We cannot deny the fact that one of the most useful additions to a teacher’s toolkit has been the introduction of PowerPoint. Coupled with the recent use of Interactive Whiteboards, PowerPoint is now used more often than ever before. In fact, students go from lesson to lesson listening to teachers lecture from their, no doubt, brilliantly constructed slideshows. One criticism has been that teachers tend to go through a vast number of slides very swiftly and assume that students have somehow absorbed the information. If students’ only purpose is to sit and listen then this can create the danger of classes becoming passive and eventually detract from their learning. If we are to ensure that learning is at the core of each lesson while using PowerPoint then we also need to focus more on student participation and engagement. This can be achieved only if PowerPoint is used as more than just a presentation tool.
Part 1 : Highlight Text
Using the Rectangle Tool and simple animations makes it easier for the teacher to emphasise key point or to give specific examples in text. PowerPoint is an excellent tool to engage students.
Part 2 : Highlight Images
This is a continuation from Part 1: Highlight Text and focuses on how images can be used more effectively in the classroom. .
Part 3 : Zooming’ Images
This is a regularly visited tutorial as it really engages the class! After you have watched this tutorial think about what you can do with it?
Part 4 : Hyper Links & ‘Hot Spots’
By inserting hyperlinks and ‘hot spots’we can encourage the students to explore images or text.
Part 5 : Motion Paths
This feature of PowerPoint is greatly underestimated and can really get students thinking about history, particularly if you show them how to use Motion Paths.