Death by Powerpoint
What are some interactive examples that can be used in the classroom to engage Students while presenting a Powerpoint lecture?
Most of the information that I provide is Powerpoint based. I try at all costs to avoid being a Statue Instructor by asking questions from my Students to engage them and to bring them into the fold of learning and participating while providing them with a powerpoint lecture.
I would like to know how and what other instructors use to enhance the learning environment while using Powerpoint.
A Smartboard is a great tool for Powerpoint Presentations. I love to draw, move, highlight, etc information on the powerpoint being projected on the screen. This way I'm interacting with my powerpoint as the students and I "journey" through the lecture material together. I also bring in relevant tools, equipment, props, etc into class to supplement the powerpoint. Don't know if any of this pertains to your teaching environment or material, but it works well for me.
Larissa,
If we look at PPT from the perspective of the student, many of our lectures and information provided by PPT are not totally helpful, and some students would even say boring. It's very difficult to keep attention using most media anyway. The power behind PPT is best used for graphics (illustrations, diagrams, photographs). But sharing a storing or discussing a past situation builds a vision within the students minds eye, and that is usually quite memorable.
Barry Westling
This is a really great foundation to teaching via Powerpoints. I didn't think about how intricate it could really be.
Stephen,
Good. Students need to be able to grasp both the big picture as well as the minutia that helps define the big picture. I think PPT slides do better with big picture concepts, although PPT can really add when there is a photo, illustration, graph, chart, figure, or diagram.
Barry Westling
PPT used as a prop is good. I use it less and modify the "issued" presntations to bring home the biggest points of the lecture.
Mariko,
Right. Anything an instructor does (or uses) that tends to distract rather than instruct should be examined for an alternate way or method to convey the same information.
Barry Westling
This approach sounds very good. One thing I have noticed when viewing powerpoint presentations are that as you've pointed out are very long in content and because of that students do not pay attention to the lecture. It's good to have the students interact to get them to think about the content being discussed and then filling in the areas that are needed and or may not be included in the PPT.
Denise,
This is a good, interactive way to make better use of the PPT lesson. When students are engaged, they're probably thinking more too, as a result.
Barry Westling
Here at this school most of our Powerpoint is already made up for us. I find some of them are to long. I do have my students read the points and ask them to let me know what it means to them. Then I fell in the rest of the information that they may have not given.
Tawnya,
PPT is good for critical thinking. That's why just a small bit of information or words is quite satisfactory to stimulate thought, inquiry, or alternative considerations.
Barry Westling
I like to use the PowerPoint to elaborate thought process on by asking critical thinking questions.
One thing to try is to make sure that only bullet points, and very few of them, are on the screen. Material should come from you supported and enhanced by the slides. Build questions or examples into each or some of the slides.
Mike,
I can only speak for myself. My approach is to not have all the information I want students to acquire depicted on the slide. I prefer main points that I can expand upon. I like the reveal function, where I can present a bullet at a time, fade to black and discuss a point for a while, then come back to the original slide, and reveal another point. For me, PPT is a tool that allows me to be the expert. I think sometimes the "tool" becomes the focus of presentations, which is not how PPT should be used as a resource in instructional settings.
Barry Westling
