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Evaluations and feedback are essential for effective design and delivery of a course. Upon completion of every course I teach a survey is made available for participants to complete (the return is around 80%). Questions presented to the participants are related to the course content, materials, connections to the curriculum and state standards as well as instructors knowledge, organization, support and availability. The information received from the survey will often times result in making some modifications within different unit/modules along with changes in the amount of time spent on a specific topic area. A pre-assessment (survey) is also sent to participants ahead of class to gather information on internet access, technology skills, knowledge of content, grade level and curriculum area. There survey includes an open ended question for other concerns. This has been helpful in gauging the amount of time needed for instruction along with customization towards curricular areas.

Knowledge of the content for instruction is significant. Participants for a course rely upon each of us as experts and look for us to provide the highest level of training possible. The worst impression one can present is the inabilitiy to respond accurately to a question or fumble through the content being delivered. We need to be continuously on alert and checking for changes or updates. I will often spend the night or morning before a class checking websites and links to make sure something hasn't been changed or removed.

Technology can be overwhelming to our students and if we are asking them to utilize specific tools we need to be available to provide support as needed. There are a number of databases that are utilized in my courses and teachers sometimes find it difficult to set up teacher accounts, create folders and save content to specific folders. I have already seen the value of creating a short video to walk-through the steps, instead of a phone call or face-to-face meeting. The short video used to demonstrate highlighting and annotations has spark the idea of creating video to set up teacher accounts among other items for certain databases used in my course.

Kathleen, I agree with you that technology can be overwhelming to students…adult or school age….maybe more for adults.  Right now I am teaching the Para Certification class to 42 adults, and I am amazed that some people do not know how to do the basic functions on the computer. But, I am determined that everyone will be successful.  Being new to online learning, I can identify, though, with the feelings of inadequacy or panic that my adult students have felt. When taking Ollie: Introduction, I was so appreciative of Mary's patience and help with technology.  Now Evan is assisting.  The video clips are very helpful.  A participant can see, hear, and then do which is multisensory.

I agree that video clips can be very helpful. My experience in trying to talk my mother through navigating her new iPad over the telephone reminds me of how futile and frustrating for all this can be. Providing a video and screenshots can be extremely helpful in helping to guide people in using technology that is new to them.

I appreciate the flexibility of the feedback and timely grading- when the assignment is done. This has been very helpful in trying to balance a career, household, and extracurricular schedules.

Timely and constructive feedback to enhance learning has been well documented in educational research for face-to-face instruction. I am finding as a student taking part in online learning, it is critical for me to have feedback to enhance my learning.  It is not about the grade.  I want to learn.   I want to know that I am understanding what is being taught and I can apply that learning. 

I think this is really interesting becuase I never really thought about how necessary it is to have a basic understanding of web design when one is an online instuctor. I guess it makes sense becuase you have to figure out ways to visually represent content to your audience. It seems as though the best online instuctors wouldn't necessarily be those with the best understanding of threir content, but rather the best understanding of how to communicate that content in an effective, visual manner.

I think this is a really important expereince for an online teacher to have, and maybe one that is taken for granted. Online teacher need to have the experence of what it is like to be an online learner to understand what works in online instruction and what doesn't.

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At this point in my online learning, as a student going through this class it is very apparent what the differences are between online teaching and face to face. I think that each instructor should be required to take an online class such as this to help guide them in how to be a more effective and helpful instructor.

This is another great idea. I am a very visual person. This would help me better prepare myself for the presentation.

I think sticky notes will work well for me as I like to be able to move things around.  I do this with students as a class activity and it works well.  I think it will work for the planning stage too.

I agree. I can recall information if it can be related back to me in some way. Make it relevant to the audience.

Never thought of having contrast in a presentation. Contrast does keep the audiences attention.

I know I do this often.  It's a balancing act to figure out what the primary point of each lesson and yet also provide enough background for students to know the why. I want them to be able to talk about the evidence-base. It's important to recognize that the why can be done in a simple way.

I do this as well.  Sometimes I need to let the background information come out as I'm talking and adjust if I feel I need to tell more as I find out their understanding.  Sometimes I give them way too much information when they would understand better if I kept it simple.

In the past I have planned my words first and the visuals were added later to break up my words. So I wasn't really looking at the presentation as a whole.  This is definitely a new and better way of planning!

This seems like it would be second nature to me, but I need to include more of this.  I use lots of visual examples, but this is different...using visuals to make points (rather than lots of bullets of information).

"So What?" Great question.  I want students to know some content in order to apply it to their own teaching and interactions with children.  If I am just giving them facts without asking the "So What? or So that?" question I might be overloading them.  This could help me learn to simplify

Weaving the facts into the story or connecting the facts back to the story will help them stick.

