Reflection on Presentations

1. In our reserach about digital portfolios, I found that one of the benefits of a portfolio, as well as other digital mediums, is that it can be a window to elements of our own personalities that we may not have previously known. Applying that knowledge to my reflection on my classmates’ digital presentations, I find that the theory of multiple intelligences comes across as bluntly as a sledgehammer. I find that I have a new understanding of may of my classmates, as well as myself.

2. Producing an online digital presentation, whether it be a video, a Glogster poster page, or a PowerPoint file, can be just as much of a talent as anything else. You may find that although you are speaking quite clearly the microphone might not be recording your voice as well as you think. Certain kinds of text may not appear very well over certain backgrounds. Things may not translate as well for the viewer as were intended.

It is not my intention to be critical of anyone’s presentation other than my own, however, as a class, we are, more or less, new to this technology and cannot be expected to have any mastery over what we are doing yet.

Fortunately, with proper reflection and time spent honing skills, these issues can be overcome. This issue echoes one of the things I learned from one of the videos, which I believe was Mandy’s. “Teachers must be learners themselves.” I think this is something I’ve known for a long time, but to have the words right there in front of you is a much different experience.

3. I discovered that a vast wealth of information can be can be delivered to a user in a small amount of time. In the 30 to 45 minutes it took me to look through everyone’s presentations, I absorbed the most information of over a dozen technology in education articles all on different topics. The speed with which I obtained this information would not have been possible had I chosen to read all of those articles myself.

What is clear to me know is that this project was not solely about individual learning. It was an exercise in collaborative learning between my fellow classmates and I. Without necessarily being conscious of it, we’ve laid the groundwork fo a collaborative learning experience as we each pursue our teacher’s certificates and to become collaborative professionals beyond this experience.