The use of PowerPoint, Excel, and Webquests to enhance student learning

When looking at the previous class' projects, I first examined a sight words PowerPoint geared at kindergarten students paired with an Excel spreadsheet where they could record their scores. I thought that this would be very effective if used in a classroom. Sight words are learned through memorization, and the PowerPoint presented them in a way that was more visually appealing than a word list would be. I also liked how the PowerPoint used Clip Art and animation to help students understand the meaning of certain words, such as under and on. The Excel spreadsheet that accompanied the PowerPoint was presented in a way that would be very user-friendly for young children. The print was very large and each column was color coded to match the graph. I thought that this activity was effective because not only did it allow students to become familiar with Excel and making graphs, it also provided them with a clear visual to examine their progress over time, and compare the number of words they had already learned with how many they would learn by the end of the year, thereby motivating them to continue to practice their sight words.

By this time my three year old had come in to investigate why Mommy was hogging the computer. When he saw the PowerPoint, he assumed it was a game, and immediately asked if he could do one. I brought up the PowerPoint on shapes (something he struggles with at times) and sat him down. He was able to navigate through the entire presentation with ease. He was totally engaged the entire time. Not only did he understand the different shapes presented, he was also able to recognize patterns and choose which shapes would complete a sequence. Just in case I needed more evidence that technology can enhance learning!

We then moved on to the PowerPoint on rain forests, geared at third grade. This is a topic of interest in my household, so my son and I were both very excited to see what we could learn. I thought that this presentation was filled with wonderful information. It was interactive, providing questions for students to think about. It had some terrific photos, and raised some really good points (for example, I don't know if young children realize that there are a lot of similarities between our culture an those of people living in other parts of the world. The PowerPoint took time to address this notion). There was one problem with the PowerPoint - I could not get it to work properly! One minute, there would be a blank screen. One click of the mouse, and the screen would be full of graphics on top of writing overlapping questions covering pictures. I would try to find a way to go back and start that slide over again, and would find myself in a completely different spot within the presentation. Needless to say, by this time my son had lost all interest in the rain forest and moved on to his action figures, and I was also ready to call it quits. This experience reminded me of an important point we need to remember about technology - it doesn't always work the way we want it to. Therefore when using it in the classroom, we need to a) make sure it is really worth the effort; b) be flexible and expect the unexpected; and c) have a backup plan.

Not yet ready to give up on the rain forest, I decided to work through the web quest. I really liked many things about this web quest. I thought the language and the task were very accessible for third graders. I also thought that the graphic organizers were appropriate and would help students effectively organize their information for later use. The website that the designer used appeared to be reputable and accurate. Lastly, I thought that the final writing assignment provided a creative opportunity for students to synthesize what they had learned. It also provided a review and practice of the friendly letter format, something students will use later on in life. I also liked how the designer incorporated a Wiki space into the final product.

This web quest did raise one important question for me. Although I liked the website the designer chose, I wonder if a true web quest should incorporate more than one website for its resources. This would then allow students to practice gathering and evaluating information from websites, also a skill they will need throughout their life. I was also a little unclear on how the Wiki aspect of the web quest worked, although I suspect that most of my confusion stems from the fact that I am still learning about Wiki spaces. I wonder if the expectations would have been clearer if I had been able to see this lesson actually being taught.

In sum, I learned a lot from reviewing these projects. I think that all three of the formats reviewed can be used very effectively in a classroom, with a variety of ages, ability levels, and content. I think that when used effectively they can help make learning more efficient and enjoyable, as evidenced by my son's navigation of the PowerPoint. I also recognize that the use of these programs in the classroom needs to be well thought out and the costs and benefits carefully weighed. I also saw firsthand through my exploration of the rain forest PowerPoint that even the best laid plans sometimes fall short, and we need to be prepared to deal with glitches (and maybe even turn them into learning experiences themselves). I hope to keep all of these points in mind when designing my own lessons.