Assignment 3B: PowerPoint and Beyond

Part 1: PowerPoint as an Instructional Tool

A great PowerPoint presentation includes an effective, yet subtle use of color, text, graphics, and design. Text should be large enough to read from a distance and should remain limited. Too much text in a PowerPoint can be overwhelming for an audience. Information should be provided in a clear and simple manner, and text should cover only the main points of what the presenter is speaking about.
Basic design rules include a font size no smaller that 24, animation effects that do not distract the audience from the content, and colors that are easy to see and compliment other colors used in the presentation.

Part 2: Classroom Ideas and Best Practices Incorporating Digital Storytelling

How to Create the Perfect PSA

For a high school level English class, I thought this would be a great project. This resource provides a step by step process on how to create a Public Service Announcement, as well as some recommended dos and don'ts.
For this assignment, I'd have students work in groups of about 4 to create their PSA. Their topic can be any idea they feel is important to share with their audience, their peers. Together, each group will choose a topic, research it, create a script, and create ways to capture their audience's attention. storyboard the script, and film and edit their PSA.
I would give the students two weeks to complete this assignment. I would allow some class time for students to collaborate and for me to monitor their progress, but this assignment would definitely require them to collaborate with their groups outside of the classroom.
Students will submit and present their PSA and will be required to complete a reflection afterwards which will cover their thoughts on how the assignment worked for their group. The creation of the project will engage the students while the reflective portion will empower them by allowing them to express their thoughts on the assignment.

http://www.centerdigitaled.com/artsandhumanities/How-to-Create-the-Perfect-Public-Service-Announcement.html

Frazel: High School DST Point of View Project

Although this covers a history topic, point of view writing assignment would be a great exercise for an English class as well. As a future English teacher, one of my goals is actually to incorporate as much history into my lessons as possible. I love both of these subjects and love when they can be combined for an effective lesson.
For this lesson, students would watch clips from the documentary Traces of the Trade: A Story From the Deep North. They would engage in discussion and develop a written position on the idea of reparations for the descendants of slaves in the U.S.
This assignment would only cover one class period in which students will watch the documentary, discuss with their classmates, and begin developing their written position. Their writing can be completed for homework and turned in the following class period. The class discussion will engage the students while the written position will empower them by allowing them to state and express their point of view.

http://www.pbs.org/pov/tracesofthetrade/lesson-plan/