John,
I agree, I too like the white board better overall. I think a good use of the power point is when we are providing several terms with definitions & this can help students learn them better.
Ryan
I use power point and the whiteboard during presentations and I must admit whiteboard seems to be more effective. I teach in at a technical school so I do alot of drawing on the board and I have the students copy the material into their notes. I would like to use more powerpoint pictures instead of drawing it on the white board because it is more time effective but I am unsure if it would change the effectiveness of the presentation. I always have a three demensional real world model, example: an actual engine cutaway,to go along with the whiteboard.
This is definitely always a danger with the power point. I try to limit the amount of info I put on the slides & then they have to listen to what is going on so they can take the most effective notes.
Ryan
I agree with Ms. Coomes. The students were too busy trying to copy every word from the Power Point that they weren't taking in the supplementary information I was giving. When I use the white board it gives me the freedom to illustrate whatever technique we're using or how to build the dessert they are tasked with.
Darrell,
I'm with you on not being Rembrandt. I think you illustrate a great way to use a variety of "technologies" to reach the learners. I'm betting this variety helps keep them more engaged too.
Ryan
Dan,
Great point you make here. Through the white board we can address specific, in the moment questions or areas.
Ryan
power point is great for a quick overview but using the white board let you tailor lesson to fit the learners
As our Power Point is written by a curriculum writer, I use the white board and hands on training aids to embellish(sp),acentuate(sp)and reinforce what is being presented on through the Power Point.
More so is when technical illustrations are included in the Power Point, I raise the screen and show the Power Point directly on the white board and use my markers to mark components, test points and give values associated with the illustration.
This prevents me from doing the illustrations free hand, Rembrandt I'm not.
Andre,
Thank you for sharing your experience. This provides another great idea for effective presentation.
Ryan
Great idea of using a variety of methods, centering around the power point.
Ryan
I agree the powerpoint is a guide, as i see things on the powerpoint it reminds me on what i need to cover and where i can/should start a conversation with the class or go to the white board or hand out. That way they are always trying to focus and stay with me in the topic.
I recently had the opportunity to teach at another campus that no longer uses PPT at all. Instead we displayed images of components we were discussing. I created a outline to carry in hand in order to keep on task and in order. I was initially concerned about their reaction to my reading from a outline but as it turned out I ended up discussing the component image until I had exhausted my info then moved on to the next image. After each image I would use my outline just to make sure I hit all the key areas. This worked very well and my use of the outline did not become a script as I feared. The important part was the preparation of the outline. If it is too detailed it becomes a crutch and the instructor clings to it like a life preserver and then it becomes a script. Students tuned out very quickly when this became the case. I used large font and multiple colors to separate info from ques as to when to change the image and so forth. To be effective, the outline had to work for the instructor quickly and easily. The number of pages in the outline was not as important as being able to find your place on the outline when trying to stay on track.
Great plan, that change up helps keep attention.
Ryan
Sidney,
I think this is a great approach & one I highly recommend. When I am coaching individuals on presentations I strongly emphasize making it conversational.
Ryan
I dont always use the power point to read from just as a guide,I use actual parts in hand to do the lecture,ask them questions,or mainly just do a normal person to person talk as if we were settin at a table talkin about cars.see what they understand or need more help with,then go over the power point to highlight points of interest.
I try to alternate between Power Points, white board and other visuals to keep their attention.
Deb,
Again some great points & the key is your last one. PPt is a tool that supports or enhances a presentation & can assist in retention or clarification. I was recently at a conference where presenters put their entire presentation on the ppt & then simply read the slides to us. Don't do this!
Thanks Deb,
Ryan
How we design our PowerPoint presentations has a lot of impact on whether the audience focuses on the speaker or on the PowerPoint.
I teach my students the 7 x 7 guideline--no more that 7 bullets per slide, each with no more than 7 words. This puts the focus on the key ideas (and makes slides more readable than ones crowded with text). One professor in graduate school limited us to 5 bullets by 5 words each. Either way, you also put more careful thought into the text you put on the screen.
Also making use of animation effects so that only one bullet point comes in at a time. Then the audience can't read ahead of the points you are trying to make.
For me, I think of using PowerPoint as a tool to convey main ideas and visuals (tables, graphs). I don't think of it as the actual presentation.
I think this is a great illustration of making a decision based on what works best for your class & your subject matter, rather than what someone else tells you to do.
Ryan
Pearl,
Sorry for the delayed response. I love this idea of projecting the pictures up on the white board & writing on them to help the students. Great job!
Ryan
