MS Power Point

MS Power Point is a great tool to use in the educational setting. It allows teachers to organize, structure, and focus on key points while discussing any topic. With MS Power Point all learning modalities are taken into consideration. There are functions that help the presenter include images for visual learners, there are microphones and videos that can be added to assist auditory learners, and students can actually create their own slides which helps our kinesthetic learners. It is up to the presenter to actively engage students during a presentation. They should not rely solely on the images or the power point to teach a lesson.

Power point can be used as a home/school connection to reinforce skills taught in the classroom. Parents are able to access the power point if teachers send it directly to their e mail and add it to their blog or classroom website. With power point being used at home parents are actively involved in their student learning.
When thinking of using any tool in the classroom teachers must first receive adequate training and use the software before presenting it to their students. Where there are potentials there are also risks to using any tool in the classroom. The shortcomings of using MS Power Point are that some features such as animations and backgrounds can distract the audience from the actual information in the presentation. When creating a power point we must keep in mind the target audience that way when we add images they will focus more on the information rather than the pictures. Another shortcoming of power point is that power point presentation can’t be completed without using other forms of technology such as a projector or screen. If one of the devices functions improperly it can either delay the presentation or cause the audience to lose focus. Knowing these shortcomings one should always have a plan B and this is where printing out slides is important.

Below you will find a website that provides information on using power point in the classroom.

http://www.teach-nology.com/tutorials/powerpoint/no_one_tells_you/