Week 6 Reflection: Persuasive, Powerful, and Interactive Powerpoint

“A teacher should possess the creativity and cunning of a devil and the patience and understanding of an angel.”

http://24slides.com/blog/what-our-children-can-teach-us-about-presenting/

I always like using powerpoint in my classes, in seminar and in training and in any business presentation. It is one of the most useful tools for organizing, conveying information, eliciting intellectual discussion, presenting with power, and many more. Young and old alike love it. The usual powerpoint impressed me already, not until I learned this week that:

“Microsoft Powerpoint is an immensely powerful suite, and can be used for much more than straightforward presentations. It can be used to create website mockups, and even interactive learning tools.”  (http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/create-interactive-quiz-powerpoint-masters/)

Marvelous and splendid is how I describe my discovery and learning experience for week 6 at Webskills. The use of interactive powerpoint in the class is motivating, mood gauging, enlightening, fascinating, thought provoking, and spellbinding.

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/better-than-powerpoint-3-online-tools-for-creating-gorgeous-presentations/ - From this site I learned other three online tools for creating gorgeous presentation which is a variation from powerpoint- Google presentation from the google drive suite, prezi and photosnack.

http://www.flipsnack.com/flip-book-template/softcover-flipping-book-example#1--you – you can create your own book here for free.

http://www.photosnack.com/-  or photoslideshow, this is good for catalog-website or when you run an e-commerce.

http://www.pollsnack.com/survey-examples/sample-survey#1- you can create survey questionnaires and integrate them into your website as flash widget.

I read the article from here----http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/avoid-murder-by-powerpoint-how-to-make-your-presentations-compelling-and-memorable/ ---- and it validates my assessment on the use of powerpoint—

DON’T Read your Powerpoint. Period!

It ALL LIES in YOU, the PRESENTER!

Yes, there are many things we can do to make our PowerPoint more enjoyable to read and simply understand. Accordingly, the other 50% of the weight is determined by how well we present the material.

“Both must be in unison to capture and retain the audience’s attention to ensure they fully comprehend the content you have worked so hard to prepare. But it does not stop there. You must focus the content to the audience’s needs and interests. If it is not in their particular interest, you can make up for it through the areas of presenting the content itself by using analogies to relate it to them as much as possible and your own personality. Those things combined with the confidence you gained through repetitively studying your presentation script will ensure your audience stays intrigued. Lastly, don’t forget about backing up. It can seem like a hassle, but just remember it is a whole lot more of one when you must recreate everything that you lost.”

More tips on powerpoint presentation from the following websites:

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/10-tips-for-preparing-a-professional-presentation/

http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2005/12/the_102030_rule.html#axzz2AdcA19PM

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-to-simplify-your-writing-and-gain-results/

Absolutely true, magnificently beautiful, splendidly spellbinding, are just some of the powers of powerpoint play in the classroom, in the board room, in any learning, learner-centered environment.

Looking back, I remember how overwhelmed I was with all the learning tools Donna placed on the table for us. I was overly excited and bewildered. This time, I decided to just focus on a minimum of two and a maximum of 4 things to learn about, reflect on the things to unlearn and go on with the things to relearn. Now, I feel more at ease and relaxed.

Donna also told me to use one technology at a time which is blogging. http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/the-art-of-creating-a-successful-blog-tips-from-the-pros/

I ask my students to open an account at blogspot and they are now beginning to use it. I will check it next week as agreed. Facebook, email, skype, yahoo messenger and twitter still remain several of my technology back-up in teaching.

                                                      http://failkateedm310.blogspot.com/

Now I enjoy exploring interactive powerpoint and related tools because I shall be giving a seminar-workshop on business letter writing to a group of corporate and business professionals. I am exploring possibilities and will be incorporating technology in my upcoming lectures using my web skill from Webskills.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “The world makes the way for a man who knows where he is going”----we are going to the “7^th week” and all is well. It is not what you know that counts so much as what you put to use.