I use power points as part of my presentation and have found that the slides that are simple sentences describing an item are boring while slides that show the item and then we talk about engage students more in the learning process
Thomas,
yes, this is so true & whether it be the whiteboard or powerpoint we need to keep this in mind. When they write the notes in their own words & what's important to them, the experience is much richer.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I agree. I used to fill up the whiteboard before class but quickly found that the students were not really listening to what I was saying because they were too busy jotting down the bible of information on the board. Now I write smaller bits of information periodically through out the lecture. I think they grasp the key points better this way.
I enjoy using powerpoint as a tool to assist the learner(s) with spelling as well as a visual aid. I enjoy adding a video to my powerpoint for those that may need further understanding in such areas that would require such tool. If we are discussing mail order pharmacy I click on the link to bring the video up on mail order pharmacy. Once the learner(s) watch such video they are clear in the processes carried out by such pharmacy.
Paul,
yes, we don't need to spoonfeed every idea to our students, but provide enough info to spur their own ideas & notetaking.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Hey Kristal
Yes I agree with ryan powerpoint is awesome since most of the population needs the visuals, and then use the white board for a follow up and demostration. I also will have some type of assignment where my students can build or make something which also helps the tactile learner.
I attended a international conference and one of the speakers presented an exceptional power point presentation. About 20 slides and roughly 3/4 of the slide had 6 words or less. The amount of learning that occurred in the group was fanominal. Out of all the lectures and speakers, about 15 people, he was voted the best. At the end of his presentation I asked him about how he put his class together. He pointed me towards a book titled "Presentation Zen" by Garr Reynolds.
I read the book and quickly adapted to its ideas. One is that Power Point is bloated and misused by most. I am talking about the Death By Power Point slang you hear often. People put to much information on the slide, make them to cluttered, and use cheesy images to try invoke credible and critical thought from the class. When what matters is that that the student learns from what the teacher is saying not what is written on the slides.
I use power point at a minimum and find butcher block and white boards to be a much better media to educate students in a creative process that they can easily engage in with me.
I do the same. by using the white-board along with power-point, I feel the students have a better understanding of the lecture
I love using power Point in my classes. I also leave things blank on the power point to allow the student to stay engaged and focused
Great way to bring excitement to the classrooms
Andrea,
this is a great point & we want to make sure that we do not read the slides, this is insulting & is not really helping move the students forward.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I have Powerpoint slides as well, and as the facilitator suggested, I incorporate work on the board. I've noticed that one pitfall many Powerpoint users fall into is reading their slides, which quickly leads to audience (student) disinterest. Rather than reading off the slides, I discuss the issues and themes being presented. In this way, I have slides for my Visual learners, discussion for my Auditory learners, and board work for my Kinesthetic learners.
Kristal,
powerpoint can be a great tool to help our visual learners & I also like to mix in use of the white board so it keeps it fresh & interesting for them.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
