One of the most appropriate uses of PowerPoint, though, may be in the classroom. Like it or not, teachers spend a lot of time presenting information, and a computer is generally a more effective tool for this than a chalkboard or an overhead transparency. Coupled with a graphics tablet, an interactive whiteboard, and the participation of students, this use of technology can transform learning.
Using an LCD projector with PowerPoint and other tools is a great way to engage kids. (See previous posts on differentiating instruction.) What is more interesting to look at — an explanation of sentence structure hand-written on an overhead that is barely legible because of the dark projector or an animated PowerPoint that is colorful, bright, and easy to read?
The real benefits of electronic presentations are all the other ways you can use them to expand learning. Here are a few ideas:
- Post presentations for current lessons online for students who were absent. (You might be surprised how much these are used even by students who were in attendance.)
- Create a library of past and future lesson presentations online for students to use for remediation or enrichment.
- Distribute presentations on mobile devices for students to follow along with in class. (I’ve seen engagement go up significantly as a result of doing this.)
- Give students electronic copies of presentations to add their own notes to. Challenge GATE students to add more details. Have ESL students record audio notes. Encourage all students to personalize for their learning style.
- Make presentations into mini-movies by using a tool like Camtasia Studio or CamStudio to add narration.
- Print reduced-size handouts of key presentations and assemble them as mini-books for students to reference. (They could also be distributed as ebooks, especially if you have mobile devices to use.)
I spend a lot of time in classrooms around the country doing technology integration mentoring, and I am surprised how many teachers are still writing on overhead transparencies, while a perfectly good LCD projector sits unused. (In the last two weeks, I have been in three schools where all the teachers had LCD projectors, but were still primarily using overheads. I’d like to think this is anomalous, but I don’t think it is.)
If you’re reading this blog, you’re probably not using overhead transparencies instead of PowerPoint presentations, but maybe the teacher next door is. If so, try to talk them into using this technology. And if you’re an administrator and every teacher in your building doesn’t have an LCD projector (or they have them but aren’t using them), get moving! This may be the one piece of technology that offers the most bang for the buck in improving student learning.