{"id":59,"date":"2011-11-22T22:10:53","date_gmt":"2011-11-22T15:10:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.coetail.asia\/neilcommons\/?p=59"},"modified":"2011-11-22T22:10:53","modified_gmt":"2011-11-22T15:10:53","slug":"powerpoint-in-my-classroom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/neilcommons.com\/?p=59","title":{"rendered":"PowerPoint in my classroom"},"content":{"rendered":"

So it needs to be made clear from the start the context in which I am discussing the use of PowerPoint.\u00a0 I am a teacher and I am talking about the use of PowerPoint by a secondary school teacher during a class.<\/p>\n

1)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 This means I am not talking about the corporate presentation which is mentioned in Seth Godin\u2019s blog on the Really Bad PowerPoint<\/a> \u00a0(but I have responded to some of his advice from the point of view of a teacher at the end of this blog).<\/p>\n

2)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I am also not talking about getting students to use PowerPoint in my class to make presentations as pertinently denigrated by Edward Tufte in\u00a0\u201cPowerPoint is Evil\u201d<\/a> .<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

My context is as a tool which I regularly use in my classroom to help provide structure for my teaching and to both stimulate and support my students\u2019 learning.<\/p>\n

1)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Easy use<\/strong><\/p>\n

No one has ever told me that PowerPoint was anything but easy to use.\u00a0 Plus it is most effective when kept simple.<\/p>\n

2)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Planning<\/strong><\/p>\n

I use it as a visual template for my lesson which helps me consider the various stages of my lesson and the time required. \u00a0Plus it forces me to identify any additional resources \u2013 mine is a science class so this is vital.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Lesson starting slide by Neil Commons<\/p><\/div>\n

3)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Setting the stage for the lesson<\/strong><\/p>\n

I like my students to enter my classroom, and at least initially, be presented with familiarity to help them settle and organise themselves.\u00a0 PowerPoint provides me with a clear template to the start of each lesson with a title, objective and often key words.\u00a0 For me having this pre-built means that my class to class transition is faster so that I can greet my students as they enter.\u00a0 For my students it provides a familiar structure and a clear guide as to how to organise their work in OneNote page (we are a one-to-one laptop school).<\/p>\n

4)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Starting activity<\/strong><\/p>\n

A starting activity is something that will stimulate an inclusive response and it is often an image, in recognition of the visual literacy of my students, and these can be very easily pasted into or developed within PowerPoint.<\/p>\n

5)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Zoning in (the teaching bit)<\/strong><\/p>\n

I will take 10 minutes to help students zone in on an idea.\u00a0 PowerPoint allows me to integrate diagrams and animations into these explanations which assist the visual learners in the class.<\/p>\n

6)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Activity instructions<\/strong><\/p>\n

Having the instructions clearly displayed on a PowerPoint stage means there is a constant point of reference available to all the students, it is especially useful for my more active students who get involved but then forget what exactly they should be doing.\u00a0\u00a0 This will also include extension tasks for my gifted students.<\/p>\n

7)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Personal Reflection<\/strong><\/p>\n

My lesson is not static for the existence of a PowerPoint. I will nearly always be making live adaptions in response to the class and as I have a saved version this acts as an ever improving starting template for the next time I teach similar content.<\/p>\n

8)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Tailoring for the individuals<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yes I do worry about the font, font size and font colour because I need to take into consideration the short-sighted, colour blind student with reading disabilities in my class.\u00a0 However, I do agree with what Don McMillan says in his sketch \u201cLife After Death by PowerPoint\u201d<\/p>\n