Monday, 31 December 2012

Microsoft PowerPoint as an ICT-resource


How the program works
In my teaching I often use PowerPoint that is a program included in the Microsoft Office package. The program can be used in different ways, but it is mostly used in all kind of presentations. To make it work you need a computer with a Microsoft Office package. You also need a cleverboard or a projector if you want to show the presentation for a group of pupils.
To make a presentation in PowerPoint, you need to be familiar with the program. You prepare a series of pages with your own text, sounds, links from webpages and pictures from Clipart, Internet or a camera. To make the presentation more interesting for the pupils, you can use different kinds of effects. For example there are backgrounds and scripts in different colours and styles. When you are finished with the series you can show it in a row, and you can choose if you want the computer to change pages automatically, or if you want to change pages by yourself by a simple click on your computer mouse.

How/why use the program in schools?
As a teacher you can use PowerPoint as a support in your teaching and to make the subject more interesting for the pupils. When you for example introduce a theme or some facts, the program can be very useful. Some weeks ago I started the theme “Animals in the Swedish forest” with a PowerPoint presentation. I used pictures of different animals and talked a little bit about each one. I also asked the pupils if they knew something about the animals. When we discussed the topic I concurrently noted words that the pupils used when they wrote texts about the animals.
Pupils can use PowerPoint as an instrument when they are doing presentations in different ways. In all subjects they can use the program, for example diagrams in Math, write a fairytale in English or show pictures from an experiment in Science. PowerPoint is a program that is installed on all computers in school, so it is easy for the pupils to use. Some problems with the program are that you cannot use your presentation for a group, if you do not have a cleverboard or a projector. The pupils also need time to get introduced, so they can use the program in a proper ways. If the school does not have computers for a whole class, this can take a long time, but the program can be very useful if the pupils can practice it. It is positive that the program can be used by both pupils and teachers because I believe that the pupils attitude is getting better. Teacher can learn the pupils, but do not forget that the pupils also can learn the teachers!

//Johanna Estunger

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