Powerpoints
Greetings,
I truly enjoy creating and presenting powerpoints to my class. These outlines can help students with various learning styles. There are no time limits so I can stop the presentation to explain.
Hi Robert - I think we have all been victims of "Death by PowerPoint" at one time or another.
Text flying and out of the screen accompanied by machinegun-like audio and dancing bananas or numbers or .... Anyway, I agree basic is better!
Best wishes - Susan
Very good points, I use power point everyday in class. When I first started teaching I thought I’d try to be as creative as possible with the slides and animations but quickly found that it just made it distracting and harder to read. My power points now are very basic with just the necessary pictures and videos. Also, with each class I get more and more familiar with the content of the slides and therefore less reliant on reading off of slides, which has made for a much better learning experience for the students.
Hi Michael- Thanks for your post to the forum. I'm glad that you found something great to add to your lectures!Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
This is a fantastic idea. I will begin using this in my powerpoint presentations. I cover a lot a technical material and it is difficult to keep the students attention. I have included more lab and hands-on training and that has helped also.
Hi Connie-You are really doing an excellent job using powerpoints for your largely visual learners. Thanks for some great info! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
I teach literature classes as well as English composition. At first, I was reluctant to use powerpoints in these types of classes, but since I teach in an art school, I realized I needed to include them for the many visual learners in my classes. However, I put very little text on my slides; instead I put images on the slides and then talk about them. For example, I talk about the life of each author we study and there are many pictures that can be used as I discuss their backgrounds. I find the students pay much more attention this way. The worst powerpoints are ones that have a lot of text and the presenter is just reading them. I also feel that providing a hard copy of the powerpoint prevents students from taking notes and research has shown that doing something physical, such as writing,while listening and watching a powerpoint helps the information get into long-term or short-term memory.
Hi Bryan - You make some really great points. In previous postings I know I have mentioned "Death By Power Point" which is, as you mention , the awful use of that media. But, as you also point out, PPT can be terrific! If you are not good at PPT yorself, get someone to help! Best - Susan
Sounds like everyone is in agreement so far that PowerPoints are a tool to aid in content delivery, not an end in and of themselves. We must always remember, though, that even if our own PowerPoints are stellar and we pause to engage our students, there is already a powerful stigma attached to PowerPoints. As soon as some students encounter that media type, they relax in their seats as though they are about to watch a movie--or worse, completely disengage, assuming what's to come will be boring. Aside from using PowerPoints wisely, we must remember to design them well. Lots of folks have posted great suggestions already, so I won't rehash too much. But for older professors in particular, it's crucial to remember how incredibly media-saavy today's students are. If a presentation feels 1990s to them because of outdated clipart or cheesy slide transitions, it's hard to keep them engaged. Better-designed presentations can be much more attention-getting. Of course, it's also possible to go too far, and have your medium distract from your content. It's a tough balance, of course, but I believe in all things in moderation: for some lectures, a PowerPoint. But not all!
Hi Bradley - welcome to ED103!
I like to use powerpoints just like I would have put an outline on the board in the old days.;-)
It keeps me focused and students can use them later, as you suggest, for review.
I agree that using PowerPoint as a tool only, at the end of the lecture is the best, as a tool it’s great to use, but to give the lecture straight from the PowerPoint does nothing but put the student to sleep. Lecturing from the book, using props and other materials seem to do better, using the PowerPoint for reviews afterward seems to work the best for the students.
You have the right idea, Donald. Using PowerPoint as "a" tool and not the "only" tool is the way to go.
Powerpoint is a great tool, it was great for me when I was in school.I look foward to using it in my new class.
I am glad to hear that you stop the presentations to allow more interaction with your students. That is really important ... too often teachers put together a detailed powerpoint and find it difficult to veer away from their slides when the students need it ... or the presentation is not working to engage the class.
I have been living in a country where often there is no electricity. Therefore, I always have a Plan B of multi-colored posters and charts to illustrate the points I want to show my students. So ... always have at least a Plan B ... and sometimes C and D.
I use a prepared power point for the first few days of my class.I have a difficult time with it for the first few presentations but as I become more comfortable and confident with the power point I come up with something concise and important about every slide.
What you do with the powerpoint is great. I never thought of using pictures of the students work. I am going to do that. I think it will make it more realistic to the thought that they can do it to. Thank you for sharing this information.
A few rules that I use to create powerpoints:
- Keep the slides bare bones => too much info on the slides and the students won't listen to you
- Make sure you have no typos => another distraction from the content
- Pictures or graphics are good
- Limit the amount of animation of the slides => another source of distraction
- DO NOT READ your slides when you present them, talk about the material on the slide
I agree, power points should be the main points and personal experiences does compliment the information given.
The powerpoints should highlight just the main points of the subject being taught that day. I find that it allows me to bring my experiences into the subject which helps the students to understand why these points are being emphasized.
In some of the subjects that I teach I do not even turn the power point on until I have covered the subject. When I use this approach I will have props, and examples of what I am discussing. Afterwards I will review the high points of the subject with the power point, and use it to emphasise various points.
Rod Jerls
