PowerPoint: The Past, The Present, and The Future

The Past

PowerPoint.  Funny how one word can evoke so many memories.  Memories of boredom while following along as the presenter reads directly from each slide.  Only to be made worse by the handout in front of you with each slide copied, eight slides per page, for future reference.  Let’s face it.  How often do you honestly say, “YES!  We get to watch a PowerPoint!”? Does this look familiar?

PowerPoint is not all bad.  It has been overused and mistreated.  But, there is hope!  With just a few changes in thinking, PowerPoint can become good once more.

The Present

Presentation tools like PowerPoint or Google Slides can lead to great presentations when used

carefully.  The presentation should be simple and provide visuals to help the audience connect to and remember your key points.  Less is more.  Resources like Garr Reynolds’ Top Ten Slide Tips will lead you in the right direction to creating powerful presentations.

The Future

It’s not just enough to change the way we use PowerPoint.  We must change the ways of future generations.  We must pass these rules on to our students.

Just as it is important for teachers to modify our use of PowerPoint in the classroom, it is important to give students the same structure.  Power points are often created by students as an option instead of writing a report.  Those same power points often look just like reports with picture added in here and there.  However, there are positive ways students can use presentation slides, including PowerPoint.  Presentation tools offer an effective way to address the new 21st century standards of communication.  Just as we learn that PowerPoint is just a tool to present key information, students can learn to identify key points to use in their presentation.  One advantage to using Google slides as a presentation tool is that students can work collaboratively on a shared presentation.  Students can jigsaw presentations as experts in one area, while other group members can share their expert knowledge on other slides.  Everyone is given a voice, everyone has a slide to share,  and shy students will have a way to refocus the attention of their audience.

PowerPoint and other presentation tools are not bad, they just need to be used properly and they can be amazing!



Resources

Reynolds, G. (2014). Top Ten Slide Tips. Retrieved from http://www.garrreynolds.com/preso-tips/design/

Overview of Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. Retrieved from https://support.google.com/docs/answer/49008?rd=1

Instructional Software

Instructional software can play many roles in the classroom.  Used as a tool for remediation, extra practice or even to simulate activities that would not be possible in most classrooms, this software can be very valuable.  I have focused my search on software that would be appropriate for 5th grade math.  With the transition to common core, I have found that LearnZillion provides videos that can be used as visuals for whole group or individual to explain new methods in math.  Using software tutorials when curriculum is changing can benefit both the teacher and the students.  Front Row is another site that offers support for common core practice by offering differentiated practice of common core math skills.  Students can be assigned specific practice or adaptive practice that will find the appropriate skill level for practice at various grade levels.  Software like Front Row offer classroom management systems that allow teachers to monitor student progress and quickly intervene when necessary.  One of my favorite software tools is online manipulatives.  The National Library of Virtual Manipulatives offers online manipulatives organized by grade level and math strand. Online manipulatives are a great resource for classrooms with limited budgets.  As we move to online testing, students are often expected to use online manipulatives to solve problems.  It is important that they have had experience using these manipulatives prior to testing.  With such a wide variety of software available it is important to choose the software that fits students’ needs best.

Instructional software may be used as a differentiation tool to practice skills or review for students who struggle with math.  Both math tutorials and games give students an opportunity to practice skills in specific areas.  When choosing software for struggling students, it is important to find software both valuable and effective. Beatrice C. Babbit has created a 10 step checklist for identifying appropriate math software for students with learning disabilities.  Although not all students who struggle have learning disabilities, I believe her check list is still valuable for struggling students as well.  Tip #10 is a key to choosing software for all users.  Babbitt points out that software is not the complete solution to instruction, but instead should be used as a tool (2011).  This reminds us that we must focus on using instructional software as a tool and not to replace the teacher.

Resources

Babbitt, Beatrice C. (2011). 10 Tips for Software Selection for Math Instruction - LD Online. Retrieved from http://www.ldonline.org/article/6243/.

Front Row Education Inc. (2014).  Retrieved from https://www.frontrowed.com/.

LearnZillion. (2014). Retrieved from https://learnzillion.com/.

Utah State University. (1999-2014). The National Library of Virtual Manipulatives. Retrieved from http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/vlibrary.html

Acceptable Use Policy

An AUP, Acceptable Use Policy, communicates the guidelines for acceptable use of technology and the internet for a school or district.  This agreement often signed by staff, students, and parents identifies what is appropriate and sometimes even specifies inappropriate behavior with technology.  With the constantly changing world of technology, AUPs should be updated regularly.

