REFLECTION 3
REFLECTION 3 - Presentations in the classroom - Avoiding DBPP
PowerPoint is a well known software that everybody, from Microsoft to Apple users, would have heard of and more than likely used. Originally set up for business contexts to present ideas to the board, PowerPoint is now extremely common in education settings. However, any teacher and student would have experienced the dreaded DBPP (Death By PowerPoint). This often occurs either when a teacher presents pages of information for students to copy, or when students use every transition option that PowerPoint offers and present an over-stimulating presentation. Both of these examples do not facilitate a positive or engaging learning environment and makes PowerPoint seem like something to steer away from, however after this week's learning I have come to an alternate realisation. With appropriate and creative usage, PowerPoint has the potential to meet any Bloom's Taxonomy criteria and be applied to both the SAMR model and the Explicit Teaching Model.
PowerPoint can be used, as it's known for, as a digital presentation tool to support oral presentations in a linear way however, this is the most basic form of use. Other ways in which PowerPoint can be used could be through:
Options for animations:
Design/background/colour options:
You can select a theme prior to beginning the creation of your PowerPoint - this enables each slide added to match the theme.
AuthorStream makes a claim to say that:
"Any presentations/content that you submit to the authorSTREAM Sites may be redistributed through the internet and other media channels, and may be viewed by the general public... Children can only use our services under the supervision of their parents/legal guardians and we always suggest minors (under the age of 18) not to submit any personal information to us" (AuthorStream, 2014).
Through this week's content, I have developed an in-depth understanding of both positive and negative sides of PowerPoint, considerations required before using it and ways it can be incorporated to facilitate positive learning in the classroom. As previously mentioned, PowerPoint can be applied to SAMR, Bloom's Taxonomy and the Explicit Teaching Model. Whilst these have been discussed in my previous blog posts, the below links provide explanations for SAMR and Bloom's in the form of PowerPoints shared via SlideShare and AuthorStream.
Although this blog post focusses mainly on PowerPoint, it is important to note that similar applications such as Google Slides can be used and embedded into blog posts. To provide an example of how Google Slides is similar to PowerPoint, some examples of SAMR, Bloom's Taxonomy and The Explicit Teaching Model in relation to PowerPoint is shown below as embedded Google Slides.
As the above presentation suggests, an example of redefinition for PowerPoint would be to have students create a virtual museum. The idea of a virtual museum comes from the International Society for Technology in Education as cited on Christy Keeler's blog. In order to give an example of how a virtual museum works, keeping in mind that many templates are available (Keeler, n.d.), I have created one and uploaded it to my own AuthorStream profile.
To conclude, it has been made clear the beneficial way that PowerPoint presentations can be used in the classroom to develop students knowledge and learning. If PowerPoints are used alongside consideration of the SAMR model, Bloom's Taxonomy and the Explicit Teaching Model, they have the potential to enable a positive and engaging educational setting where all students are able to get creative with digital technologies.
Keeler, C. (n.d.). Educational virtual museums developed by PowerPoint. Retrieved from http://christykeeler.com/EducationalVirtualMuseums.html
Shaw, G. (2010). Presentation magic. Retrieved from http://pptmagic.com
PowerPoint is a well known software that everybody, from Microsoft to Apple users, would have heard of and more than likely used. Originally set up for business contexts to present ideas to the board, PowerPoint is now extremely common in education settings. However, any teacher and student would have experienced the dreaded DBPP (Death By PowerPoint). This often occurs either when a teacher presents pages of information for students to copy, or when students use every transition option that PowerPoint offers and present an over-stimulating presentation. Both of these examples do not facilitate a positive or engaging learning environment and makes PowerPoint seem like something to steer away from, however after this week's learning I have come to an alternate realisation. With appropriate and creative usage, PowerPoint has the potential to meet any Bloom's Taxonomy criteria and be applied to both the SAMR model and the Explicit Teaching Model.
PowerPoint can be used, as it's known for, as a digital presentation tool to support oral presentations in a linear way however, this is the most basic form of use. Other ways in which PowerPoint can be used could be through:
- Embedding hyperlinks to external sources or to other slides of the presentation (changing from linear to non-linear)
- Sharing on OneDrive to allow for collaboration between the teacher and students
- This means that PowerPoint, when used outside of the application, can be used as a multi-author platform
- Embedding narration through recording voice, listening and improving
- Incorporation of other media such as images, videos, other sounds effects
To prevent students submitting the same presentation, PowerPoint is customisable so that students can produce an engaging presentation that incorporates each student's own personality. PowerPoint allows students to select a variety of preset themes, colours and backgrounds as well as the option to add their own images. The way in which the student wants to present their PowerPoint can also be changed through a selection of transitions and animation.
