Wednesday, July 11, 2012

PowerPoint is Evil Reflection

I couldn't help but laugh a little bit while reading this article.  Although some of what Tufte is saying is relevant, he goes on a rant and sounds incredibly bitter.  Yes, powerpoint can be overused and can be dry, or done in a ineffective way.  But, powerpoint can also be VERY effective and can be used in lots of ways.  For example, I used powerpoint to put together a digital story slide show that I later made into a movie for my students.  I also have sat through powerpoint presentations that outlined information that was essential in my understanding of the topics.  Powerpoints can help presenters stay on topic and help outline IDEAS.  Obviously, no one enjoys sitting through  a dry presentation where the presenter reads everything off their slides.  It depends on the person who put the presentation together and HOW they present the information.  I don't think it is fair for Tufte to blame the actual powerpoint program.  The trick is to have a strong presentation to go along with the powerpoint.  The slides should serve as an outline or supporting information (like pictures).  I think teaching students how to use tools/resources while giving a presentation can be very effective because we are teaching them how to publicly speak while outlining main ideas and points.

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