Week 6: Interactively Engaging Students in Big Class with Powerful Points

Being a big class with plenty of students is one of the biggest challenge for a "good" teacher who cares with the students as individual. Some strategies I use to keep my interaction with the students are followings:

source: www.Ftutordoctorofwny.wordpress.com

1. In the first meeting, I ask the students to make an identity card with their personal info and picture that they  want to share with others.
2. The first assignment in the first meeting will be writing email to me entitled "Me and My Dreams". They need to share about who they are, what are their dreams, and how they want to achieve the dreams. The should also connect the writing with my subject. I have the chance to talk to them personally using email.
3. The students in my big class should also write an "Intellectual Diary" where they can write about anything like the past, present, future, poems, caricature, even lyric of a song with their comments. I can only read the diary if they allow me to read it. I got this idea from Erin Gruwell and The Freedom Writer's Diary.
4. Making video project is one of my ways to give the students in the big class the opportunity to express themselves. They can make video with any topic but every student should get the chance to speak English individually in the film.
5. Last time, I asked my students to make a class blog. They can choose the role as writer, blog designer, photographer, journalist, or anything that can contribute to the blog. I found that the students enjoyed the task and I can build interaction with them.

However, this week I found that I can do more to make my big class interactive. Using some software and websites like blackboard online assessment, and activities of project based learning. 

source: http://appitive.com

Another thing that can support my class interactivity is the PowerPoint  In fact, PowerPoint is not only a tool to deliver material but it is something that can make your class more interactive. 

I can put some activities like think-pair-share, rapid reflection, quick think, concept map, and quiz in my PowerPoint  Even a blank page can be a powerful way to draw student's attention. 

Therefore, I can say that PowerPoint can make the points of your lesson more powerful and interactive.