PowerPoint, Demos and Hands-on
I think they can be good but you can not fill PP with to much stuff
Hi Jodi:
As long as the presenation material is engaging (like you are describing), I believe it almost doesn't matter WHAT you use. If your learning environment is robust, and the students are walking away with a better understanding of a concept compared to when you started, we have achieved our overall goal.
Regards, Barry
I don't think that making powerpoints is useless. I use powerpoints in every class as a way to review the chapters they read. Students are required to read the powerpoints and discuss them and I always add things that are not on the pps to make sure they are paying attention. I also use them as a way for students to be able to review notes for their exams. However, it is important to add other activities into the class period, otherwise, pps can get boring. For example, I teach listening and we play Mad Gab to discuss accents and other issues that could interfere with the listening process. I also teach critical thinking and we used the powerpoints to discuss looking at ordinary things in extraordinary ways. I then brought in some ordinary every day items and had the students come up with unique ways to use the items, much like in Whose Line Is It Anyway. The key is keeping the class exciting
Hi Gavin:
Engaging student is a gifted talent and teachers who are able to create that environment are a cut abvove. When students are engaged, they'tre interested, paying attention, thinking about the learning, and better to recall and apply it later. Kudo's to you!
Regards, Barry
I am a proponent of keeping the student engaged and following along by giving them just the step that they need to complete and in this way I can ensure that they come back from break with a sense of urgency. I get them to right up to a milestone and then it acts like a cliff-hanger to bring them back on time or early wanting to know what's next.
Hi Michael:
One thing to keep in mind about the use of power-points, or any presentation tool is using them effectively.
For example, not having too much information on one slide, using the right size font, etc.
Regards, Barry
We are about to introduce power point to the class I teach, and I have some reservations about it. I realize that it is important at our facility to have each one of our classes as close as posible to the next, but my favorite way of connecting with my students is through the use of the white board in my classroom. The students and I usually make fun of my illustrations, and then when I tell my students that the other instructors make fun of them,(the illustrations), my students start to defend them, and it makes for a great oppportunity to connect with my students. I have also found that watching me invest the time and effort into my presentation helps many of the students realize the importance of the materials, and they don't feel that I am just making their lives miserable with a bunch of useless note-taking.
Rene:
There's good and less useful reasons to do this. Yes, students can take notes on the handout as you move from slide to slide. The downside is many students read ahead and may tend to not pay as much attention because they have lost their attention or interest, feelining they already know what you are going to talk about.
One way to address this is to have two set of the same PPT - one is for presenting to the class on the LCD projector. The second set is for the student handouts which as limited information and requires the students to fill in the information. This makes the students more likely to pay attention.
Regards, Barry
Lately I've been presenting the recipes to be demoed, on a PP handout format, that way they can write notes during demo...
Hi Julie:
Great. Whenever we can get students to be more actively engaged I believe they are going to learn more. Direct involvement helps students reatain information. Students enjoy it too. I know I would rather do something active than sit and listen to a lecture.
Regards, Barry
I love using hands-on demonstrations while lecturing. Students are more likely to retain the names and uses of certain items if they see them being used.
Catherine:
Glad you discovered something useful from the forum.
Regards, Barry
Barry:
What a great idea! Thank you!
Regards,
Catherine
Hi Catherine:
This is a good technique. a disadvantages is it allows participants to look ahead and possibly pay less attention during some of the presentation.
Some teachers will have two set of slides: One is the one they present on the screen, and the other is what the students receive. The student version has certain key words missing, so students have to pay attention and write in the missing words to make the slides complete. Tests and quizzes can easily be made from presentations this way.
Regards, Barry
I have always found that the PP is most effective when it is printed out and given to the seminar participants so that they can make notes next to the slides and can take it with them for future reference.
Hi Clifton:
PPT's can be very effective tools in the classroom, but I think they are most effective when given in smaller doses, and mixed in with other medidia delivery choises, such as discussion, demonstration, white board, etc.
Regards, Barry
