PowerPoint… Evil?
After reading the article by Tufte and listening to the NPR segment on PowerPoint, what are your reactions to the opinions expressed? Are teacher-centered uses of technology more or less effective as student-centered uses of technology?
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I must admit that after reading the article and listening to the podcast, I'm a bit torn about if I agree with Tufte's assessment of powerpoint or not. On one hand, Tufte makes some good points, but he also throws in the kitchen sink (bad points) in order to make his point.
I disagree with him regarding his thoughts on "chartjunk." Personally, I don't see a problem with creating something in Powerpoint more embellished than the traditional, "good" table. If explained by the presenter, the audience can understand and grasp what is being said and disseminated. And he as much admits this when he says, "Audience boredom is usually a content failure, not a decoration failure."
But, this is related to the very good point he does make about student-centered presentations. In our program, we are learning about our audience (i.e. students) and working very hard to steer clear of teacher-centered classrooms. Why are we asking students to present in student-centered ways such as Powerpoint presentations? I don't have the answer; it is rhetorical.
I know there are many who use Power point as a backdrop/prop, but I often find that people use it as a crutch and read it verbatim and have little interaction with their audience. I don't have the answers, but have to think that there is a disconnect by modeling one type of group interaction while asking our students to "teach" another.
Additionally, I do wonder about the content value of the presentations. I have noticed that in our own "presentations," like our digital stories or web sites, that I have gotten very caught up in the design and have paid too little attention to the content. I have created enough content to get my "presentation" done. Jenn made a point that she circumvents this problem by having--in the case of the stories--students submit the content first, and then work on the presentation. This may be the way to ensure that our students are really presenting content-rich material that they have truly learned. I think as teachers, it is important to let our students present their material in any way they see fit, but at the end of the day, we are teachers--not audience members-- and need to make sure students are learning. We need to make sure there's away we can authenticate that that's happening and not that students are just skimming sites in order to find "bullet points."
The article and the NPR segment underline that it is critical that Powerpoint be used properly and that students are taught to use it in a way that enhances their learning. I know people (and sometimes have to attend their presentations) who still produce those mind numbing gazillion slide PPTs with too much text on each one of the gazillion slides. However, these days it is much more frequent that I see it used well.
No medium is going to be appropriate in all circumstances. That one would not always want students to "think in bullet points" doesn't mean that it is not helpful at times. I also don't think that PPTs are useful for only the presenter or for only the bottom 20% of presenters. As a student, I appreciate a well constructed power point presentation and that teachers usually make them available to us. Finally, as somebody who does not have great presentation skills, what an improvement in my life--and my audience's--that this is available to use as an aid!
I agree with the notion that PowerPoint is evil. In fact I have been preaching it for the last year. In my district I get to travel between schools from time to time and PowerPoint is the single most used and over used piece of software that we have. Students begin using PowerPoint in 2nd grade and are still using it by 12th. I have been told by 12th grade students that they are tired of PowerPoint by this point. While listening to the podcast I heard the Microsoft rep talk about how great it is for students to work together on a PowerPoint. I totally disagree. PowerPoint is a program that can only be used by one user at a time. I have seen the smart kid dominate his/her group because he/she feels that only he/she can do it. I have been pushing teachers toward creating google accounts and then having student use google's version of PowerPoint. It allows students to work together on a presentation and as a teacher I can see who did what. This version is far superior to microsoft and it is free. I think teachers need to get away from PowerPoint and try other activities. I really feel students would be better off if they only did one presentation a year. This way they could be exposed to a wide variety of presentation options.
I am in favor of the use of PowerPoint when it is used properly. I think it can help to organize information from different sources as mentioned on the NPR segment. I was thinking about our faculty meetings and how our principal usually uses PowerPoint slides to guide his presentations. It has the basic information and it helps the audience to follow along. I think most of the teachers probably use those tools to enhance learning and particularly, if I use PowerPoint in my class, I will go beyond the bullets. I usually like to use them as an interactive activity where the kids can describe, complete sentences, fill in words, etc.
I like the idea given on the NPR segment about how those PowerPoint can help kids who are struggling with organization. I also think it can help ESL kids because it is a visual tool that helps them to comprehend the language.
I do think that perhaps students need to work a little more on their presentations. I noticed that sometimes they just read the bullets and lack a better explanation on the topic and relied a lot on the PowerPoint. It is like their digital index card.
