum into a song or a sonnet. record your voice. make music. edit a movie. at the same time, help your students try to do the same...