Positive or Negative???

I really enjoyed reading Is PowerPoint Crippling our Students? It was interesting to read both sides of the debate. I believe the teacher against using PowerPoint was referring to using it as a teaching tool, and the teacher for PowerPoint was all for student use. The way you use PowerPoint in class really makes a difference. I have been in classes with the same routine, every class a PowerPoint that the teacher reads off  and the students are bored to death! Sometimes they may even attempt to put on a video clip, but it is usually too small for the students to see. PowerPoint slides should not have everything that the teacher is saying, it should only include the key ideas, to allow for explanation. I have also been in classes where the teacher goes through the slides so fast that the students are lost. If you are going to take the time to create a PowerPoint, take enough time to go through them. It is easy to rush through the slides to get all the material covered, but the students will not benefit. I liked the idea that PowerPoint does not provoke discussion, and it forces students to intake information instead of being part of creating information. This is so true and students should take part in engaging discussions and higher order thinking questions. I do think PowerPoint would work well for introducing a new topic and finding out what the students know already. PowerPoint is a great tool for students to use with projects. Teachers should provide guidelines for students because it should mainly be about content and not fancy animations. I have even seen college students go wild over the animations and lose track of the real purpose. Overall, I think PowerPoint could be a useful tool, depending how you use it.