A couple people have disagreed with me on Powerpoint. This post outlines my basic problem with it:
Why PowerPoint is Evil.
OK. Perhaps not evil. But this is why I’ve taken PowerPoint out of my toolbox for teaching. It boils down to the reality that I can use other tools that provide me with equivalent — if not better — results.
Btw, this post was used in an 8th grade technology class to offer an alternative perspective on the use of this particular tool. I even did a guest spot in TappedIn with the group so they could ask me questions. It was a great learning experience and I think the kids got something out of it, too.
September 14th, 2008 at 9:04 am
I liked what you said about adding pictures just to keep students engaged. Your right , if the content is not keeping them engaged then there is a problem. I must admit that I am a little bit of a PowerPoint junkie. I use the software quite often and I am guilty of much of what you mentioned, but I am willing to try new software, and I do see the problems with what I have been doing.
September 14th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
Ok.. I agree. Those who don’t use it correctly ruin it for the rest of us. I like using powerpionts to show pictures. Mainly it is easy to add pictures then add a few words of caption.
It also helps my students in taking notes. I make the important “note taking’ stuff in a different color. I tried this to get my students to learn how to take notes. Not writing everything down.
I would like to say that believe it or not.. i do follow your rules
September 14th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
I have used PowerPoint quite a bit, and in fact many of the classes that I have taken at the undergraduate and graduate level required us to demonstrate our knowledge of PowerPoint by creating a presentation related to our content. I have also been exposed to countless presentations in professional developments workshops. It seems that they always have too much information on the page, the colors and text clash, or the pictures often draw a laugh but do little to contribute to the message, usually they are a distraction. I believe PowerPoint can be as useful as any other software in class, perhaps not online; the key is using it appropriately.
September 14th, 2008 at 8:52 pm
I think there is nothing worse then watching a PowerPoint presentation with lots of sound effects, a busy background, and swirly, zooming, fading, etc text. Or the ones that have so much text on a slide that you can’t even read it. Why would anyone think this is effective? All it is for me is a distraction. I have even seen PowerPoint used for a sermon at a church I visited. The pastor had his entire sermon word for word on the PowerPoint. That was just not preaching to me. I have seen PowerPoint at confernces where I thought that it was used in a meaningful way. The good presentations used each of the 5 rules that were mentioned.
September 15th, 2008 at 6:07 pm
I think that in most situations if not all there is a better way to teach everything. I agree with you that we should keep power points to a minimum. I think that the older student middle/high school aged may take better. I also feel that alternatives that are more hands on or interactive should be used in elementary aged classes.
September 15th, 2008 at 9:43 pm
The powerpoints I use are often ‘found’ material. I use them for quick review, or to introduce a point we haven’t covered yet. I teach 3rd and 4th grade students and have not had them create their own ppts before. I can see the reason behind going ahead and teaching them something that has a broader application than ppt. I pretty sure my students are capable of learning the process. Honestly, many of them are very tech savvy….probably more so than me. I want to develop my skills so that I can lead my kids in that direction – technological literacy is an essential component of education.
September 16th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
Powerpoint was a requirement when I was doing my clinicals. We were taught the same rules that you stated, and had to create a presentation following these rules. If teachers are going to use powerpoint, they should definitely be aware of the rules of a good powerpoint. I have seen many powerpoints that kept children distracted by the graphics and backgrounds. They could not focus on the text due to the layout and pictures. This makes the powerpoint totally useless. However, I am glad that I learned to use this tool because it can be beneficial in the classroom at times and there are so many teachers who have no idea how to use it.
September 19th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
I have used power point many times. I type the most basic information (sparse outline) about the topic at hand and go into more detail while going through the presentation. My details are not on the slides, which leaves room for pictures that go along with the topic being covered. This has worked out for me. I have been in classes where powerpoint was used (and not in a good way.) One class, in particular, the teacher pretty much typed teh book– and then read the entire thing to us. These were the longest presentations I have ever seen. I thought I would die of boredom. I could (and preferred to) have read the book myself instead of spending those hours in torture. I think of this when I make my own powerpoints. I don’t want to put my students through this.