Teaching and Learning with Presentation Tools

Incorporating any technology into the classroom has its ups and downs. Presentation tools offer students and teachers a number of different options for presenting information, ideas and assignments to the class, but at what cost?

Pro:

• Engaging tools for giving information to students - we know that students don’t respond to basic lectures, these tools offer dynamic and visually appealing alternatives

• Multiple options for tools, whether traditional or modern - there are tons of different programs out there, and there’s likely one to suit the needs of almost every teacher
• I believe they can fit any classroom - my students used Google Tour Builder as their presentation for reports about French language in North America. Not what you think of for a ‘traditional’ presentation, but I think it transformed the assignment into something more meaningful and interesting.

• Ability to combine media - integrating text, pictures, videos, and audio presents a multimodal experience

• Collaboration - Whether it’s teacher-teacher or student-student, the ability to work together is an integral aspect of 21st century education

• Sharing - These presentations become permanent resources, and great review for students

• Themes and templates - Made to match content, any content, these tools create fun and enjoyable looks for your information

• More than just presentations - can be visual storytelling (Powtoon, Prezi) 
• I’ve used presentation tools for students writing stories, and compiling their “All About Me” portfolio. The possibilities are endless! 

Con:

• Cost - the bottom line for many of these options is that they requirement purchase, or your options may be limited

• Online vs. offline compatibility - if your internet goes down on presentation day, and your tool isn’t available without it, you may find yourself scrambling. 

• Technical problems - along with the internet concerns, other hardware concerns can come up unexpectedly. This goes for any technology

• Picking the right tool - with so many options, where do you start? How do you find what’s right for you and what you’re looking to achieve? 
• See my post on comparing presentation tools to give you a head start on this! 

• Adjusting to each tool / introducing the tool - both you and your students may need some time to wrap your head and your mouse around how to work each new presentation tool