I know stories work when I see students use the stories or examples when they answer essay exam questions!  The story makes the concept stick.

Bullet points only make us think we need to take notes and memorize.  We rush to get them all down and don't pay attention to what is being said.  Stories help us remember!

I often find that with bullets, now that most people will send you the outline or hand it to you, that I just start making a to-do list with (look over this later) as one of them!

Some times I think bullets get a bad rap with Garr. I like them in many situations. But, they tend to be a crutch more than a tool in presentations.

Love this! I got a little distracted watching Kamishibai on youtube!

Larger fonts are also easier to read. It's very frustrating to watch a presentation where you have to squint.

I had an instructor at ISU years ago who used very strict word limits on essay responses. I learned to eliminate all unnecessary words and focus on getting right to the point.

Thomas- Interesting! I would have been in trouble in that class.

Sure but I think you might have fewer concepts and more slides but I get the point. Less is better

Ten concepts seems like a LOT!  

I remember stories so much better than facts.  I have noticed the kids in my class do too.  I have realized that when telling stories I need to think about the important details though and leave out the unimportant stuff.

This is probably why most people enjoy fiction more than nonfiction.  However, nonfiction can be in storytelling form too- true stories!

So true! Storytelling is synonymous with "narrative", not "fiction", since many true stories are just that... true and stories.

This is true, the problem is, I don't always know of a story to tell that has meaning to me.  However, even a story that doesn't have major meaning to me is easier to recall than a bunch of bullet points.

These are easy to remember and useful!

It is easy to remember, but might be difficult to implement! 

Maybe this means that delivery of content is often NOT where we should use PowerPoint! I think we have often been using it for the wrong purpose.

I'm definitely a normal human being.  Ten concepts might be too many for me even.  

This rule wouldn't work in the elementary classroom as a Kindergarten font would then be 3 or smaller!  However, I do think it is a great rule when working with adults.  If we are going to try to keep it to six words or less per slide then 30 font would work well.

Interesting equation! 

Great way to think about keeping everything in the right proportion.

This should be easy when presenting in a classroom and for me easy when presenting to teaching staff as well.  However, if I ever have to speak to a larger group that I don't know as well, I will need to do some investigating in this area.

I don't usually do this but have started on my final presentation in "analog mode" and it seems to be a lot more efficient so far.  I'm not very far along though but I do feel in the end I will feel like starting with paper and pencil will have been a great help with planning.

I never have considered this before, seems like it would be helpful in organizing ideas.

I can't over- emphasize how important this is for me. It might be just me, but it does help get my thoughts out there and then see how they connect.

Why don't students just read the book? Our job in presenting is to answer that specific question. The tough part is figuring out the why for each student.

This is such a solid point! When I go into a class or a presentation, I want to know that I am there getting authentic, tailored-to-fit instruction that I couldn't find elsewhere. This is what keeps the audience interested. I unfortunately know too many college students that would learn how a teacher lectures and from there decide whether or not they would need to show up through the semester in order to pass the class. As a presenter, you should always be indespensible.

Thomas, I liked the way you framed this. To a certain extent, the information we need to learn is prevalent in this informational age. In a way, teaching = presentation

I like this technique. I try to create stories that my students find interesting. Sometimes the most effective stories involve my past failures.

Stories are good, but only if they are not over-used.

I teach a business class and students so often try to write a business plan with flowery language and unnecessary details. Interesting to see the common threads between selling a business and selling a lesson.

Understanding your purpose for presenting can be very crucial. I was recently at a technology and literacy conference in Chicago. I went to the conference to collect strategies and network with other teachers for ideas. I also knew going into the conference that all of the presenters would inspire and motivate me as a teacher. This is what I was most looking forward to even though it wasn't part of the description for what the conference was about. Knowing how your purpose aligns with your audience's purpose is key.

This is so true! People make a change out of an emotional appeal that they have encountered that drives the change. Reason just helps justify acting on the emotional response for acting.

There is a fine balance sometimes working with 14-year-olds. Often, "fluff" draws them into the content - it seems that the "fluff" may have a place in what you say but not on the slide itself.

Heather, this is a good point. I think teachers are much better at this than other public speakers, and Garr is probably talking to non-teachers here. Teachers have quite a bit of expertise at telling a story and connecting it to the relevant point of the lesson. Maybe the only "danger zone" for teachers is spending too much time on the anecdote, but that is not a very often situation.

This is where the idea of having your own detailed cue cards is very important. If you aren't clear, you may miss the points you need to talk about due to the minimalist slide presentation format.

