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crazyfrog
Kermitologist
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Joined: 31 May 2003
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Location: atlanta
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 Posted: 12/30/04 - 23:30 Post subject: poll not poll for students
what kind of lectures do you prefer? power point lectures or "chalk talks" where the prof lectures and writes on the board?
im getting stuff ready for teaching next semester and i thought i wanted to do ppt lectures, because my hand writting is less than stellar, and because i can only reach so far up the board. and because im afraid the chalk dust will irritate my sinuses.
but, im only halfway thru the first lecture and im tired of trying to lay out the presentation. now im not so sure that i really want to do this.
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Ms. Jenn
Fresh, Hot & Wild
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Posted: 12/30/04 - 23:42 Post subject:
POWERPOINT.
1) Makes you look prepared
2) Powerpoint lectures handed out as lecture notes are very handy
3) If the talk is interesting, backed up by interesting slides, the course will feel interesting rather than super dull and boring
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crazyfrog
Kermitologist
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Posted: 12/30/04 - 23:48 Post subject:
| Ms. Jenn wrote: | POWERPOINT.
1) Makes you look prepared
2) Powerpoint lectures handed out as lecture notes are very handy
3) If the talk is interesting, backed up by interesting slides, the course will feel interesting rather than super dull and boring |
i wasnt planning on handing out the presentation as well. too many unreliable copying machines in my department.
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MechEngDropout
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Posted: 12/30/04 - 23:52 Post subject:
It really depends on the class. For some biology related thing, I'd prefer powerpoint. I agree with Jenn. You can cover much more material, but one very important thing to note is that because you can go so much more quickly, you must have more to say. There's nothing worse than a professor who uses slides and doesn't have much to say. I'd say go with the slides, but do a relatively basic and general outline. Most of the information would be from you talking, and you can use the chalk board to write down the occasional important note. Keeping the slides vague will make the class a little harder, but it will ensure that more people go to class (and total performance should be about equal).
I had a couple of ideas, but I forgot them. 
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MechEngDropout
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Posted: 12/30/04 - 23:55 Post subject:
| crazyfrog wrote: |
i wasnt planning on handing out the presentation as well. too many unreliable copying machines in my department. |
Does the school have a web section that you can use for classes? We have Blackboard and also an application through computing services where we can download class files that the instructor posts. If you have that available, it's a nice feature. Leave it up to the students to print it out.
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crazyfrog
Kermitologist
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Posted: 12/31/04 - 00:00 Post subject:
| MechEngDropout wrote: |
Does the school have a web section that you can use for classes? We have Blackboard and also an application through computing services where we can download class files that the instructor posts. If you have that available, it's a nice feature. Leave it up to the students to print it out. |
yes, we have webCT... but quite frankly, i have better and more important things to do than try and figure out how to load up my lectures. i dont think its all that simple and i know lots of other TAs who have issues trying to get onto the system.
if it were easy and quick, i might be more willing to do it. and i have mixed feelings about posting the notes. on one hand, it makes things convient for students, but im afraid that it will also make not coming to class important. which i know is irrelevant, because people will skip class regardless if they can get the notes on the web.
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pnutbutranjelly
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Posted: 12/31/04 - 04:28 Post subject:
blackboard (and any other related program) rocks. if you decide you don't mind figuring out how to load your ppt lectures, it's such an enormous help to have that to study from and not just my crappy notes. the people not coming to class thing is definitely something to think about, what one of my teachers this past semester did was post the notes online, but he gave quizzes randomly that covered the day's lecture (determined by flipping a coin everyday, only 5 questions each, scantron, but they added up enough that they could really make or break a grade) so that was enough motivation for me to come to class everyday.
also, i agree and it really does depend on what kind of class you're teaching. econ, bio, physics, anything that needs diagrams or charts or formulas would, i think, definitely be better in ppt, but other classes like sociology and art history, i had a hard time not zoning out when a bunch of notes flashed on screen, even if the teacher did more than just read exactly what's up. if it's something like that, maybe half-ppt, half-old-fashioned lecturing.
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Ms. Jenn
Fresh, Hot & Wild
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Posted: 12/31/04 - 10:13 Post subject:
My Geography teacher pre-recorded all his lectures (with audio) and posted them on WebCT to view at our leisure. During classtime he showed videos, had speakers and took questions over the lectures.
Everybody loved it. Dr. Bays made it seem as though WebCT was easy.
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MW
Freak du Jour
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Joined: 22 Dec 2004
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Posted: 12/31/04 - 10:19 Post subject:
| crazyfrog wrote: |
i wasnt planning on handing out the presentation as well. too many unreliable copying machines in my department. |
Offer to e-mail it to interested students.
Make sure you put random porn in your presentation. Just to keep them interested.
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cherylpf
crazy cat lady
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Posted: 12/31/04 - 10:32 Post subject:
We use WebCT!!
Frog--powerpoint. Nothing frustrates me more than a lecture slowed down so that the prof can write in chalk the sentence he already said, seems like spinning wheels to me.
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crazyfrog
Kermitologist
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Joined: 31 May 2003
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Posted: 12/31/04 - 10:37 Post subject:
| Maddies Wench wrote: |
Offer to e-mail it to interested students.
Make sure you put random porn in your presentation. Just to keep them interested. |
both good ideas, especially the second one!
the class im teaching is a bio class, but it mostly taxonamy. the lectures explain and lay out the characteristics of each group, then the students have specimens they have to identify based on the characteristics i give them. but its only a 1 credit hour class, so im cutting them ALOT of slack elsewhere. there is only three tests, no quizzes, a very short, very easy paper to write, and no cummulative final. thats why i dont really think that i should give students easy access to lecture notes.
the other girl who teaches this lab, makes them do homework, has lots of quizzes, and cummulative final. so i think my students will already have it pretty easy.
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cherylpf
crazy cat lady
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Posted: 12/31/04 - 10:41 Post subject:
| crazyfrog wrote: |
both good ideas, especially the second one!
the class im teaching is a bio class, but it mostly taxonamy. the lectures explain and lay out the characteristics of each group, then the students have specimens they have to identify based on the characteristics i give them. but its only a 1 credit hour class, so im cutting them ALOT of slack elsewhere. there is only three tests, no quizzes, a very short, very easy paper to write, and no cummulative final. thats why i dont really think that i should give students easy access to lecture notes.
the other girl who teaches this lab, makes them do homework, has lots of quizzes, and cummulative final. so i think my students will already have it pretty easy. |
I've had plenty of classes where the teacher used power point but wasn't willing to give it out, I think that is perfectly fair. If you are going over it in class, they can write down what they need.
good luck!!
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TimRuns
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Joined: 11 May 2003
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Location: Coquitlam, British Columbia
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Posted: 12/31/04 - 15:42 Post subject:
Powerpoint lectures are great if you know how to present them...I've seen pretty crappy power-point lectures where the prof basically reads the notes off the screen, boring the whole class to death in the process while on the other hand I had a number of outstanding powerpoint seminars/lectures. Ms Jenn has already made a number of excellent suggestions...It will be helpful to load the lectures on a website like WebCT especially if the slides have plenty of information. This will cut down the amount of note-taking required and allows the students to be more engaged in the lecture material.
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