Using PowerPoints in the Classroom

PowerPoints can be an effective method of presenting information to a class. Students live in a technological world and most talk the technological language, therefore it makes sense to use a technology such as the PowerPoint to speak to them in a language that they are probably familiar with. 

But while students of today are surrounded by technology, technological tools such as PowerPoints need to be used correctly or they will fail to engage the students.

PowerPoint presentations are designed to hold the students’ attention through video, graphics, music etc, and if done correctly they can achieve just that. But if such an educational tool means less interaction with the students then it has failed in its objective. Using PowerPoints too often or ignoring the students at the expense of what is up on the screen does not promote effective teaching or learning. Such presentations can confuse students particularly if there are too many graphics and images and not enough explanation. It is also difficult for students to concentrate on what is happening on the screen and what the teacher is saying. PowerPoints should only be used to support and enhance what the teacher is telling her or his students and should not be the centre of attention. The PowerPoint should also provide additional information to what the teacher is saying instead of the teacher reading exactly what is written on the screen.

In the primary school classroom PowerPoints can be useful as long as there are plenty of well labelled images to interest and inform students, but these need to be further explained by the teacher and the students should be encouraged to contribute to a discussion on the subject. The teacher needs to make plenty of eye contact with the students so that they do not feel ignored.

PowerPoint presentations that contain too much information can only overwhelm, confuse and bore an audience.  However, presentations that are used as an enhancement to what the teacher is saying and which contain plenty of interesting images to hold the students’ interests are always a useful tool in the classroom.