AUP’s are written in many different forms and use different approaches to the language used to guide students’ use.   Common Sense Media offers a step by step guide to creating an AUP and suggests that topics such as use of network, internet safety, filtering and monitoring, copyright, network security and privacy, disciplinary action, digital citizenship, and social media usage may be included. (2014).  

Recently, guidelines for BYOD, Bring Your Own Device, have been added to AUP policies in districts that allow students to use their own devices in classrooms using the school internet service.  The Ballico-Cressey School District has included guidelines for their students who bring their own technology.  The policy gives examples of types of technology included in BYOD and specifies they are allowed its use “provided such technology is used for instructional purposes” (2014).

In my district teachers were sent an email with a new AUP attached.  There is a dramatic difference in the two policies both in content and length.  I find the language to be written in a very negative tone which I feel discourages students from using technology.  My district would benefit from having shareholders involved in the process of creating their AUP.  Most districts have policies already in place for bullying and cheating.  By making sure these policies address behavior in regards to technology, it does not need to be included in the user agreement.  This allows agreements to be simplified and written in a more positive manner (McLeod, 2012).  An example of a policy written in positive language encouraging students to be responsible on line can be found in Merced City School District’s Network Acceptable Use Contract (2014).  This policy is written in student friendly language encouraging appropriate behavior, internet safety, respect for other students and simply states if these rules are not followed they will no longer be able to use the computer.

It is important however, that the policies we put in place to protect our district and our students, does not prevent the teacher from using technology to facilitate learning.

Resources

Atwater Elementary School District. (2014). Student acceptable use agreement. Retrieved from http://www.aesd.edu/file/1346926764334/1356607079087/1982454554300140074.pdf

Ballico Cressey School District. (2014). Acceptable use policy for student of technology resources. Retrieved from http://media.wix.com/ugd/1b90b4_1544e98d35ed43d1ad88ab9330c65822.pdf

Central Unified School District (n.d.) Student electronic resources acceptable use contract. Retrieved from http://www.centralunified.org/userpolicy

Common Sense Media. (2014). 1-1 essentials- acceptable use policies. Retrieved from

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/educators/1to1/aups

Merced City School District. (2014). Network acceptable use contract. Retrieved from http://mcsd-ca.schoolloop.com/file/1342580292157/1332657279277/2930663846535066927.pdf

McLeod, S. (2014).  Instead of an AUP, how about an EUP.  Retrieved from http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2014/03/instead-of-an-aup-how-about-an-eup-empowered-use-policy.html

Vision Statement

Technology is not just the computer in the corner or a laptop on every desk.  Technology can make a difference.

It engages that student in the back of the room who could care less about fractions.

It transforms written words, bringing them to life in speech and video.

It is the equalizer for many students who need to see it, hear it, manipulate it, watch it again, do it over, recreate it, making it their own.

It gives voice to quiet students, allows for collaboration without spoken word, it brings together many opinions, backgrounds, teaching students to work together and be a part of the process.

Technology doesn’t replace the fundamental skills needed in education.  Technology does however facilitate learning and increase the application of knowledge.

By combining the use of technology to increase student motivation, support learners’ needs and prepare students for learning in the future together creates a greater difference in student education (Roblyer and Doering, 2013).

Technology can motivate students.

Students today live in a world of 21st century technology.  We need to teach them with real world situations, solving real world problems, using the technology that is part of their daily life.

Technology can support the learning needs of students.

Everyone is different.  Everyone learns in their own way.  

Technology can prepare students for future learning.

Our world is continuously changing, faster than we can keep up with it.  How do we teach our students to use technology that hasn’t even been invented?  We must teach them the skills they need to learn.  Our world is changing.  We need make sure our students are prepared to learn to change with it.

Resources

Learning for the 21st Century: A report and mile guide for 21st century skills. (n.d.) Partnership for 21st Century Skills. Retrieved from: http://www.p21.org/storage/documents/P21_Report.pdf

Nesbitt, B. (2007). A vision of K-12 students today.  Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A-ZVCjfWf8.

Roblyer, M.D., & Doering, Aaron H. (2013) Integrating educational technology into teaching (6th edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.