Embedded Task #3

It was a tough choice for me to choose which presentation technology to discuss. I am very interested in the capabilities and modernness of Prezi, though have essentially zero experience with it. PowerPoint on the other hand, I am quite proficient at, and know many interesting tricks, though is a bit of a dinosaur as far as presentation tool go. But I've decided to stick with faithful PowerPoint, and I'll have to experiment with Prezi some other time - I'm sure I'll get many opportunities.

PowerPoint is the go-to slideshow and presentation tool for most people. I remember back in primary school learning about them and how my teachers used them when not many ( if any?) alternatives existed. Even all those years ago, the functionality was still fairly broad and made for engaging and entertaining presentations. I was always eager to see what animations were in the slide, and even more so for the sounds. These functions may not necessarily be considered professional, but they are great for the classroom where it can turn even the dullest content into an entertaining learning experience. But even some more formal presentations I've viewed have used a couple animations and sounds to create a bit of a lighthearted atmosphere.

Slideshows and presentations in general are great for teachers to complement what they're talking about, or for students to present an assessment. PowerPoint in particular is popular as it's easy to use, and whilst it doesn't always look as flashy as some modern alternatives, in my experience it has the most functionality. What sort of functionality? Well, aside from the standard slide-to-slide display option, you can make creative use of hyperlinks to produce interactive quizzes and "choose your own adventure" style stories, make stop-motion animations, or even just use it as a canvas to embed multimedia.

Below is a link to a PowerPoint I have made. It could be an example of either teacher material, or a student's work (maybe some form of assessment?).

Chris's Interactive Water Quiz

I've used examples of hyperlinking between slides, and some basic animation and sounds. One thing I did discover though, is that it's not only difficult to embed slideshows (PowerPoint specifically - the Google Docs version I imagine works quite well, as would any online created slideshows like Prezi) in a blog, but any method I did find lost the functionality of the hyperlinking and animations, merely presenting it as a series of static slides. I felt that defeated the purpose a bit, so went with the option of hosting it elsewhere and providing a link. On that note, whilst there are many platforms for sharing slideshows online such as AuthorStream (what I ended up using), SlideShare, and Scribd, be careful if you've been creative like I was, and be prepared for it to have reduced or removed interactive functionality. Even the PowerPoint Online has limited functionality compared to the desktop version. An easy way to share PowerPoints is via email, as they can be easily attached like any file. Depending on the specific content and number of slides though, the file size can get reasonably large. Another alternative is cloud based storage like Dropbox.

The functionality of PowerPoint allows for many different uses in the classroom at each level of the SAMR model.

Substitution:

Static slides can replace handouts such as information sheets or teacher's notes. This is certainly easier to display, and actually makes it easier to identify students not paying attention as they should be looking at the presentation. This also is a good example of teaching sustainabiltiy (much like I mentioned with blogs in Embedded Task #1).

Augmentation:

Students create a slideshow to present in class to accompany a speech about the solar system. Animations and sounds can be utilised for emphasis on ideas like orbits.

Modification:

Assessment for students could be to source interesting media on a scientific topic for a science fair type presentation. A multi-media slideshow is far more engaging than the usual science posters.

Redefinition:

Students can develop an interactive quiz on a science topic of their choice, similar to what I have done (but in more detail). This can be shared online to other communities, which offers networking opportunities with students from around the world, and even other educators.

An important consideration in all of this, particularly with online sharing, is legal and safety implications. If the content of your presentation references other material or uses someone else photos/videos etc, it of course must be referenced, especially if you are sharing it publicly. Also be careful if there are links to web content, as it could be considered inappropriate in a school setting. And if it's being globally shared, remember that other cultures and religions might not agree with the content or opinions presented. But most importantly, make sure that any sensitive information identifying yourself or others is not shared or uploaded.

PowerPoints really are a great tool for teaching and learning. I'm looking forward to using them more myself, as well is exploring other presentation technologies.