Power Point
The best tool for learning.
Hi Andrew:
And unfortunately, too much is...yuck. PPT is a tool - nothing more, and should become the focus of attention. In fact, no media should become more emphasized than the information it is providing.
PPT can be a great tool, but it very easy to misuse it effectively in the classroom. Because of the different features PPT providesw, many teachers (innocently) try to add more than is necessary, provide too much or two little information, use distrating colors, words, animations, font size, absent or poorly embedded graphs, charts or photo's, etc. I think well prepared slides take a lot of time and effort to perfect.
Also, I'm not a fan of the (good intentioned) publisher-supplied slides, as I find they are bland and really only summarize text information, which of course is valuable, but may be out of sequence for this particualar lesson (to soon, too late, not applicable. I like to use my own prepared slides so I can be sure I can cover what I feel is needed.
Regards, Barry
A huge part of education is entertainment. If the PowerPoint is entertaining or even interactive, it can be a great tool, but if it is just to spew information in front of students while it is being talked through...yuck.
Hi Chris:
Two comments. First, I agree that almost anytime a student participates in their own learning they are just going to do better. So whether it's PPT, discussion, projects - what have you, when they're involved they'll learn more.
Secondly, I believe PPT is merely a tool. The focus should not be on the tool, but what that tool can create or perform. Too often teachers will just read the slides, or the slides are poorly designed, or information on the slides is not interesting or related to the topic in a relevant manner. These could be pitfalls for student-prepared PPT's as well.
Student-led presentations (with or without PPT) is a great way to facilitate learning.
Regards, Barry
I agree that PPT is good, but the best? THis is really dependant upon the individual student. However, I think students learn very well by preparing PPT presentaitons in small groups as apposed to just watching one prepared by myself.
Hi Norma:
There are lots of benefits to PPT. Student created presentations can be good, sometime very good. We just have to remember PPT is a tool and should not be the focus of attention. For instance, if a student spends a lot of time making nice slides at the expense of appropriate content, they benefit of that assignment has been diminished.
Regards, Barry
I like using power point presentations to get a lot covered in a short period of time. Not only do I use it but in one of my academic classes I have the students create a P.P.P. for one of their reports instead of typing up another paper.
They have to put more time into it, and in return they get more out of the assignment.
Hi Edna:
Well, you're fortunate. I find the publisher supplied slides to be not that helpful. I always make my own slides with the major bullet points I want to cover and elaborate on. I do, however rely on the the publisher supplied image bank because this coorelates well with the reading assignments the students are given and it appears familar.
Regards, Barry
While PPT that come with the book are for the most part, informative and helpful to me, I still find myself re-organizing and tweaking many areas and adding some graphics to make the presentation more meanignful and lively. I make my speaker's notes comprehensive where I also include my citations.
Hi Emily:
I think PPT is best used along with other media such as white board, discussion, flip chart, text reading, or skill demonstrations. Anything longer than about an hour of straight PPT unless extremely interesting would seem to be a bit much and lose the students atttention. So mixing it up with other media tends to provide a balanced and variety to the lesson.
Regards, Barry
I agree that ppt can be very boring for students who are used to interactive media; sometimes they are more attentive to a very lively lecture with anecdotes and stories interspersed with the factual delivery. That said, I also find that if we have just started in on a new culinary technique and I show a ppt expanding on it the following day, I get pretty rapt attention, even if the ppt doesn't have a lot of bells and whistles.
Hi Mary:
I think the publisher supplied ppt's are really meant to summarize information but lack focus and emphasis. That's where the teacher has to be able to use the information in those ppt's to maximize the student experience. These ppt's, along with other media delivery choices, together make for a more interesting lerning experience for the students.
Regards, Barry
I agree that the pp that comes with the books are not the best. I found that my students did not learn as much as when I lecture. I will admit that I have not done many of them and maybe if I became better at it, it would be more effective.
Hi Gearld:
Yes, I agree that slide construction requires some careful thought, planning, and formatting consideration to be most effective. Better teachersecognize that PPT is but a mere tool, one of many, and should not dominate the class time or students attention.
Regards, Barry
It is the best tool for visual presentations because it is neat, organized and summarized. Just don't crowd the materials and use only one main point on each slide.
Hi Ana:
PPT is a powerful and quite useful tool. Getting students activiely involved is great, with PPT or any choice media you make. The more engaged the students are I think the more benefit they'll receive for the effort.
Regards, Barry
I graphics the best tools for learning is presentations with the software. Fallowed this presentation by doing a excersise in class they can apply the new learned skills. Pick something they migh like. For example if they are playing wiht photoshop have them color a favorite line art of their favorite character. They will interact with the class more and be exited about the project because is something they are familiar with and they are making it their own.
Hi Dr. K:
PPT is a powerful tool and a great asset for teachers when used appropriately and judiciously.
Common problems are too much infomation on a single slide, distrating graphics or fonts, poor coloring, or the teacher simply reading the information from the slide. Delivery overuse includes too many slides. darkened room, no opportunity for the student to interact, etc.
Overall, I think PPT works best when delievered in small doses along with other media (white board, discussion, textbook, etc).
Regards, Barry
Although not in a career college, as a student I thought powerpoints were overused and often contributed to boring lectures. I do use pps that I've created several times during a quarter, but only after I "practice" presenting the material along with the slides. Otherwise, my eye contact and focus with the students suffers.
Hi Dan:
Great ideas to add variety. Thanks for the great post.
Reagrds, Barry
