Powerpoint

I have been using powerpoint for years and find myself very comfortable doing so. I can spend hours fiddling with presentations using all the different tools and effects and often see students doing the same!
As i have worked within schools that have smartboard access, I have created many powerpoints throughout my term of study to assist in my teaching. I find that no matter what subject the powerpoint is used for, this technology supports the student learning. Benefits of using powerpoints within learning experiences include
- A method for engagement (Kiersley, & Shneiderman, 1999)
- As a visual aids device (Mueller, 1980)
- To include hands-on interactive activities
- Including technology within lessons
- Catering for all learning styles of visual, auditory and kinesthetic (Aldred, 2010).
- Already developed resource ready to use
- Creates a flow of activities and well organized lessons

Powerpoint presentations also break-up the lesson so that students aren't constantly listening to teacher talk or participating in the same learning experiences.
I have previously used powerpoints to assist in mathematics, environmental, SOSE, science and literacy lessons. Particularly powerpoint was used to aid in the presentation and interactive practices of mathematics lessons.

I provided students with an engaging video linked to the powerpoint on the use of percentages in the real world(Kiersley, & Shneiderman, 1999). Students were then able to view a number of slides that visually displayed key points what was being said in terms of the teaching of the knowledge and skills. Throughout this I was able to include images that assisted in the learning (Mueller, 1980) that would not be able to be viewed by students without the use of powerpoint. In a number of these slides were tables which students had to fill out, I was able to ask students to fill in the answers interactively on the smartboard. Without the use of powerpoint this would not have been able to be completed and certainly not to the degree of a whole class interactive activity. Students then participated in an end game which required them to use the smartboard in order to write answers in the form of a race against other players. The use of powerpoint enabled slides of questions to be previously developed and ready to use. This created a lesson that was fluent and well organized, therefore allowing me as the Learning Manager to focus more on the learning and behavior management of the classroom.

Don McMillan provides some great points in the video presented on the course website. I agree with his views and can see through his presentation the importance of avoiding such mistakes. It is clear that powerpoint is a supportive tool for learning when used correctly.

References
Kearsley, G., & Shneiderman, B. (1999). Engagement Theory: A framework for technology-based teaching and learning. Retrieved from CQUniversity,
FAHE11001 Managing E-Learning, http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm

Aldred, S. (2010). Learning style and personality. Retrieved from CQUniversity, FAHE11001 Managing E-Learning, http://moodle.cqu.edu.au/mod/resource/view.php?id=44149

Mueller, G. (1980). The Modern Language Journal, Vol. 64, No. 3, pp. 335-340