Ana's Blog

Focus question: How can teachers create PowerPoint presentations for maximum teaching potential and learning impact?

PowerPoint is a presentation software that is a standard feature on computers. PowerPoint presentations is a powerful way to engage students in classrooms. It displays visual information such as colorful graphics, pop-up or slide-in windows, texts, images, and videos. Teachers can “transform still photographs and scanned images into movie-like viewing experiences by adding narration features and text” (Maloy, R. W., Verock-O, R. E., Edwards, S. A., & Woolf, 2011).

PowerPoint can be used for any grade level. When I was in history class, my teacher created a PowerPoint Jeopardy game. It was a great way to engage us by learning history through a game and having us participate. Teachers can also use images to generate class discussion, promote visual analysis of discussion topics, display questions or comments for short writing assignments, use slides as attention-getters, and develop learning games.

Most of my classes require me to create a PowerPoint and then presented to the class. This a great way to put the students skills to use and get them to participate in class. Teachers can also just use images throughout the slides with only a short title. It’s a way to get students attention while you discuss the picture, tell stories, provide essential facts, and explain concepts.

Photo credit to Wikimedia Commons.

Tech Tool link: Digital Projectors and Document Cameras

During my observation hours, I noticed that many classrooms are equipped with a digital projector or a document camera. These two technologies are very helpful when it comes to engaging the students. A document camera allows the teacher to project material onto the whiteboard and students to share their work. For example, a teacher is reading a book that contains images, the document camera will allow her to show the class the images. A digital projector displays materials from a computer onto the board. It projects websites, pictures, and videos. The teacher can also make notes on the computer for the students to view.

Summary & Connection:

This chapter explores about using multimedia and digital technologies to present and share information. Students often multimodal learn, which means that the teacher combines spoken words with visuals, written text, audio, simulations, or models. Schools today consists of multimedia technologies.

PowerPoint presentations has many advantages and disadvantages. Some of the advantages include providing short summaries of key points, visual dimension, easy to use, available on most computers, and text can be combined with pictures, charts, and graphs. Teachers can use a digital projector or a document camera to display images and material content. Teachers can also use videos for classroom instruction, which offers ways to present information. YouTube, handcrafted videos, TeacherTube, PBS learning media, The Futures Channel, and SnagLearning are all video websites that teachers can utilize.

The article further discusses about podcast, which can be used to listen to audio recordings. Podcast can be accessed from computers or portable media players. Students can create an alphabet book or a concept book by using digital cameras. Teachers can invite students to make digital videos and tell digital stories, which are exciting teaching approaches.

Resources:

Maloy, R. W., Verock-O, R. E., Edwards, S. A., & Woolf, B.P. (2011). Transforming learning with new technologies. (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.