PowerPointless?

Of late, we've been learning more about the Microsoft package Powerpoint (PP). PP is a presentation tool allowing the user to create a series of slides which can contain a host of different types of information. This information is used to augment presentations. I have only given presentations a handful of times, and I have used PP a total of once on those occasions.

In my role as a teacher, there is not much call for me to use PP, as I work one-on-one with my students. However, a good working knowledge of the software will be very useful as most of my students are expected to give PP presentations as part of their course.

When I think about what may be asked of me in the future, or what I may wish to do then I think that having a knowledge of other presentation tools will be incredibly useful. I say this because as well as being useful for my professional development as a teacher at the Met University, I also work as a job coach, advocate and mentor for people on the autistic spectrum. Part of this role involves going into work places and helping my clients' colleagues understand the effect autism can have on people. I anticipate that being able to produce effective and memorable presentations will be of great benefit to me in this role.

Over the course of the ICT module, I've been introduced to several other presentation tools. Indeed, a brief look online throws up a wide selection. One that I've been impressed with is Prezi. I like the easy way that it allows for non-linear presentations to be put together. This is useful for exploring a topic with a group of people, when the discussion is more important than information the person giving the presentation is providing.