I don't agree when Tufte said that students should be writing reports using sentences instead of the PowerPoint activities. I believe the kids are still writing in many different ways, at least I see a lot of beautiful writings in my school. Teachers are constantly emphasizing the use of details in their writings, their creativity and personal connections with the books they read. I think we need to be realistic and take advantage of those digital tools we have. Our students and children are living in the 21st Century and we need to adjust our teaching style to better suit their needs.
I first read Leah's point about liking Powerpoint as an "aid," and then read Patrick's comments:
"I think teachers need to get away from PowerPoint and try other activities. I really feel students would be better off if they only did one presentation a year. This way they could be exposed to a wide variety of presentation options."
There have been teachers here who have pushed presentations-- especially for people like Leah and myself-- who are uncomfortable with presenting in front of a group. When I have confided in these professors my fear of presentations, they have nicely explained it is important that I shed that fear. I agree with them. Powerpoint presentations can become an aid that can be overused in order to not make eye contact, etc... .
That said, I like Patrick's idea very much because it not only helps people like Leah and me explore other ways to present and gain confidence in ourselves during presentations, but also exposes all of us to new technology and/or helps us learn creative and new ways of expressing our ideas and ourselves.
I have been reading all comments and all of you have good points. I think schools do have some kind of "fever" for PowerPoint use. I think it is also because it's easy to create slides using the traditional way we are more familiarized with. Perhaps teachers and students need more training on non-linear PowerPoint which can be more interesting and interactive. I wasn't aware of so many different ways to integrate curriculum with digital media as we have been learning in class lately. I am looking forward to apply some of those programs in my classes. Also, being someone who first language is not English, I feel that PowerPoint slides are very helpful to relieve that anxiety when I have to present something to a larger group. It is not that I just follow the bullets, but I develop my speech from the ideas on the slides and I feel more comfortable having the slides to guide me. It is definitely an effective aid when designed properly and using an interesting content.
On the whole, I agree with Tufte that Powerpoint presentations do more harm than good. My main concern is that students rely on the "bells and whistles" of design rather than getting deep into content. I found myself chuckling when the Microsoft spokeswoman quoted in the NPR segment defended Powerpoint as an "open-ended creativity tool." I just don't see that much opportunity for creativity with Powerpoint. Rather, I think it is, as Luiza says, more of a "digital index card." Yes, creativity in the classroom is a worthy goal to make learning interesting and accessible to all students; but I think there are better technologies available for creative learning, as Patrick notes.
I also worry that there is not enough depth of learning when students rely on Powerpoint. I think that a written paper more often than not allows the student to dig deeper in covering a topic. (But I agree with Leah that Tufte overstates the case by saying Powerpoint is only helpful for the bottom 20% of the class--methinks he doth protest too much!)
Luiza makes a great point that the Powerpoint does work if treated simply as an outline to identify the points in a presentation, which should then be discussed in much greater depth than simply reciting a bullet point. So as a springboard for discussion, the Powerpoint can organize thoughts for a more meaningful presentation than one that is "scattered." It is crucial, however, that the presenter go beyond the outline to address the topic in greater depth. And Amy raises a valid point that the Powerpoint can become a "crutch" of sorts for the reluctant speaker, who can avoid interacting with the student audience by focusing on the projected images instead of looking at the listeners.
I have seen effective Powerpoint presentations when the topic included lots of facts and the presentation, accompanied by a photocopied handout for the audience, allowed the audience to listen more attentively to the explanations given since they didn't have to take notes. For example, our high school gives parent presentations at the start of the school year on the college process. With timelines, appropriate websites, etc. spelled out in the Powerpoint, the speaker can go into greater depth and the audience can focus on the speaker's words.
So, like Amy, I'm a bit torn, but agree with Patrick that Powerpoints should be used very sparingly. My main concern is that they drive students to focus too much on the presentation at the expense of content.
I was wondering if we could compile a list of PowerPoint Alternatives. Tools teacher could use instead of PowerPoint
Prezi
Glogster
Google Docs
wiki
Any other ideas
I will split my comments up into the article, the audio piece, and summary. These will be rambling thoughts, so bear with me.
I think the article is bunk. The gentleman who wrote the piece comes off as a minimalist who doesn't like information overload. Think about today's society; it's chock full of information overload. It is something we have been used to for years now.
To add to this, his reasoning is absurd. Look at his comparing of the data in the piece. He prefers his data in black-in-white, both figuratively and literally. Fine; don't present an indictment on Powerpoint, coming up with contrived reasons like "chartjunk is a clear sign of statistical stupidity" and attempting to throw in something severe (cancer patients) to turn the tide his way. Who is going to go against cancer patients?
