<p>Anybody else out there whose mind drifts off to a Corona beer commercial (or other daydream) as soon as a Powerpoint presentation starts?</p>
<p>Powerpoint should be a tool, not a crutch for presenters. Years ago I was told there should only be phrases, not complete sentences, in a PP presentation.</p>
<p>So tired of watching presenters read the screen. ( & don’t they have spell check?)</p>
<p>Used properly it’s merely a backdrop- a few key words, a visual, a guide to where you are going. Too many use it as a crutch- equivalent to writing out a speech and posting it. Ugh.</p>
<p>I just presented a PPT to bunch of middle schoolers.The topic was puberty. I could have written it in Latin and covered each slide in text and I still would have had their undivided attention.</p>
<p>^LOL–I would say that topic is the exception. Usually powerpoints are BORING. Unless they are skillfully done, the impression is that we are being talked down to and fed a 4th grade version of the facts.</p>
<p>Is watching a powerpoint all that different than the old carousel slide presentations? I used to doze off the minute they shut the lights.</p>
<p>They don’t usually turn the lights off for powerpoint- otherwise I think everyone * would* go to sleep.</p>
<p>I can’t count the number of scientific presentations I’ve sat through where the presenter not only read every line of bullet text on the PP slide, but used his or her laser pointer to underline them, all the while turning his or her back to the audience. Coming from a business environment, it was stunning for me to experience this for the first time and to find out how common it is. DH, who never thought anything was odd about this, has now completely changed his style when presenting at scientific meetings and uses mainly high-resolution images from microscopes and graphics, with almost no bullet points.</p>
<p>I’m very against the use of Powerpoint in schools because so much subtlety is lost as a result. For example: [The</a> Gettysburg Powerpoint Presentation](<a href=“http://norvig.com/Gettysburg/index.htm]The”>The Gettysburg Powerpoint Presentation)</p>
<p>I use powerpoint when I teach. The alternative is scribbling on the chalkboard. Powerpoint is much better, especially for students who are struggling a bit with English.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.edwardtufte.com/tufte/graphics/book_pp_cover.gif[/url]”>http://www.edwardtufte.com/tufte/graphics/book_pp_cover.gif</a></p>
![http://www.edwardtufte.com/tufte/graphics/book_pp_cover.gif[/url]](http://www.edwardtufte.com/tufte/graphics/book_pp_cover.gif%5B/url%5D){kind=link}
<p>The profs I have had lately use powerpoint very very sparingly, they use the chalkboard ( or white board) much more.
At my Ds high school they even have digital whiteboards.</p>
<p>However powerpoint is well entrenched in education. I haven’t been to a school board meeting yet where presentations to the board regarding millions of taxpayer dollars weren’t presented by reading the powerpoint screen, which then stymies the presenter when asked a ? that can’t be answered by what is right in front of them,</p>
<p>I can’t stand powerpoint, and have banned students from using it for many presentations in my classes. It seems to me that there is better group discussion when I use ppt sparingly.</p>
<p>That said, I do teach one class which relies heavily on ppt slides … but they mostly include visuals, names of key theories or legal cases, and the occasional bullet point list of effects. I notice that if I exceed one or two words in a bullet point, I have to wait for the note takers to finish transcribing before they’re able to listen.</p>
<p>It’s always a pleasant surprise to have powerpoints that are WELL done. They are GREALY overused and often have WAY too much text in miniscule font that is being READ by the presenter. That said, they CAN be used well and you almost stand out when you DON’T use powerpoint.</p>
<p>I admit I do use them, especially as background for conferences in an endless loop BEFORE the conference begins. Am very choosy about which slides I use in actual presentations and less is truly more.</p>
<p>I HATE being read to – if they have nothing to add to their slides, email them to use and don’t waste our time!</p>
<p>Imagine “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways” in Powerpoint… Or the 10 Commandments…“Hey, could you guys help me move this rock until we get things focused?”</p>