It also seems that in a classroom setting, when students can see you as being vulnerable and overcoming a conflict at some point, it helps them to be more willing to take risks in your class!

I think 20 minutes is appropriate for a pitch, not necessarily for a class period. That said, we wouldn't spend an entire class period on one point.

True. I think his general audience for this book is sales pitch presenters. Probably the better way of thinking about this is that spend 20 minutes presenting the info in the class, and the other 20 minutes is interspersed q&a with student, checking for understanding, handling classroom management, etc.

A 20 minute presentation would be perfect for my kindergarteners!

Great question to ask yourself before even beginning to put together a presentation.

Such a simple concept to keep in mind for success.

I'm guilty of this. on many occasions. more focused information with a one-page overview handout out after the presentation is my current thinking...

As I prepare my thoughts for my final presentation (which is what I'm currently working on for beginning of the school year) I think to myself: which three big ideas to I want to convey about Office 365 to all K-12 staff. My initial thoughts are 1) communication and collaboration, 2) access, and 3) simplicity.

I struggle with where to begin. If the software is easy, and not used for the final presentation -- like evernote or onenote, or a mind mapping program, I like to begin there. I like using my whiteboard, but it limits my access to my thoughts--unless I take a picture I suppose, but I prefer either OneNote in O365, or an engineers notepad to layout and organize--along with some stickies!

Selling points for O365 - collaborative, simple, accessible. done. :-0

Guilty. Again. Stick to the (mental) script...

Live performances. Authentic practice. I think live wrestling matches in practice and simulated races in dragonboat paddling: both make the real thing far less nerve-wracking. Preparation = confidence.

And engagement is key. I find myself much more engaged when a presenter related the facts to a story.

This is a good lesson. Especially effectively continuing on with the presentation with the technology acting up...

Good questions to remember even before beginning the PowerPoint! 

I have been a part of many of these types of presentations during professional development. 

I completely agree...these as the worst .. I dread PD for that fact...what do I remember from these .. nothing

I feel a presenter has a clear idea of where the presentation is going if they take the time to outline ideas beforehand. 

I have learned this in my presentations! The more I rehearse, the more I know my topic and the better I feel during the presentation. 

That is the problem I am seeing as I read through these articles. I know our school has only 5 iPads OR laptops per classroom, not nearly enough for each student to have one. This past year they did have enough ipads for ONE class set that the whole school had to share, which amounted to being once, maybe twice, a week for an hour to use. There is also a computer lab, but that too, is shared among the whole school. Further, many of our families are lower income and do not have access to computers outside of school so there is a gap in what technology can support for our students. My question would be how I can utilize adaptive technology most successfully with the limited resources our school has at this point?

I agree with this mindset! Technology is an excellent resource and a great tool, especially to be used in adaptive ways. I believe we should be embracing the good it can bring to our teaching in and out of the classroom, but I also feel like so many look at technology as replacing the teacher. For example, even though this class is strictly online, I still need the guidance and feedback from the instructor, sometimes even wishing for the opportunity for more direct instruction, in person instruction. Teachers should be growing and embracing the advances in technology without fear of being replaced by it.

My students use Lexia Core5 and Dreambox, and I do agree that these programs do a great job providing supplemental instruction!!

Yes, they do!! They also allow kids to work at the pace and level they need to be working on!

The crazy thing is not only will it not go away (which I don't want it to), but I feel like technologies in general move so quickly in the advancement and new websites that it is hard to keep up if you're not given a list of things to try.

I don't see why you would be worried about being "replaced" by a machine. The machine can help you be a better teacher!!

Wouldn't that be amazing!

I can see where this could be a great resource to inform a teacher of how to respond instructionally... a balance of data retrieved from technology, then the teacher support with instruction and reinforces the relationship component of learning.

I can envision more one on one time with students to conference, set goals and assess. It would allow more time for working with groups.

This would be a great benefit because I know I can't always check papers quickly and get them back. They can know immediately if they're ready to move on or need to go back.

As a learner now, I appreciate being able to do it when I can. I could see where this would be especially helpful to high schoolers with extra curricular activities, jobs and other responsibilities.

If you don't have buy in from staff, administrators or parents, then you go nowhere and waste a lot of money.

I think it is very important to have parents involved and on board, making sure they understand the purpose of the adaptive program..not just a computer game.

The great thing is that I have realized through this class is that there are so many types of "transformative" adaptive learning technologies out there with tutors and coaches!

This reminds me of the CSM Learn website I decided to investigate. It is an awesome way to mimic and give students what they need when they need it and assess their learning, problem solving skills and even their perseverance/frustration level.

