Powerpoint: Pros and Cons

I will be using Powerpoint for my presentation to the EDUC 590 class. I have chosen this program for a few logical reasons. First, it is a widely used program. In the teaching world it is rare to come across people who are not familiar with Powerpoint. As mentioned in the state standards it is advisable for administrators to model effective use of technology. Using Powerpoint would also facilitate the shared school vision dealing with use of technology. Second, Powerpoint is an effective way to share data. Simply talking to people about statistics can be dry and the audience can have a difficult time interpreting data. Displaying the statistics in graph form is an effective way to share information.

There are some pitfalls in the use of Powerpoint, however. People tend to go overboard with all the bells and whistles available in the program. All the fading, zooming, and noise can become distracting for the audience. There is also a tendency to overcrowd slides. Putting too much information on individual slides makes them overwhelming and difficult to read. Finally, presenters have a habit of simply reading what is on the screen. In my experience, teachers become annoyed and lose interest when they are read to. Powerpoint should be used to enhance your presentation in order for it to be effective.