PowerPoint in the classroom

I am a huge fan of PowerPoint presentations, I find that they are such a versatile presentation tool, not only are they often visually pleasing but they are a great scaffolding tool. I can have a notes page where the students are given the information they require, I can then embed pictures, animations, photos, videos, audio.... the list goes on, to give real life examples to lead into discussions with the students and the developing of higher order thinking and linkages.

I am careful when I use power point not to turn it into a kind of glorified "chalk and talk", while some students do benefit from this kind of teaching, often it does not develop higher order thinking or engagement of students in the learning experience. I can also include sections where I ask what is this or how does this relate to what we have been learning and discussing in previous classes? PowerPoint allows the teacher to regulate the pace of students work and gives a good opportunity to walk around the class and interact with students while they are learning, to determine individuals strenghts and weaknesses and be further able to cater for individual learning requirements.

When I am using PowerPoint I also like to incorporate, questions, class/ group discussions, main points and diagrams on the white board and demonstrations. This way I am catering for a wider variety of learning types: audio, visual and to some extent kinesetic. Gardner's, Multiple intelligences, gives some insight into different 'intelligences' that we need to be aware of in the classroom and to incorporate learning experiences that don't simply focus on verbal or visual intelligence, therefore disadvantaging other students. Also allowing for more active learning, then simple verbal or visual presentation would entail.

The power points below that I have developed were created for a Year 11 Multi-strand class that I have been teaching and have been used in the classroom. They were used in conjunction with activities, discussions, questioning, examples, and diagrams on the whiteboard. I linked the three lessons together as much as possible to integrate the knowledge the students are learning, and get them to start thinking that the ecosystem is complex and of all the interactions and links that occur. I find that you can never have too many examples for students and the more weird and wonderful the better!!!


Nutrient Cycles PP


Interactions Between Organisms


Biological Succession

In order to embed these PowerPoint presentations into my blog I used a site called Scribd, it was simple and very painless.

References

Gardner, H. (1999). Intelligence reframed: Multiple intelligences for the 21st century. New York: Basic Books.

Active Learning Online
http://www.acu.edu/cte/activelearning/whyuseal2.htm