As a social studies teacher this is something that interests me. At times while grading a test important information will be missed. This would allow a check before the assessment.

The continuous learning piece. Awhile back I was creating my own units and lessons. The hard part was the timing of quizzing on past concepts. Very cool that it is built in to the program.

I like this built-in technology/piece. I do something similar with my vocabulary with students (which is much easier to include)- every week they review/are quizzed on review words as well as new ones.

I like the idea of retesting about past information on every new test. It will help the students retain the information for more than just one test day.

Once again as a social studies teacher I deal with a lot of facts. Memorization is not a bad thing and at times is the most efficient way to gather information. My main objective though is to ensure that the information is retained.

As a social studies teacher I used to test over lots of facts, dates, figures. But that didn't test over whether or not a student understood the concept or big picture of what was really going on. I know test over very few facts/dates and more on big ideas and concepts.

I am in a rural school with over 50% free and reduced lunch. Being able to have something that could help students, and on a more individual level really has my interest. Just being introduced to this technology it seems to me that it would be a tremendous help in reviewing for a test.

This would be my concern as some interpretations of History do not coincide with what is commonly accepted as fact/the truth. A simple trial run by the teacher should validate the quality of the product and it's usefulness.

I think you're exactly right. The teacher would have to first check it over to see if it was good or not.

It sounds great. However, what if the student doesn't understand what the tutor is trying to teach. Would it have the ability to adapt to meet the student's need so he/she can understand it.

I think that depends on the system/program. Some will have multiple alternatives in case the student continues to make errors. If not, that's where the teacher's guidance/assessment still comes in.

Ultimately, it is the students choice if they want to dig into corrective of suggested help pathways

If every kid has a tutor that would make our job so much easier. We wouldn't have to use class time reteaching material or go over something multiple times to teach it to the kids who are absent for whatever reasons.

It would give teachers more time to build relationships and make connections.

It would be awesome to have more time in the classroom to talk to students about their interests and everyday lives.

I love how some of the programs (kahoot, quizizz, google forms) give me immediate feedback on how the students scored and a breakdown of the accuracy of each question. It saves me hours and hours of extra work.

It has been very interesting reading about adaptive learning and coming to the realization that I utlitze some of these tools in my own classroom already. For example, I use Google Forms with my students quite often. I love the immediate responses that I am able to see and also the ability to provide constructive and timely feedback to them as well. I actually use this tool to track my writing and reading conferring notes.

What a crazy statistic! 50% less time to learn the content and scored the same. It would free up a lot of time. What would we do with that time?

When I started reading this, I was like oh- what is the point, if they're getting similar scores? Don't we want this to be an improvement? But the time needed to learn is pretty huge. In a personalized learning environment, that means they can move on to the next topic to master or explore on their own. It also gives struggling students a chance to approach more content.

I agree, mgast, this is a crazy stat!! Hopefully, we would use it to do things machines can't do. Intensive intervention, one-on-one assistance, etc.

Sounds more differentiated than personalized.

Excellent point, Matt! We want students to have more say in what they are learning than just giving them recommendations, however, some students might need the recommendations...at least at first.

I wonder if this technology is good only for skills based content. I wonder if it may also be useful for students who need a challenge in the classroom.

Megan, Does it change the idea of advanced students altogether? In my mind, everyone would be learning in their zone of proximal development regardless of where they are supposed to be learning based on grade level.

We have been personalizing education since the beginning of time, but until recently we have not been doing at the scale tech will allow.

I completely agree Megan! We have the ability at our fingertips to do this yet we have been using our 1:1 environment predominately as through substitution.

don't see any non-linear approaches to the adaptive technology in my district.

I wonder what the long term benefits for students who completed learning this way.

I am glad they picked this area of focus. I know that this is the gatekeeper to post secondary education.

When I heard adaptive learning described as a "tutor" I automatically thought of Khan Academy. This resource is a tutor designed to help students of all ages in math. The content based resource helps ensure students get an overview of concepts as well as opportunities to practice skills and this can be altered based on student performance.

Tutoring today is a great tool. It used to be just sitting down with someone to teach it to you but now you can watch videos, use the internet, or teachers can video themselves and make it available for students.

It is discouraging to realize that there are people out there who feel "machines are replacing" teachers, teaching or basic jobs. As a teacher, I feel it is my job to expose my students to tools that will benefit them and their education. In the 21st century, this means they are using adaptive learning tools to help them do things that otherwise couldn't be done or couldn't be done as efficiently. I think this last statement was the most powerful. We can not sit back and expect that telling people these tools are beneficial will work.. we must continue to find the best uses for them and prove that they do.