What Are the Benefits of Using PowerPoint and Slide Presentations in the Classroom?
PowerPoint and similar slide show presentation programs provide an effective approach to both student work and classroom instruction. When you teach students to use these programs and allow them to turn in work completed with them, you effectively prepare students for the world in which they will work as adults. Using PowerPoint and slide shows to teach offers benefits, as well. Technology surrounds students. To reach them, teachers must use the language they understand: technology.
Interaction and Engagement
PowerPoint and slide presentations hold student attention through the use of video, graphics and music. Because students today are so technologically advanced, tools that involve technology such as slide shows increase student involvement and interaction.
Ability to Capitalize on Modern Media
The Internet provides current events coverage and the latest information on an enormous number of topics. Slide show tools allow you to incorporate text, video, audio and photos from the Internet easily, allowing you to share the most recent information using media that engage students.
Integration of Multiple Sources
Using PowerPoint and slide shows, you can integrate multiple sources in your classroom presentations. For example, you easily can incorporate photos of student work, video from a field trip, related content from news sources and the latest expert research into a single presentation.
Availability of Instruction
Rather than handing absentee students written notes of a lesson they missed, you can replay your lesson or presentation using a slide show. Absent students receive the same instruction as those who are present, so they do not fall behind.
Cooperation and Collaboration
Teachers can share lessons and presentations simply using a file-sharing system or flash drive. Teachers can share the workload of creating presentations. Furthermore, a student seeing more than one teacher's presentations is exposed to more than one point of view.
