PowerPoints
In my past classrooms, I have used very few Powerpoint presentations because I traditionally use discussion, group work, and individual activities in order to conduct my curriculum. However, I am planning on becoming more familiar with the software in order to use them more often in class. As of now, I require each student in a business class that I teach to give a PowerPoint presentation and follow-up those presentations with question and answer sessions. This method has seemd to work well in my classroom.
Hi Ann:
Using a lot of variety in your delivery is good and does not necessiarily need additions such as PPT, just for sake of using PPT. It's a tool and if the tool is needed, then go for it.
Good PPT's require time, thought and creativity to keep thing simple and not boring. Too much information by PPT can make an otherwise terrific lesson go flat. Sure would hate to see that. Just a cautionary comment.
Regards, Barry
We have had our students provide PP presentations in group work from time to time and have received some really good invovlement. In our field of study, PP allows us to show progression of circuits and their operation and component assembly order. It also allows us to provide actually pictures of the subject being discussed and to throw in a goofy pic every now and then to keep things lively.
Hi Eric:
Great use of an instructional tool to convey an essential topic point or lesson. PPT can be wonderful...or awful. Good PPT's take some time and planning to construct, and even then there's no assurance that complete understanding will be achieved.
But when a good PPT is put together, it can be a fantastic adjunct to presenting information. It can make even tedious information come alive.
Just remember that the focus of attention should be on the information (i.e., lesson) - not the media that's presenting it (i.e., PPT).
Regards, Barry
Regards, Barry
I feel that powerpoints are very helpful keeping the students and Instructor on track. It also gives the student the opportunity to take notes and refer back to their powerpoint notes to prepare for a test or as a point of reference.
Hi Michael:
I agree that a well constructed PPT can be used as a guide to discussion, elaborate on essential points, or depict technical drawing and/or photographs. I'm always cautious about putting too much info on one slide. Also, I try to avoid just reading the slide. PPT is a tool to augment what I have to say or discuss.
Regards, Barry
I use the pp as a referance only. It doesn't take an instructor to read the slides; the students have that in front of them. It does however take an experianced,confident and animated instructor to interperate the slides coupled along with real world experiance to make sense of the material. I just use the pp as a referance for me to be able to tell the students what each particular slide is trying to convey.
Hi David:
You have captured and conveyed some very excellent tenets regarding the use of PPT.
There are times where the slides may take a more dominant focus in a particular class (photo's, diagrams, tables). But for general lecture, just the main points that can be elaborated on usually works best.
Regards, Barry
Powerpoints can be good in the classroom setting, but you should try not to read directly from the slides. I use them quite alot in teaching, but find that I only REALLY use them to keep the discussion on track and heading in the right direction. One of the few times that I do read directly from it is to emphasize a point, usually with a specific definitions.
Hi George:
What you've decribed is probablt the best use for PPT. Exceptions might be technical drawings, tables, formulas, or specific images that relate to the lesson. But generally, using words, that's what you're there for. To amplifly and clarify, and illustrate, etc. The PPT's can augument, but shouldn't dominate.
Regards, Barry
The time it takes making a PPT is well worth it but like Barry has said it takes alot to make it intresting and functional I have made a PP for a 3 week class that I teach and have probibly devoted 75+ and counting to the development of them there is also constant reviwe and colegues looking at them.
Hi Jason:
I like your comment about having your colleagues review your work. Sometimes they'll pick up on something the instructor took for granted the students would know, or other instructor-colleague type comments. It really does does add more quality assurance to the PPT.
Regards, Barry
It's important not to let the powerpoint presentations become more impotant than instructor presentations.
I was with Ann in regards to power point but I currently will use much more with the PP for instruction I can expound more clearly on subject matter to the students.
Hi Greg:
Right! PPT is a tool. The instructor should be the focus of the material, relying on the PPT as an adjunct (among many) to get their point across.
Regards, Barry
Hi Richard:
Good for you. We all find the media that works best for us, and the students, and manages to get the material covered and the needed information conveyed appropriately.
Regards, Barry
powerpoints can be helpful but you gotta know how to teach without a power point so our directors says
Hi Bryan:
Too much of anything, in this case PPT, can end up being a distration rather than "an enlightening learning experience". The latter is what we choose, I suspect.
Regards, Barry
I have a tendency to utilize PPT's often but have grown to use them simply as a visual support for the days topic. I avoid writing on them at all, simply post photos, often from prior classwork as a visual support. Students see what previous classes have produced so they have a clearly defined goal on which to take aim.
Having them read re: a topic, adding the conversatiion, the visuals and handling samples when possible involves all their senses and hopefully gives them the best chance for success.
At our school we have three projectors to share amongst 20 instructors, so, yeah, you better be able to teach without them once in a while..
