Me
I'm Alan, obviously.
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Screenshot 2014-06-18 11.36.40.png
I'm ok at pool.


Classroom Management


Situation
Cell phones were our topic of discussion. Are they appropriate in a classroom or any learning setting?

Solution
While I am completely against a ban of cellphones in the classroom, I recognize there are some situations where an outright ban of them is the only solution to prevent incidents. One classmate pointed out that in a shop environment, accidents have been caused directly because of improper cellphone use. Testing was also pointed out as an obvious place where cell phones were not appropriate.

However, I also try to take advantage of the technology of mobile devices. We have all of human knowledge at our fingertips. Rather than having students memorize things they can look up in seconds, we can have them do more critical thinking.

Also pointed out was that at the grade school level, there should be a course on proper cell phone usage. With that, we can avoid embarrassing and potentially dangerous moments.

Thursday's Presentations



11:00 - Heather and Kim
  • I liked the idea of using crowdsourcing as a resource.
  • Time management needed a little more attention
11:15 - Emile
  • Great pictures of the mushrooms
  • Need to project more; a little hard to hear
11:30 - Adam
  • I like the light-hearted tone. This makes it easy to listen to Adam.
  • We know, or should know, what inquiry-based learning is, probably was unnecessary to cover this.
11:45 - Terry and Blair
  • Excellent speakers. It's evident they were really interested, which makes it easier to listen. Enthusiasm is infectious.
  • I was disappointed in the lack of samples for the class.

Lunch - 12:00 - 1:00
1:00 - MichelleL
  • Great pictures and a great energy when presenting.
  • I really liked Michelle's presentation styles. I don't have any critiques I could offer.
1:15 - Leila
  • Very effective visuals; a nice presentation to look at and complimented the talk very well
  • I'd suggest asking more questions of the audience. Always an effective engagement technique.
1:30 - MichelleH
  • Really good pictures and little text. Always makes it easier to pay attention.
  • Fairly quick presentation. A few questions of the audience would have been good.
1:45 - Frank and Albert
  • The videos were great. Very attention grabbing.
  • A lot of text used in the presentations. It can distract from the speakers.
2:00 - Natalia
  • Really knew her topic well. Always good when you know the presenter really understands their topic
  • A lot of words on the slides. This can distract from the actual content of the presentation.
2:15 - Bruce
  • Very engaging speaker! Good humor as well made it easy to pay attention to the talk.
  • ...

Break - 2:30 - 2:45
2:45 - Alan (this is a link to a pdf of my presentation)
3:00 - MikeM
  • Great and engaging personality!
  • Some slides were a bit wordy and overwhelming
3:15 - MikeF
  • Good humour
  • Presentation itself seemed like it need more effort put in
3:30 - Jeff
  • I really enjoyed the question and answer technique he used in the presentation.
  • Too many references to "kids". Very much a "kids these days" attitude. That won't resonate with students ever.

Friday Presentations


Mine is here.

8:45 - Kim
  • Knowledge of her topic is evident; this always makes it easier to pay attention
  • A couple questions would help engage the students more
9:00 - Adam
  • Great at asking questions, encourages participation with audience
  • Very high level talk, know your audience and gear your presentation towards it
9:15 - MicheleH
  • Really good tone of voice. Gets your attention and maintains it.
  • Some pretty wordy slides. Can be a bit distracting. Do I read or listen?
9:30 - Bruce
  • Bruce's style is relaxed and the audience is relaxed as well. Great learning environment.
  • Some slides are a bit wordy
9:45 - Terry
  • Great looking presentation and excellent speaking skills. Great presentation.
  • Didn't have the specific outcomes
11:10 - Blair
  • Great speaker and great tone of voice.
  • Again, samples? Sigh. ;)

10:00 - 10:20
10:20 - MichelleL
  • Michelle is a very engaging speaker. One of the best in the class at keeping your attention.
  • ...
10:55 - Natalia
  • Definitely knew the subject well
  • There was a lot of text, making the presentation hard to follow
11:25 - Emile
  • Very interesting ideas for his field! I'd like to know if they work out.
  • A lot of text in the presentation.
11:40 - MikeF
  • Really good tone of voice. Easy to listen to. And a great Prezi.
  • I got dizzy if I looked at his shirt for too long.

1:00 - Frank
  • Sorry, Frank. I missed your presentation and didn't want to interrupt you by coming back in the room.

1:15 - Mike M
  • Great stories that bring the learning and experience together. Very attention grabbing.
  • A lot of words on the slides; can sometimes distract

Lunch - 12:00 - 1:00
1:30 - Albert
  • Great intro to the presentation. Really good attention getter.
  • Quite a bit of text in the presentation

1:45 - Leila
  • Great tone in voice. Projects really well.
  • Lots and lots of text.

2:00 - Alan
2:15 - Jeff
  • Very easy to listen to. Great projection.
  • A lot of text, but seems to be a common thing for instructors. They can be really distracting. Am I reading or listening?