My first impression of PowerPoint many years ago was what a great tool it is. PowerPoint can save teachers countless hours in writing key notes on a chalkboard, whiteboard, or worse yet, and overhead transparency. Remember the overhead projector? But through the years, I have become disillusioned with slide presentations, mainly because I have seen teachers overuse the power of the PowerPoint and students make presentations that are merely copy and paste from sources on the Internet. Don McMillan’s YouTube presentation, “Life after Death by PowerPoint”, comically illustrates examples of PowerPoint misuse. Cramming information on a slide haphazardly becomes just as meaningless a method to convey points as a passive lecture utilizing the whiteboard or overhead projector.
Modern day slide presentations software and online tools have evolved to incorporate multimedia elements. It is relatively easy to include images, links, audio, and video to a slide presentation. The slideshow can be dynamic, interesting, and fun. Yes, I said it. FUN! It all depends on the slide show designer.
Gone are the days of pull down maps and charts, even atlases. Teachers can introduce books by linking to an author’s YouTube book talk or book trailer. Teachers can also create short videos using such tools as Screencast-O-Matic to introduce a concept and embed within a slideshow. The point is that a slideshow can have a flow that engages students, and not have them sit passively.
There is little instruction and modeling on how to create an impactful PowerPoint for teachers and students alike. There is value in taking the time to learn about all of the multimedia features a PowerPoint or slideshow can offer. Once teachers and students learn about the features, then they can study design techniques. My number one rule is the same as Gary Reynolds’ “Top Ten Slide Tips”. Keep it simple! Create slides that give chunks of information, not wordy paragraphs. It is the teacher that should elaborate and not the slide. Teachers still play a powerful role in engaging students. I am not willing to cede all instruction over to technology just yet.
Not only can a wonderfully designed slideshow engage students and help the students internalize the information, students can also benefit from creating their own slideshows. Slideshows require students to learn how to paraphrase, summarize, and use bullet points. Slideshows also require students to learn how to ethically use sources from the image or video source abiding by copyright and creative commons rules. Designing a slideshow also requires a bit of artistic development to make the slides appealing to the eye. In the end, students must plan the order of the slides prior to publishing the slideshow. If used correctly, a well designed PowerPoint can challenge and develop the critical thinking skills of students.
Modern day slide presentations software and online tools have evolved to incorporate multimedia elements. It is relatively easy to include images, links, audio, and video to a slide presentation. The slideshow can be dynamic, interesting, and fun. Yes, I said it. FUN! It all depends on the slide show designer.
Gone are the days of pull down maps and charts, even atlases. Teachers can introduce books by linking to an author’s YouTube book talk or book trailer. Teachers can also create short videos using such tools as Screencast-O-Matic to introduce a concept and embed within a slideshow. The point is that a slideshow can have a flow that engages students, and not have them sit passively.
There is little instruction and modeling on how to create an impactful PowerPoint for teachers and students alike. There is value in taking the time to learn about all of the multimedia features a PowerPoint or slideshow can offer. Once teachers and students learn about the features, then they can study design techniques. My number one rule is the same as Gary Reynolds’ “Top Ten Slide Tips”. Keep it simple! Create slides that give chunks of information, not wordy paragraphs. It is the teacher that should elaborate and not the slide. Teachers still play a powerful role in engaging students. I am not willing to cede all instruction over to technology just yet.
Not only can a wonderfully designed slideshow engage students and help the students internalize the information, students can also benefit from creating their own slideshows. Slideshows require students to learn how to paraphrase, summarize, and use bullet points. Slideshows also require students to learn how to ethically use sources from the image or video source abiding by copyright and creative commons rules. Designing a slideshow also requires a bit of artistic development to make the slides appealing to the eye. In the end, students must plan the order of the slides prior to publishing the slideshow. If used correctly, a well designed PowerPoint can challenge and develop the critical thinking skills of students.