Options for transitions:
Options for transitions:
Options for animations:
Design/background/colour options:
You can select a theme prior to beginning the creation of your PowerPoint - this enables each slide added to match the theme.
With the seemingly infinite ways that a PowerPoint can be set up comes the risk of time-wasting, where the student spends majority of the time choosing a theme and transitions. Without careful instruction, the finished product cane end up with not much information but a lot of 'style'. To avoid this while still allowing PowerPoint to be an innovate tool for students, it is important for an educator to talk about the dangers of too many transitions and set time frames in which certain tasks need to be finished by to evenly balance out each step of the creation process. PowerPoint is an overall simple, easy to learn application that doesn't require much technological skill and a vast majority of students would already be familiar with the basics. Whilst limited skills are necessary in order to use PowerPoint, the more advanced technicalities learnt leads to the creation of a more innovative and engaging presentations. One resource available for both teachers and students is PPTMagic which can help to give instructions on specific aspects of PowerPoint (Shaw, 2010).
Mentioned previously is OneDrive, which allows students to share their PowerPoints to allow their peers and teacher access however there are some other sharing platforms available also.
- SlideShare
- A site that allows students to upload their PowerPoint to a wider audience including others from around the world. This allows students to feel as though their ideas are being shared to a variety of people and give the opportunity for feedback from a range of perspectives. SlideShare, however, does not upload the presentation with hyperlinks still embedded, so would not be a practical platform for presentations such as Virtual Museums (Keeler, n.d.).
- AuthorStream
- Similar to SlideShare except hyperlinks within the presentation remain embedded. This allows for students to post their presentations in their full potential and purpose.
With any online sharing platform, safety, legalities and ethics are extremely vital to ensure that students stay safe and their learning experiences from PowerPoint remain positive. Firstly, students must be aware that sharing any personal information such as photos of themselves, what school they attend, their phone numbers or addresses etc. is extremely dangerous. They also need to be taught protocols in citing and crediting sources that they used for information or any media in their presentation.
"Any presentations/content that you submit to the authorSTREAM Sites may be redistributed through the internet and other media channels, and may be viewed by the general public... Children can only use our services under the supervision of their parents/legal guardians and we always suggest minors (under the age of 18) not to submit any personal information to us" (AuthorStream, 2014).
Through this week's content, I have developed an in-depth understanding of both positive and negative sides of PowerPoint, considerations required before using it and ways it can be incorporated to facilitate positive learning in the classroom. As previously mentioned, PowerPoint can be applied to SAMR, Bloom's Taxonomy and the Explicit Teaching Model. Whilst these have been discussed in my previous blog posts, the below links provide explanations for SAMR and Bloom's in the form of PowerPoints shared via SlideShare and AuthorStream.
Although this blog post focusses mainly on PowerPoint, it is important to note that similar applications such as Google Slides can be used and embedded into blog posts. To provide an example of how Google Slides is similar to PowerPoint, some examples of SAMR, Bloom's Taxonomy and The Explicit Teaching Model in relation to PowerPoint is shown below as embedded Google Slides.
As the above presentation suggests, an example of redefinition for PowerPoint would be to have students create a virtual museum. The idea of a virtual museum comes from the International Society for Technology in Education as cited on Christy Keeler's blog. In order to give an example of how a virtual museum works, keeping in mind that many templates are available (Keeler, n.d.), I have created one and uploaded it to my own AuthorStream profile.
References
AuthorStream. (2014). Privacy policy. Retrieved from http://www.authorstream.com/PrivacypolicyKeeler, C. (n.d.). Educational virtual museums developed by PowerPoint. Retrieved from http://christykeeler.com/EducationalVirtualMuseums.html
Shaw, G. (2010). Presentation magic. Retrieved from http://pptmagic.com
This blog post was really well written, Breanna! Your in-depth analysis and understanding of this topic is obvious. I particularly applause your effort with this blog post with your incorporation of a virtual museum and the short SlideShare presentation. Unfortunately you have to click on 'more presentations from Breanna Morgan' to view your virtual museum and regarding the claim AuthorStream made about children not being able to utilise the website without their parents, how will you go about using this tool inside of the classroom?
ReplyDeleteGreat blog Breanna! I really love the virtual musem and your SlideShare of SAMR, Blooms taxonomy and the Explicit Teaching model. You have made a thorough investigation into presentations and their use in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteProps for putting together such a meaningful post Breanna. I love how you've shown your proficiency with the software by embedding Google Slides in your post while at the same time using it to demonstrate your understanding of how presentation software fits in with the SAMR model. I know you provided an authorstream link about Bloom's Taxonomy, but perhaps you could go into more detail about the higher-order thinking skills students use specifically when they're creating these presentations?
ReplyDeleteAlso, I appreciate how you've used the dark theme of PowerPoint so that the images contrasted nicely with the white background of your blog, you've definitely got a flair for design. Again, great post!