Creating Good PowerPoint Presentations

Have you ever been teaching using PowerPoint and look out at your class and realize that nearly all of your students have their heads down, obviously not focusing on your presentation?  If this has happened to you, this blog will help you create good PowerPoint presentations that will help keep your students focused on the presentation.  

PowerPoint Slide Characteristics:

In order for a PowerPoint presentation to be effective, the slides must be interesting to students and easy to read.  When creating your slides, consider the following:

• Use complementary colors that are easy to read.
• Be sure that the font size is large enough to allow only 7 words per line of text.  You may need to adjust the font size of the heading to make it proportional.  
• Include pictures, clipart, videos, or other graphics to liven up your slides.
• Utilize transitions and animations to keep students focused on what is important.

This is an example of a good PowerPoint slide.

This is an example of PowerPoint slide that needs to be changed to be more student friendly.

Presentation Content:

Sometimes the reason students aren't focused on the teacher's presentation has nothing to do with the PowerPoint slides.  If students are bored, they will find something else to do and many times it is to sleep in class.  There are somethings teachers can do to prevent bordom:

• Include questions about course content in PowerPoint slides.
• Create activities that students can participate in and incorporate them into PowerPoint Slides.
• Don't just read what is on the slide and make students write down the information.
• If you want students to write what is on the slide, be sure to give the students time to write down what you have deemed to be important information.

More Resources:

• 12 Tips for Creating Better PowerPoint Presentations
• Creating Inovative PowerPoint Presentations
• Tips for Using PowerPoint for Academic Presentations

An Argument for SMOD

     Imagine what it would be like to get 15 more minutes of sleep each morning.  Wouldn't it be grand?  If your school had a Standard Mode of Dress (SMOD), this could be your reality.  You may be asking, what is a SMOD and how will that allow me to get more sleep and why should a student want to have it?

     Basically, SMOD is a set of guidelines for acceptable dress at a school.  The guidelines vary depending on the school and/or school district.  Some SMOD guidelines are more specific than others.  Some school districts require that a polo have no more than 3 buttons and are one of five colors, whereas another school district may not specify the number of buttons or colors.  Many districts don't limit SMOD, in that students can "dress up" what they wear with accessories (scarves, belts, etc.).  If a student's clothing options are limited to certain guidelines, theoretically, they could potentially get more sleep because they won't spend as much time thinking about and trying on clothes for school.

     There are many reasons students should have a SMOD.

• Safety - When all students are dressed similarlly, it makes it difficult for someone to come in off the street and pose as a students.
• Appropriate Dress - Students learn how to dress.  Without SMOD, some students never learn what appropriate dress looks like.
• Equalizers - When a student's attire looks like everyone else's, the focus isn't on a brand of clothing, it is on whatever they should be studying at school.
• Economical - Local retailers carry SMOD clothing at affordable prices so that all students can afford to have the appropriate clothing.  Students that can't afford the SMOD are helped out by school officials and local agencies.

     Although there are several benefits, students are always going to be upset that they can't "express themselves."  Hopefully through wearing SMOD, students will one day look back and realize that wearing SMOD wasn't the worst part of their life.  Many professions require their employees to follow certain guidelines for their dress. 

Interactive Whiteboards

With the push for all classrooms to be 21st Century classrooms, many school systems have installed interactive white boards (i.e. Smart Board) for teachers to use in their classrooms.  There are many benefits of using interactive whiteboards (IW), for both teachers and students, but I feel like there have been some problems getting teachers to use their IW, which is probably tied to the amount and/or quality of training they have had.

Benefits of Using Interactive Whiteboards according to Smart Technologies Inc.

• Makes Class Interactive - Students are able to participate and interact with curriculum.
  
• Motivates Students - Students that may not usually answer questions are more willing to participate in an intearctive game that covers the same information that oral questioning covers.
  
• Addresses the Needs of Diverse Learning Styles - Visual learners are able to diagram and ineract with class notes.  Kinestic learners are able to physically get involved with learing specific learning concepts.
• Students Review at Their Own Rate - Whether reviewing a concept of a unit of study, students do not need special training to be able to use the notes/games that have been created.  This frees up the teacher to help individual students.
  
• Teachers Can Save Notes - Any lesson created using Smart Notebook software can be saved, along with any notes made during a lesson using any type of software (Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, etc.).

Solving Potential Problems

• Interactive Whiteboard Lesson Exchange - Teachers can share the lessons they have created with their PLC members and other teachers.
• Teachers Report How They Use Interactive Whiteboards - Once a month, teachers are required to submit to their department chair how they use their IW in their classes.
• Provide Adequate Support and Training - Current training includes only how to use an interactive whiteboard and some short cuts.  Teachers need more training and support in using the software to create interactive lessons.

Links to Resources for Teachers

• Smart Notebook 10 Tips & Tricks Training
• For teachers who need additional training in how to create interactive lessons.
• Smart Notebook Exchange
• For teachers of all subject areas to exchange lessons they have created.
• Teacher Online Training
• For a small fee, teachers can learn more about how to create better interactive lessons.

My First Post

About 4 years ago, I attended a workshop on blogs and wiki pages.  I honestly thought it would be something that I would use with my classes.  Then school started and all of my good intentions went right out the window because I didn't take the time to make them a part of my routine, and virtually forgot everything I learned in the workshop.  I hope that by having to continually use this type of technology through this course I will be able to develop the necessary skills needed to integrate the technology into my classes this fall.