It's extremely slanted arguing. I'm indifferent to Powerpoint as a tool, but I find his article to be absurd. And while I normally like the absurd, this I don't care for.
Now, regarding the audio piece...I find the concept that Powerpoint is just the medium just. There are many different ways to express the same thought. Where PowerPoint succeeds is in organization. Where it has its best chance to fail--and I have witnessed this first hand--is in presentation. That is, students who decide on style over substance. On that point, I can connect with the detractors of PowerPoint.
In an elementary school, there is probably a better chance at practical use for PowerPoint. The students aren't as advanced in techniques as they are further down the line in their education, and therefore, they may look at PowerPoint as a means to an end, rather than an ability to dazzle their classmates, but not teach them anything.
In an environment where many different mediums are starting to be used (audio, visual, combined), I can see PowerPoint having a decreased impact on our classrooms. However, I don't think the impact it has had is wholly negative, and not nearly as dreary as it is made out to seem here.
I will admit that I do base my opinions on the pieces, but combine them with my own experience in PowerPoint (where I am a minimalist and prefer content over style), as well as my experience in PowerPoint as an educator.
I think Tufte overstates the facts regarding powerpoint. Like most of our class' comments, I think powerpoint is a valuable tool both for presenter and audience. If the presenter relies on the 'bullets' too heavily and doesn't interact with the audience, this is the fault of the presenter, not the medium used. Hopefully the material on the slide is at least useful. I also agree with Leslie that providing a copy of the presentation to the audience frees them up from writing everything down and allows them to listen more attentively, jotting down the 'pearls of wisdom' that didn't make it to the slide. As Tufte says in his closing, 'powerpoint is merely a competent slide manager; it should supplement a presentation, not become a substitute for it.
Like Luiza, I wasn't aware that a powerpoint could be interactive and I am interested in working with one. This is definitely one way to enhance the use of powerpoint by making it more responsive to different audiences, not unlike the UDL we discussed earlier in class. I am interested to see how easy/hard it is to develop an interactive presentation.
I thought the NPR broadcast was more balanced in its discussion of powerpoint software. If I could synthesize both discussions, I would say that we would all agree that powerpoint is a powerful tool as long as it 'doesn't get in the way of the learning.' When incorporating it into the classroom, I agree that the content should be nailed down before the students are allowed to 'decorate' the pages. And even then, there should be guidelines as to just how much 'decoration' is allowed. This is just good teacher practice; we would give the same structural guidelines for a written essay.
I really agree with "The Incoherent." I felt the Tufte article was one-sided and over generalized. I disagree with his concept that “The standard PowerPoint presentation elevates format over content, betraying an attitude of commercialism that turns everything into a sales pitch.” I agree more with the Microsoft representative’s point that PowerPoint is only a medium through which to present information, meaning the onus is on the presenter, not the program. If the presentation lacks content and focuses too much on style, then the student should be docked points and taught how to correctly convey content in a presentation. I agree with Amy and Professor Cirino that processes should be checked for content along the way. To me, style is what makes a PowerPoint more interesting and helps the audience pay attention and retain the information.
If people don’t like PowerPoint because they find it to be boring, again, I think it’s not the program, but the presenter. If a presenter lacks charisma and content, the audience will be bored. If the presenter effectively utilizes good presenting skills, the audience will be more engaged. It is the job of a teacher to teach the software, but, more importantly, it is the job of a teacher to teach good presenting skills.
Despite the objections I already shared with the criticism of powerpoint, I do like some of the suggestions shared by others. "Mr. Egan's" points out that Google docs offer a nice alternative to "Microsoft. PowerPoint's pushy style seeks to set up a speaker's dominance over the audience," which Tufte complains about. I agree that for teachers and students hoping to implement powerful applications but seeking additional flexibility, these web-based sites offer a nice combination of both.
About halfway through this school year, I actually abandoned my Moodle sites in favor of Google documents, and my kids loved them. I was excited to hear about Google's version of Powerpoint; I've never used it. And despite all of the objections raised about Powerpoints inflexibility, the podcast and Tufte's article offered very little in terms of alternatives. Simply abandoning presentation software isn't a viable option. Not only would that attitude harm efficiency, it would deny students the chance to learn technological skills that will serve them well in future classes and career. I really appreciate this suggestion, and I'm motivated to investigate this new program. I'm very interested to see what additional flexibility is offered.
