keep powerpoints brief
no need for paragraphs on powerpoints. let the students do their homework & reading assignments. use 3-5 bullet points and elaborate verbally on each.
Mickey,
Yes, PPT is a tool, and good tools accomplish the job. Like construction tools, the wrong tool really gets in the way of getting a job accomplished in the best way.
Barry Westling
I enjoy using PowerPoint because of the capabilities of this tool. However, I agree that it is often used in excess. I like to have PowerPoint to primarily show images. Anything other than images, I usually prefer to use a chalkboard/whiteboard.
Another drawback to PowerPoint, which is why I like to have a chalkboard/whiteboard, is that there is only so much that one wants to put on a given slide. So it is nice to have another tool to illustrate the point being taught on the PPT slide.
ROBIN,
People who view TED Talks on the internet see that a 20 minute message from a renown speaker probably has only 2-3 slides, if that. One reason is the topic and speaker are so interesting, they don't need visuals to back up their material. And while it's true TED is different from daily classroom instruction, there's something to be said about being brief and succinct.
Barry Westling
If you put too much info on a slide, it makes it really hard to read. It is better to have the main points on the slides and then if you want more detail, include that info in the notes for each slide.
The whole point of PowerPoint slides is not to put so much info on them that you end up reading the entire slide to the folks viewing them. You should elaborate on the material that is presented on the slide in your lecture.
Christina,
Wonderful! This is one of the great benefits to PPT, using images to convey messages (rather than words).
Barry Westling
My favorite thing to do on power points are posting large realistic pictures, to grab their attention, and verbalize the information to them.
Kellie,
Simple is nearly always better. PPT works especially well with photo's, illustrations, graphs, charts, tables, and drawings. For text, I think PPT slides should b e brief, bullet point style information. If there is more text required students should get that directly from the source (text, workbook, internet, handout, etc.).
Barry Westling
a lot of students are visual learners, keep it clean and simple and they will retain what they see.
Michael,
I think PPT slides that convey information succinctly and are formatted well are usually interesting and keep students attention. But like anything, too much, too long, too many will contribute to less interest, so best to break up the session with a variety of activities and delivery variations.
Barry Westling
it can get long and drawn out and lose students attention
Angela,
A good use of PPT is when there are photo's, graphs, figures, tables, illustrations, schematics, and embedded video's. For text, I agree it should be used as a guide, not a comprehensive manuscript (that's what the text and related print resources are for).
Barry Westling
I agree, a power point is used as a guide to help present materials more effectively. You should never read a power point presentation word for word. Power point presentations are a good resource if you lose your frame of thought
Kimberly,
Yep, and unfortunately it's not limited to students (instructors too). I firmly believe PPT is just a tool with a specific purpose. Too many people try to be too fancy when simple is most appropriate. And just because there are features that are available, that doesn't mean they all have to used.
Barry Westling
What always gets me is when I have students do powerpoints and they are essentially the page of the book transcribed onto a single slide.
Jessica,
Great! Most experienced presenters and educators would agree. And rightly so. PPT is merely a tool. And unfortunately, it's used in excess, and prevents getting the greatest benefit from it.
Barry Westling
