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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. 

As I have been talking to my kids about PL, I heard (and have feared) someone say, "So we're doing the teacher's job?"  I think, like most changes in education, it's going to take some convincing/educating the parents as to what PL is and the role of the teacher.  Of course, I feel that it's all about how it's presented.  If you get the kids to understand their role and the teacher's role, you may not have these issues.

This needs to start in elementary for it to be truly effective; I don't think we can expect secondary students who have not been taught how to learn in this environment to suddenly run with personal learning. While many of them think it sounds great, they haven't been conditioned to independence in their learning. They want everything provided for them and often don't know where to start when set off on their own. We need to teach students how to learn in this manner in order for it to be successful.

This is a systematic problem that needs to change in order to make PL work.  Restricting access is not the answer, and I believe we'll get there as a society.  If we want real life, the students need to understand when it's acceptable to do what.  I already know my students will struggle with this issue, but if they're engaged in their PL, they may not need those distractions.  As with any classroom management issue, expectations will need to be established and enforced when violated.  We read that adults even struggle with using technology appropriately in the workplace, so of course this will need addressed with students.

On that thought, will our lifting those access restrictions at the elementary through secondary grade levels assist learners beyond the K-12 walls with using technology appropriately? Would it reduce the occurrence of workplace and adult inappropriate use of technology which seems to be sadly common place today?

We have so many problems with restrictions on our devices. At our school, teachers have the same filters as the students also! They give us no passwords for administrative access or even the WiFi. How can we teach students to think critically when using the web if we simply restrict everything? Especially when it comes to teachers, this seems a bit demeaning. People will always use resources inappropriately. Unfortunately, that's just the way it works. Why restrict everyone due to the poor actions of a few?

I feel that this is where we are at as educators as well.  We need to "learn by doing" because a lot of us are doing a job we were never trained to do...and I'm not even that old!  I currently have a student teacher, and she's amazed (and a little scared) at what we're doing with our students with blended learning and also standards based grading.  She hasn't even graduated and she knows nothing of either of them!  Get ready, honey!  :)

As much of this as we can implement in our class is a step in the right direction.  We can only control so many variables of the school day, and that's ultimately what is holding a lot of us back from implementing true PL.  

We do SOOO much on Google Drive in our school, I'm interested in seeing how we could use them together or if this would be separate.

In taking a glimpse at the Symbaloo EDU page, I was glad to find out it's compatibility with tablets. My students have personal Chrome Books, we often find certain apps and programs that aren't available to use with these.

I think this statement is very important for the heading why PLE's are beneficial. Showing learning can take place in both formal and informal settings. Often with the push to meet the standards and standardized tests teachers feel the need to focus on the formal learning setting, however the informal learning setting can actually prove to be more beneficial in my opinion.  

This has been true for centuries, yet our schools still function with the thought that things must be learned in the classroom. That thought is starting to shift and progress has been made, but we still have a long way to go to change some mindsets.

I love getting updates from friends teaching through outdoor classrooms or non traditional settings.  They always share the successes but also acknowledge any difficulties.  Trouble shooting is key for those making shifts to PLEs.

These are critical steps! We can't just assume students know how to do it. We have to teach them the skills either at first or as you go along. Throwing students into the situation is setting them up for potential failure.

Agreed Kim! I also made a comment earlier about student motivation factoring into this too

I use symbaloo for my library resources. I am able to embed it on my library page. What I like is that it gives the students the direct link to many of the resources without them having to hunt for them. There are times that I want them to do that, but sometimes it just needs to be quick and Symbaloo works well for that.

I like the links readily available for a teacher's specific unit. Symbaloo helps students stay connected to assignments and increases efficiency of finding information.

I really like this idea. I have never really explored Symbaloo enough or thoroughly enough to use it with students. I would like to explore that possibility more as part of my personal learning plan

I thought that was an interesting idea also.  We've discussed Symbaloo for years but I hadn't considered students creating their own.

I like the clean look of it. People get easily lost in many online sites. Symbaloo forces you to find the key sites. This can really force you to find the best of the best.

This is definitely a concept that we need to teach our students. Cooperative/group learning was something that I did not like growing up as I was usually the one most responsible in the group and ended up doing most of the work. We need to teach all of our students how this concept works so that it can be successful for all.

Very true for this to be successful.  I think a step before that is to do an in-depth training for staff.  So many times new methods and teaching tools are dumped in our laps without training, supports, or guidance.  PLEs could have lasting, powerful effects on students so I'd make sure it's all staff not just teachers to benefit from training.