I think it is very useful in that graphs and text can be presented clearly, easily and professionally. Unfortunately, I feel this tool lacks the spark that other technological tools have, which engages students with new, fun ways of presenting information.
Am I missing something? Can the powerpoint be more than a mundane information dump?
Plus: Easily presents data using graphs and graphic organisers, easy to use, backgrounds can be changed to add interest.
Minus: Students are used to information being presented this way, does not appeal to all learning styles, limited to academic uses
Interesting: Effects can be added to words and graphs, but too enthusiasm for these can lead to overuse of 'bells and whistles', detracting from information delivery.
Hi Aly
ReplyDeleteI thought I would post you a comment to let you know of some more possibilies powerpoint can offer. I know it does get used as a bit of an information dump sometimes but I invite you to think outside the square with these learning tools.
-When you next enter a class you could use powerpoint as an interactive way to introduce yourself. Incorporate images, key facts about yourself and even include music and don't forget to have a play with your deisgn, utilising the eyecatching graphics and colours that best suit the age of your cohort to keep them engaged.
-It can also be used as a basic way to make and present a slideshow of images. A student in one of my prac classes chose to use powerpoint as a way to present a book he made. Instead of doing it by hand he chose to design and present it electonically. He even recorded him reading the text and had it play page by page instead of reading it aloud on the day. The rest of the class were really engaged and amazed at his creativity and ability to use technology. It encouraged the other students to give things a go and think at a higher level.
I hope you find these couple of suggestions useful and as I think of more I will post them for you but just have a play and see what you can discover!
B
Sorry you have got me thinking about powerpoint and how it can be used in the classroom so I have some other ideas!!
ReplyDelete-Students could use powerpoint as a tool to produce a users manual or design. Instead of the user having to read pages of info, utilise powerpoint to present the info in a consise way to save time and hopefully make it easier to understand. This could be incorporated into a technology lesson as it uses the technology design processes.
-I also seen powerpoint being used to present the results of a science experiment. Each facet was recorded and dislayed on a slide including images, short films and commentary from group members ending with the result of the experiment which was made dramatic and engaging by the use of sound effects and graphics. The students enjoyed making this as a group, they had to work together and were able to learn from each other and develop their powerpoint and ict skills.
Bye for now.
B
Hi Breanna
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip. I have since looked into the PowerPoint task bar some more, and found the animation tool, where you can personalise the timing of each slide. I have played with this tool to animate frame-by-frame pictures of claymation figures. It works brilliantly!!!
I have also scanned in books for my Prep class so the images can be bigger (put on the smart board) and students can interact with text, circling the words they recognise.
I like you idea about adding voice overs to commentate Powerpoint slides. This could be a very helpful tool for those students with low literacy levels.
I can now see Powerpoint has so many possibilities in the classroom for presentation of of the knowledge they have gained that goes beyond the mundane presentations I have seen before, and can be useful to cater to all learning styles.
Once again, thanks for the tips!
Hi Breanna.
ReplyDeleteWow. I have been playing around with PowerPoint, and have created quizzes, where links are used to direct students to ‘CORRECT” or “TRY AGAIN’ results. This is now my favourite tool, as it provides a platform for a broad range of multi-media to be displayed in the one place, and it is so versatile in how it can be used – claymations, professional presentations, quizzes. This presentation tool would be a good way of following on from wiki-based collaborative teamwork, as all the multi-media explored on the wiki can then be presented.