Thanks, Mr. Egan!
I think there are 2 things to look at in this discussion on powerpoint. First, I do not think it is evil. Many times I find myself to be one of those very disorganized people that was talked about on the podcast. For me, powerpoint allows for a very easy way to get my information organized and put in a presentable form. It makes for a very simple method for making a presentation.
The second issue is that I think powerpoint is getting a bad reputation here because people overuse it. While, it is a good way to make a presentation, people often forget that it is not the only way. This responsibility comes from the teacher. Teachers need to make sure that their lessons are more than just powerpoint presentations. Several of my students have complained about other teachers who do nothing but powerpoint and say that it becomes very boring. They also need to make sure to either encourage or require the use of other types of presentations from their students. We need to remember that powerpoint is just one tool in the toolbox. A good carpenter uses more than just his hammer.
I also agree with "The Incoherent" about the article. he seems to just be angry and upset with seeing it everywhere. If that is his opinion, fine, but that doesn't make powerpoint a bad program. I also don't agree at all with his criticism of the bar graphs compared to the table. I would tend to think that most people would prefer o look at information on a graph where they can see the difference in the numbers across the board instead of just looking at a list.
I think Joe makes a great analogy. Powerpoint is merely one tool in our toolbox of slide/presentation software. Just as our class blog serves a different purpose than our individual blogs, so does each tool have pluses and minuses that should be considered when choosing the best one for the intended purpose.
One other thought -regarding 'chartjunk'...this is not different from any presentation -automated or otherwise -that tries to 'wow' the audience with bells and whistles. If this is the inclination of the presenter, it can be accomplished with or without powerpoint.
See the theme? It all comes back to the presenter, not the tool itself.
Similar to Amy, I have conflicted emotions about these commentaries on powerpoint. The valid criticism seems to be that powerpoint is but a limited piece of software and can be used to generate boring, misguided presentations (the "gazillions slide PPTs" that Leah discusses). The style of presentation encouraged by this technological tool is restricted, and the resulting documents are redundant. As the podcast suggested, instructors must clarify for students that not every exercise nor every literary work should be simplified to a series of bullet points. The pre-fabricated slides that powerpoint offers nudge users towards essentially the same, simplified style for each of their presentations. Obviously, this is a trap that pupils, presenters, and teachers must all avoid.
When Edward Tufte discusses the limitations of powerpoint for the presentation of advanced statistical information (e.g. survival rates), he's speaking my language! In my former career as an actuary, that's exactly what I used the program for. And it was challenging. We were constantly attempting to balance the complexity of our data with the simplicity of our medium. But any failure to do so could hardly be blamed on Microsoft--as convenient as that would be. If I stubbornly cleaved to the basic formats that powerpoint offered, I'd have gotten a crummy result. And unlike the poor carpenter, I wouldn't blame the tool.
Teachers face the same difficulty--but not only when they use powerpoint. The impulse to stick to your planned lecture format rather than allow a discussion to adapt is not a product of the digital age. Proper planning and appropriately humble teaching allows for the possibility that the instructors premeditated structure may be ineffective. Allowing students to drive the lesson and ask questions, occasionally scraping a portion of your carefully crafted lesson is unnerving and frustrating. But some of the best lessons I’ve observed did just that! Some of the worst have done the opposite--whether they implemented smart notebook, powerpoint...or a good, old-fashioned chalk board. Maybe it’s true that powerpoint discourages this flexibility more than chalkboard or white board presentations (or more than interactive powerpoint presentations for that matter). But this teaching mistake is a flaw of the teacher, not the software.
The challenge of implementing software--or any teaching aid--relates closely to the proper implementation of UDL that we read about. We must ensure that our technology is used to achieve our goals and add value, and make the correct choice of application for each class. We can't become lazy and stick to the same style regardless of the topic we study. In addition, the types of learners in our classroom should shape the implementation of software in our lessons. But powerpoint is a powerful tool that students will be expected to use in the workplace. These critiques merely highlight the difficulty they may encounter in using that tool. Just like with MS word, Excel, Access or some of the other programs we recently learned about--like Inspire or Photo Story 3--it's important that we present the tools, share the advantages, and point out the dangers of their use.
So I don't think powerpoint is any more evil than a hammer. It's limited. It can be used ignorantly or ineffectively. And like a lot of MS products, it can be infuriating. But it's a tool, and in the right hands, can be used for good!
