The Power of MultiMedia

Multimedia includes a variety of types of media that can be pulled together into a presentation to convey information to an intended audience. Television commercials are wonderful examples of the use of multiple media...video, sounds, graphics, animations, and purpose.

With the use of special presentation software, teachers can tap the learning styles of their students, by bringing these elements together for instructional purposes, and can share information with parents and colleagues by developing administrative presentations.

Instructional Tasks
Presentations designed for instruction include:

  • Introduce concept(s)
  • Develop concept(s)
  • Reinforce concept(s)
  • Assess concept(s)


Administrative Tasks
Presentations which are more administrative in nature include::

  • Classroom Management
  • Staff Development
  • Informational Presentations (School Board, Parents, Public)
In many cases, multimedia presentations are most effective if you have access to a large screen/projection device for easy viewing. However, presentations may also be used in stand alone situations including learning stations within the classroom or library/media center, or as a kiosk in a public area such as the school lobby to orient visitors to the offerings at the school, or to provide a list of upcoming events.

Strategy
Sample

Listed here are some of the techniques where the use of a presentation would be an effective strategy. The first slide from an example of each technique is provided. All of these presentations may be found on the course CD.

Introduce concept(s)

Used to provide the initial presentation of new concept.

In this example, students will view a presentation on lab safety prior to conducting any science experiments in class. The presentation includes basic information and links to web sites that provide additional details. Students can view this presentation individually at a computer station, learning center, or as a whole class presentation if the technology to display it is available.

Develop concept(s)

Used to provide the next steps or concepts within a concept.

In this presentation, students who are just learning about word problems are presented with a delightful look at determining the operation required to solve a problem based on key words. They are shown the steps to solving a word problem with animations and color. The frog graphics add interest to the content.

Reinforce concept(s)

Used to strengthen understanding of a concept

As elementary students begin to explore the elements of maps and globes they need to have opportunities to practice identifying these elements. This presentation is interactive in that it poses questions which students must respond to with each slide. Students may work independently or in pairs to determine the correct answer.

Assess concept(s)

Used to determine level of understanding of a concept.

Assessment should take place not only at the end of a unit (summative assessment) but also throughout the instructional process (formative assessment) to gauge how well students are understanding the material under review. This presentation allows the teacher to check for understanding. Students record their responses on paper, once again using either the whole class approach, or accessing the presentation on a single computer.

Classroom Management

Used to manage activity in the classroom.

When a classroom is equipped with a computer connected to a large TV or video projector, using presentations as management tools becomes an easy task to accomplish. This presentation serves as a "count down" clock to allow students to know how much time remains until a specific event will occur. For example, students will have 1 minute to review their notes before a quiz. Simply run this presentation and they know how soon it will be until the time is up!

Staff Development

Used to help teachers and staff become knowledgeable of new strategy or technique

Teachers are extremely busy and often don't have the time to attend classes or workshops. They can view a presentation on their own time to learn new skills or techniques. It's just a matter of locating great professional development presentations. This would be an appropriate time to save the presentation as a "Self-Running Show."

Informational Presentations (School Board, Parents, Public)

Used to provide information to a designated audience.

Providing adult audiences with content which is both visually attractive and to the point helps to hold their attention during a formal presentation. It is possible to provide them with a printed copy of the slide show itself on which to record notes or questions which may be addressed at the end of the presentation. The key here is to use the presentation to support ideas, not as a written thesis on a topic. Bullet major points, but elaborate verbally to provide greater understanding of the content.