Not your usual approach A sampling of ideas from Deborah Healey

What is the secret of... ◦ Learning English? ◦ (note the pause)

 Start with something to activate schema – learners’ background knowledge ◦ Pictures ◦ Interesting question ◦ “Hook” to catch learner attention  Learning objectives – so learners know where the lesson is going ◦ Objective for this presentation: Teachers will discuss ways to add interactivity to their lectures, leading to their creating an interactive PowerPoint presentation

 Just letting students click on the slide show  Teacher talk the whole time  Q&A where the teacher has all the questions AND the answers  So what is it?

 This PPT show combines many techniques – far more than you should have in a typical lesson. Use only 1-3 maximum.  Blank slide  ConcepTest  Think-Pair-Share  Interpreted Lecture  Rapid Reflection  QuickWrite  See more possibilities at

Say this during while showing the blank slide – not on its own slide, as we have here  Using a blank slide can re-focus attention off the screen and onto the speaker  You need to have something useful to say, of course.  It can also serve as an excellent transition to the next topic.  In our case, it’s specific techniques to use that promote interactivity.

 What are three ways to activate learners’ background knowledge (schema)?  Share with a partner, then share again with the people near you  Come to consensus – any questions?

 This can come at any time during the class.  It can be short answer, multiple choice, true/false  Why would you do this at the beginning of a class? Why at the end? Why in the middle?  Think about a time that you might use this, and share with a partner.

 Think individually  Talk with a partner  Share with the large group  How might you use a ConcepTest? (Think, then discuss with a partner, then we’ll share with the group.)

 Good for discussion time if people know what they are supposed to do  Otherwise, leave instruction slides visible

 How would you explain a ConcepTest?  How might a blank slide be useful?

 Stop and have someone in the class explain what you just talked about  Use simpler language for an academic lecture  Repeat and review  Best to do this just after the concept is discussed by the teacher

 Using PowerPoint as an organizer so that you can do OTHER THINGS more easily ◦ Discussions about the audio or video clip ◦ Writing the group’s responses in a Word document on the screen ◦ Responding to the website activities

 Easily move among websites (Insert -> Hyperlink) ◦ Include learner activities, not just showing  Open Word and Excel documents on your computer (hyperlink) ◦ Use Word as a blackboard; use Excel for learner activities  Play audio and video from the web (hyperlink) or from files on the computer (Insert-> Movies and Sound) ◦ Have a learner activity associated with these

Make sure all files are in the same folder as your PowerPoint show if you are using a file from your computer.  Link to a website: ◦ Demonstrate how to join or how to post a comment  Link to a local Word file: sample.docsample.doc ◦ Use this for taking notes

Make sure all files are in the same folder as your PowerPoint show if you are using a file from your computer.  Insert a sound from a file on your computer or link to a sound onlinesound online ◦ Introduce an activity; do a dictation or cloze; etc.  Insert a video from a file on your computer or link to a video onlinevideo online  Smooth transitions between activities.

 What else can you do if PPT is an organizer? ◦ Think, pair, share

 You don’t always need to go in a straight line from beginning to end  Right-click in Slide Show mode to bring up a menu; jump to another place  Include internal hyperlinks  Why would this be useful?

 Go back to a previous point or jump forward (in response to a ConcepTest)  Posing a question: ◦ If yes, go to one place ◦ If no, go to a different place  You control PPT; it doesn’t control you

 Jumping around with a hyperlink ◦ Yes: let’s go on Yes ◦ No: please show me again No

 Create a Jeopardy game  Create a Concentration game (matching pairs)  Learners can use this on their own  Use it in a one-computer classroom as a whole-class activity

 Using templates (from Microsoft.com or teacher-created)  Power in the hands of students ◦ Useful knowledge for the work world ◦ Useful knowledge for academic presentations  They often know more than we do...

 Are you willing to give up control?  Will you create a real learner-centered environment?  Or not?

 Take two minutes to write down three techniques that you plan to use in a future class.

 Very short time  Beginning – activate background knowledge  Middle – check comprehension  End – review and reinforce learning  Can be graded, but usually isn’t