Lately I have observed my students entering a state of mind I like to call the "PowerPoint Coma." As soon as I throw some slides up on the screen their eyes glaze over while their pens continue to move, taking down the required notes. PowerPoint used to be a cutting edge technology. If you wanted to be hip, you used PowerPoint. It has been overuse and abused to a point that it is essentially useless for communicating effectively. My students now pay more attention to a physical object held in my hand than they will to a PowerPoint slide.
In a previous post I shared my first attempt at using Prezi to create a presentation. I love it! Prezi provides a different perspective on presentations. I haven't used it in class with my students yet, but I'm planning on it.
At the beginning of each month I lead "Tuesday Tech Training" with the staff at my school. I have touched on a variety of topics through out the year including email, Google Search, Google Docs, etc. In April I am scheduled to do a session on PowerPoint. Many of my teachers think that PowerPoint is a cutting edge technology. I'd like to introduce them to some other options. What PowerPoint alternatives (in addition to Prezi) would you recommend? What have you found effective with your students or staff?
Photo Credit: Shareski
