Week # 6: Discovering Interactive PowerPoint

PowerPoint created by students

This week I've learned how to create an Interactive PowerPoint Presentation to be used in an adult group. The experience was rewarding in that I was proud I was able to do it and I was happy my students were really engaged in the activity. I’ll use the same activity in a teen group this coming week. The same group that had that discussion on 3D movies. 

The best part of this work has been my improvement in terms of rapport. Students seem to be more interested and willing to participate. Well, actually, with all these innovations in the classroom, they feel I’m also willing to participate and this is what has made the difference.

The Top Ten Slide Tips have helped a lot. I’ll keep them in mind, especially the one that reads: Keep it simple! I have to minimize the number of slides and avoid parroting PowerPoint. I usually read the visual presentation. I think this is so because I used to do it with the Overhead Transparencies.

I had never used “Action Buttons” and I didn’t know how to hide the pointer. I also learned alternative ways to move through the presentation. I only used space and the arrows to the next and previous slides. Now I can go to a specific slide faster. I never thought of inserting a blank slide. That was new.

I really loved all the work we came up with! Inspiring ideas!  

Bottom line: before planning a presentation, the teacher should have a clear idea about the objectives. There are key issues to be considered: what students already know; what they eventually will know and how to help them accomplish that.

I don’t teach large classes, but some of the insights I’ve had when reading the material will help me with small groups, too. Whatever activity I design, I have to favor students' talking time so that teacher talking time will be minimized.

Helô