Hi all,
Before analysing PowerPoint as a digital tool I think it is important to first define it - PowerPoint is a program used by millions of people around the world to create presentations. Presentations include a number of slides which can contain various elements such as text and images (Nguyen, 2006). Prior to undertaking the tutorials from week three, I believed I was somewhat of a PowerPoint expert. I had experience creating presentations as an aid for assessment at school and in my first year at University. Little did I know however that there were other options for PowerPoint like creating a storyboard in Word and sending them to PowerPoint or creating an interactive presentation. When I was working through the tutorials for week three, I just kept thinking “WOW, how great would my past PowerPoint presentations have been had I known about these functions”.
In analysing this digital tool I have used a PMI.
Positives
• Is an effective aid for presentations.
• Easy to learn and use.
• Presentations can be customised.
• Great for visual learners.
Negatives
• Can be over done for example transitions too slow.
• Can have too much text.
• Creation can become time consuming for example spending too much time playing with the transitions and/or customising the presentation excessively.
• Sometimes just read off rather than used as a supporting aid.
Interesting
• Presentations can be linked and/or interactive.
• The different ways people use PowerPoint.
In the classroom I have only seen a couple of examples for the different ways PowerPoint can be used. The first is that it can be used as an assessment tool where students are given a research task and asked to present their information to the class. When presenting students are also required to have a PowerPoint to support and highlight the main points of their presentation.
Secondly I have seen PowerPoint used as a teaching aide where the teacher has a PowerPoint that highlights the lesson main points or includes pictures to engage learners. I am not sure on other examples for how PowerPoint could be incorporated in the classroom, so if there are other ideas for how to use PowerPoint in the classroom I would love to hear about them.
Kelly
Before analysing PowerPoint as a digital tool I think it is important to first define it - PowerPoint is a program used by millions of people around the world to create presentations. Presentations include a number of slides which can contain various elements such as text and images (Nguyen, 2006). Prior to undertaking the tutorials from week three, I believed I was somewhat of a PowerPoint expert. I had experience creating presentations as an aid for assessment at school and in my first year at University. Little did I know however that there were other options for PowerPoint like creating a storyboard in Word and sending them to PowerPoint or creating an interactive presentation. When I was working through the tutorials for week three, I just kept thinking “WOW, how great would my past PowerPoint presentations have been had I known about these functions”.
In analysing this digital tool I have used a PMI.
Positives
• Is an effective aid for presentations.
• Easy to learn and use.
• Presentations can be customised.
• Great for visual learners.
Negatives
• Can be over done for example transitions too slow.
• Can have too much text.
• Creation can become time consuming for example spending too much time playing with the transitions and/or customising the presentation excessively.
• Sometimes just read off rather than used as a supporting aid.
Interesting
• Presentations can be linked and/or interactive.
• The different ways people use PowerPoint.
In the classroom I have only seen a couple of examples for the different ways PowerPoint can be used. The first is that it can be used as an assessment tool where students are given a research task and asked to present their information to the class. When presenting students are also required to have a PowerPoint to support and highlight the main points of their presentation.
Secondly I have seen PowerPoint used as a teaching aide where the teacher has a PowerPoint that highlights the lesson main points or includes pictures to engage learners. I am not sure on other examples for how PowerPoint could be incorporated in the classroom, so if there are other ideas for how to use PowerPoint in the classroom I would love to hear about them.
Kelly