Having read David Didau’s ‘The evils of powerpoint‘ here is a timely reminder that visual impact counts. Prezi has taken the presentation arena by storm and it keeps on getting better. The product itself is intuitive to use, makes full use of connected media and design savvy. It makes your presentations look good, just do not over do the pathways. Now, you can import one of your PowerPoint files into Prezi, using the new PowerPoint Import feature (smart move IMHO), and with just a little TLC you have another way to engage your learners.
I agree with a lot of what David is saying, I certainly subscribe to his sentiment.
Do:
- Have a task (or something inspirational) displayed on the board to focus the attention of students as soon as they arrive in your lesson (check)
- Know what you want to say about each slide you use without having it written on the slide and then boring your students by reading out a list of bullet points (check)
- Do feel free to add to and adapt slides as the lesson progresses – Powerpoints, like lessons, should evolve and change to match your students’ progress and understanding (check)
Don’t:
- Use more than 3 sides per lesson (fail)
- Use slides which fail to make a visual or emotional impact (check / fail)
What is the magnet for? It is to help me make a connection with the learners, it is a cue prompt. A student almost always asks what it is there for and I get an opportunity to reward bravey. Powerful stuff.
- Use someone else’s Powerpoint. This is always a dreadful error – even reusing a presentation that worked wonderfully with a class you designed it for least year is unlikely to be successful. The most awful Powerpoint crime is to download something from a resource sharing site and palm it off on the poor suckers you’re pretending to teach. We’ve all done it and hopefully we’re all rightly ashamed, but there really is no excuse to keep doing.
I rarely use other peoples PPT, I may customise them, is that a check? There is a reinventing the wheel counter argument there, as well as an integrity one.
Go on, give Prezi a go.
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