Last week we focused on PowerPoint and how they can be used in the classroom. Having used the program since I was in high school I already had a fair understanding of the workings of PowerPoint and what it can be used for. However, there were still tools I had not figured out how to use in the past that proved to make a big difference how effective a teaching tool PowerPoint can be.
PowerPoint can be used as presentations, as slides containing information, can be interactive for the students and videos can even be made using this program. What struck me as being a great about PowerPoint is it can cater to all learning styles through simple variations in the way the slides are created. Visual learners will benefit from the links between slides and the images and data chosen, soundbites can be recorded and included in the presentation, which is great for when a student is unable to attend school and misses the lesson's information, even when they have the PowerPoint they can hear the teacher narrating and explaining the information further (great for auditory learners).
A use for PowerPoint I had not even considered before was using it as an interactive activity for learners. Hyperlinking sections can create an interactive quiz that has the potential to be engaging for all learning styles. You can also link the slides to websites containing further information which encourages independent learning and research.
I recently used PowerPoint to teach a Year 10 class the basic functions of Audacity, an audio recording program. With it I was able to include videos, a sound recording of my voice, images of the program in action and links to tutorials for advanced users. I was planning to use another PowerPoint, but did remember that the use of this tool depends on the context of the lesson and it is not something to be overused. Like all e-Learning tools; it is to be used appropriately and not simply because it is there.
I also did not know the capabilities of this E-learning tool. I thought it was just slide shows and nothing else. The other great advantage is that if you cannot find a learning object on the internet or through other sources that fit the context and the students then you can just create your own. If you find that what you created didn't succeed in the planned learning than you can change it again and again, so it is a tool that you can recycle and reuse.
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