What they said: one tool among many.
A couple of people have mentioned handing out hard copies of the presentation. That can be terrific under some circumstances and with some audiences, but, once more, caution is necessary. It can also lead to the students being yet more passive. Also, when people write something down, it helps it get transmitted to a different part of the brain than just hearing or seeing it. I cannot provide details or cites for that, however!
I agree Leah--as well-intentioned as presenters are when they provide hard copies of their slides, that practice almost always distracts the listener. There are ways of dealing with that difficulty, of course: either addressing and prohibiting "skipping ahead" in your class, offering time at the beginning of the lesson for students to skim the materials so they aren't tempted to do so while you're speaking, or even handing out incomplete slides with blanks, etc. I find these partially-complete outlines with blanks, etc. a particularly useful tool to assist middle school students with note-taking while still requiring them to actively learn (to "write it down" as you suggest).
Yet again, it seems that the recurring theme is planning, planning, planning. Additional time and consideration is required to develop and provide these supplemental materials. One more reminder that, although technology can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of a lesson, it cannot excuse the instructor from hard work and preparation.
Kevin,
I completely agree with you that handing out outlines for a PowerPoint presentation is a good teaching practice. It teaches students to practice note-taking in a very simple, structured way. It also reinforces what students hear and see during a presentation, helping students internalize the information.
I also agree that the use of technology will not necessarily cut down a teacher's planning time. I've come to realize that because of the need for contingency planning, troubleshooting, etc, technology frequently adds to my planning time (often times significantly).
Interesting points Kevin!
I see what Amy is saying regarding Tufte's point about how PowerPoint can distract from the lesson. Even in our own classes I see fellow peers unprepared for their presentation. While they took the time to put together the PowerPoint they took very little thought about style, major goals and details around their presentation. Oftentimes, its seems like the student is hoping or expecting that it will all fall into place naturally, as the slides move on. But it is almost never the case.
I have learned that in a presentation, regardless if you are using PP or not, less is more. When you have only 15 min, you cant talk about every point in detail. In general, the presenter needs to have a main goal or thesis and a few key details to back it up.
With the digital age, it seems like people in general have forgotten what really grasps the audiences attention, ENERGY! Tone, body language, confidence and clarity are what makes a speaker interesting and captivating.
From a students perspective, I understand how they feel that the presentation is their only way to "prove" that they have done a good deal of work on a project. And if they can't get everything out all at once the teacher will think that their work is incomplete. Perhaps, teachers should emphasizes the use of presenter notes. Adding information for the teacher to view later.
All in all PowerPoint can be a great tool to organize points that need to be made. I mostly think that it might even be best not show power point while giving a lesson. Rather, allow the PP to be a resource to go back to.
When I posted last week I, like Jean, didn't appreciate that Powerpoint could be an interactive tool rather than simply a fancy way to prepare an outline. Now that I have learned how to create an interactive Powerpoint, I feel that it does have more value than I gave it credit for earlier.
Still, I worry that there is often not much depth in a Powerpoint presentation, even an interactive one. Certainly it depends on the lesson. For example, using it to create a geography quiz seems like a great idea, as it can make the learning experience stronger for the student than simply memorizing the same information. But developing a worthwhile Powerpoint presentation for a high school English class is more problematic. Is this the best way for these students to learn the topic at hand?
As so many others have said, Powerpoint is just one of many tools for the teacher to use. It can be useful for certain exercises, but I would be careful to decide first whether Powerpoint is the most effective tool for teaching the lesson at hand.
I'm a part time tutor in Fairfield County, and regardless if a student attends private or public school they almost always have a hard time in note taking.
I often hear from students, "I feel like I miss stuff, when I write information down and the teacher continues to talk." or "I never know what information to write down." Student have become so accustomed to replaying clips or references back to information on websites, that it has weakened their listening skills. Perhaps that is their mentality when listening to a lesson, when PowerPoint is used, "I don't need to pay much attention, because I can look at the power point again when I got home." Something to think about...
There was a comment, I believe Kevin said it but I cannot find it, that Powerpoint...even hard copies of slides, can disrupt the listening process. So can note-taking. Kevin also discussed preparation, which is extremely key. I don't think this point cannot be refuted. Students will know if you're well-prepared for giving a lesson, or if you're using technology as a crutch, instead of a means to enhance the learning process.
