blog #7

I think that presentation software, when used appropriately, can be a huge advantage in a K-12 setting. Especially with older students when lessons are handled in more of a lecture style, they can provide a great visual aid and really add to what a teacher is saying. However, some teachers don't use presentation software very well and their presentations can be far from ascetically pleasing and can overwhelm students, distracting and taking away from the lesson. In most classroom situations I think that presentation software can be a huge help, provided they are used skillfully. 

I would use powerpoints in my classroom to pinpoint highlights in lessons/lectures so that students have notable information in front of them in writing. I would also use it as a visual aid and add pictures and maybe video clips to make my lessons more engaging and appeal to visual learners. I would be very careful to not put too much information on powerpoint slides, so that students are actually listening instead of frantically copying down information. I would also be very conscious of how ascetically pleasing it is and make sure it's not an overwhelming mess of words. I want the slides to help students, not intimidate them.