I try to use the white board more often than Powerpoint and I do get students coming back to me saying thank you because they are tired of powerpoint for every class they have. I find they tend to take notes better and therefore retaining information more.
I personally do not like teaching from powerpoint. I teach adults and sometimes they feel like it is story time. I usually go through the information first and demo whatever needs to be demoed, then I pop up the powerpoint to touch on key points rather than just read to them what they already have in their hands. I feel it also adds credibility to who I present myself as, the students also seem to feel like I am not just a warm body reading to them and that I really know what I am teaching.
@SherryErney PowerPoints can be useful, however my experience shows that too many people consider the PPT the presentation, rather than a tool to support the presentation.
@justskeit68
I use the white board for class information: date, start finish time, class lecture material, heck I even through in the weather report and some random trivia. I then turn to the power point a tool to convey the class information, and use the powerpoint with lecture /demo to convey information. It can be tricky because you have to keep the students on track, so it just as important to read the class and if they fall off pace, then i have to slow down or redirect them to be successful.
I tend to use my power point slides from the book as a launching pad for further discussions. They are not the entire focus of the class, but they do provide the structure.
@SherryErney
Agreed, The powerpoint should only be used to enhance the lecture and never as a crutch.
Students have very high expectations of visual material. The things one can see on a smart phone for example has elevated our expectation of video quality, sound and graphic design. Powerpoint lacks any "wow' factor.
I appreciate a well-constructed power point presentation. The recommended 10/20/30 equation is one that I had not previously used, but will going forward. 20 minutes is ample time to spend in class with reduced lighting. I also find that the students sit with minimal movement when watching slide presentations. They lose the element peer- to- peer engagement.
@SherryErney
I have also found that if the lights are turned out in showing a power point, it can mean instant slumbering throughout the class depending on the time of day that the class is held. I keep the lights on and keep the power points short, interacting with the class with whiteboard notes in between certain power point slides. This helps assure engagement.
@rmenke I too found many mistakes in the book PowerPoints, which seem to be made "after-the-fact" by contractors in low cost countries.
I have moved to going through the PowerPoints, using SmartArt to brighten the slides, and reducing the wordiness and correcting the grammar. But, in my IT classes,it si more important to have good exercises than slides.
@Mjacklin,
My first year I would go in with the text-made .ppts and also get so frustrated with typos or mistakes. During my first lecture evaluation, my director observed me "throwing" the book company "under the bus" . . . my director said that I needed to "own" it and really take possession of any and all mistakes. This made me accountable for everything that I presented and really encouraged me to proofread and compare the content to the book. It took a lot more time but it made the entire feel of the class better and reduced my dependence on the PowerPoint.
I really get upset and embarrased when a power point has incorrect information. It makes me look bad and I have to further back up or feel I have to prove to the students the information I gave them before the power point was the correct information and the power point is wrong. I believe it is hard for a student to take my word for it when a power point comes from the same company as the book they use is from. I think it makes them question everything they learned.
I agree with you so would you do some teaching from the power point and some from the white board or what would you suggest?