I also agree with what Leslie said about students looking more into the bells and whistles over content; when I taught eighth grade, my kids wanted to do every single thing possible to their powerpoints; while their friends were impressed, I was nauseated. However, I understand where they are coming from; they're at the exploratory stage. They want to see how far they can take things. The issue is striking up that balance, I suppose.
(I know I'm piggybacking and not spacing myself out, but I had a comment I thought I left yesterday not show up. Such is life with blogger. I just noticed it and re-wrote the original as best I can...and now here's my second comment.)
Leslie's comments regarding a deeper appreciation of interactive powerpoint is not lost on me; the ability to utilize this program in a way that helps draw students in is invaluable to me.
Her further point about the value of powerpoint being lesson specific, I believe, sums up technology in the classroom as a whole. Every tool we use, and their effectiveness, depends on the lesson, does it not? If we have a well-thoughtout lesson, one that incorporates a variety of methods for student learning, well...isn't that what we're supposed to be doing? Not every student is going to be reached through technology. Not everyone is a visual learner. Not everyone is a good note-taker; I know I wasn't.
The point is...today's environment requires us, more than ever, to have these tools available to our students. We have to give them every opportunity to learn; as a result, we have to make every resource we can available to them. Technology is just one part of the equation. And PowerPoint is just a sliver of that part. As a result, I feel as though it is blown entirely out of proportion.
I can't help but think of Social Media after reading Tufte's "Power Points are Evil" Hasn't our entire culture become one of sound bites and non specific understanding. Facebook, Twitter, 24 Hours news cycles - it is almost as if Modern Technology, with it's gift of unparalleled access to information, has made us take in more but understand less.
Is preparing an 80 word Power Point presentation on the First Amendment more intellectually stimulating than having a child research and write a 3-4 page paper on the topic. Even if the paper is sub par and only the basic points of the content are being discussed the child is still forced to put their pen to paper (or fingertip to keyboard) This inherently improves their writing skills more than copy and pasting interesting images onto a slide. Bottom Line is I agree with Tufte that, to an extent, Power Points are evil.
On the other hand I agree with Leslie and "The Incoherent" in that Power Points thrive in, and need to be presented, in a very lesson specific format. In my opinion an interactive Power Point and the old fashioned Power Point are actually irrelevant in their differences; its mostly about the content being provided. What an interactive Power Point brings to the table is the ability for learners to be hands on. To access different information at different moments and to layer different pieces of the larger puzzle. Yet I think this becomes meaningless unless there is hard content behind it. Any Power Point will be fluff if it maximizes images and gadgets over ideas. A teacher presenting a content rich Power Point though I think can be powerful thing. It can enhance a lecture and, if well done, provide a template of the over arching points of a lesson. I think of both the 2nd Punic War and the Gracchans to Caesar as great content opportunities to use an Interactive Power Point. Both stories have many overlapping plot lines but are ultimately tied to each other. This is where a text over image based Power Point can succeed.
"Powerpoint is Evil" -- now that I finally located where we are supposed this -- could be said to make a valid argument up until the point in which the author discusses cancer; this feels like a straw man argument; put another way, "Tufte, don't front!"
As well, the whole point of too many words in powerpoint presentations can be done away with; I recall my Father, who gave many speeches at conferences for General Electric, telling me that he once gave a pretty good powerpoint presentation which included no words at all.
One aspect that I did like about Tufte's piece is the following. This piece would have followed a formula, or what feels intuitively to me like a formula, if it ended by identifying some redeeming qualities of powerpoint. That both the title and the beginning of this piece argued against powerpoint -- and since we are in an educational technology class -- led me to believe this. I was pleased and surprised that Tufte was able to carry his argument of not liking powerpoint all the way to the end.
I like what a few of us have said about powerpoint -- that it should be used as a tool. As well, taking that a bit further, I think that rather than just throwing powerpoint in the toolbox, slamming the box shut, and opening the box when we need to use powerpoint in each of our respective classrooms, there is another option (maybe many more options).
As with Michelangelo and his tool the chisel, powerpoint presents each and every one of us an opportunity to create something brilliant in our classrooms. This may require mastery of powerpoint which is precluded by leaving it in the toolbox until whim reminds us of it again.
I have thoroughly enjoyed this class and learned a tremendous amount. My only regret is that I was taking another class at the same time, which limited my ability to 'play around' with the technology more.
Thanks to all for a great couple of weeks. I've enjoyed the material and the interaction.
Echoing what Jean said, thank you all for a great class! I learned a lot and really enjoyed studying, listening, discussing and learning with all of you! Take care!
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