Presentation tactics!

Now that we have been talking about the shape of your Project, it's time to consider a few presentation tactics. I know a few have asked about images and the like, so I've promised a bit of a run-down for those who need a helping hand.

Here we go!

The Problem with Powerpoint

Our understanding of how to promote thinking, engage audiences, and use powerpoint as a visual communication medium has matured. So also has our understanding of how we can teach kids to engage with knowledge, and provide a visual synthesis of their ‘take on a topic’ via a powerpoint and an actual talk about a topic, rather than read of a topic! has ‘come of age’.

The presentation Dodging Bullets in Presentations explains the design and function developments beautifully. This Assessment task is an opportunity for you to apply that reasoning and perhaps also to the next ‘powerpoint project’ that you give your students. Your students just may be a little surprised at how much work and how much understanding is required to produce an assessment without all those bullet points. Their supporting ‘talk’ just may need them to know and understand their topic for their talk – especially if no notes are allowed i.e. you ask them to talk as if they 'know' the topic, rather than reading from a script!

Dodging Bullets in Presentations

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Google Images or Bust!

Of course, the next big challenge is what images to use and where to find them!

I’m constantly amazed at the lack of direction provided to students about the use, value, purpose and function  images into their work – including the notion of authentic creativity (i.e. ripping off other people’s work and presenting it as your own is not mashup – its trampling on someone’s work).
Well I won’t preach – no point. I see teachers constantly falling for presentation as if it somehow has translated into quality higher order thinking in the heads of students. Doing a google search for images, and dropping it into a powerpoint, and essay, an animoto, a machinima or anything, without some purpose behind it all teaches very little…AND it doesn’t even address visual literacy or creativity either.

So think Digital Citizenship, and then you have a different perspective on finding and using images.

There are places to find images.....
and just for that purpose I keep a link on my blog as up-to-date as I can with places to
Find Free Images Online.

No excuses!  Please remember - any images that you use in our presentation must be attributed appropriately.


Is there a place for using Google Images?  Yes - but I would recommend that you make it a 'cognitive' exercise along these lines:

• If you want to know if a person is a man or a woman and the name doesn’t help, do a search for the name.
• If you don’t know the meaning of a word, the pictures may help you.
• Find what’s interesting about a site, by looking at the pictures included. For example: wired.com.
• Type the name of a painter and turn your search into a randomized art class!
• Discuss how images have been used in sites for key historical characters, and the message that they portray. e.g. try ‘Hitler’
• Have some ‘keyword’ fun with Google Image Labeler. See how you go in two minutes, and what keywords you come up with to name your image!
• Play with Montage-a-Google and focus on visual literacy!

Truth is nothing will stop teachers and students using Google Image Search. It’s easy.It’s here to stay.

Comes back to pedagogy and Digital Citizenship doesn’t it! 

Do you want pretty pictures? or do you want to help teach kids creativity, discernment, visual literacy and ethics around the creative arts

In my next post I will share a little about Slideshare, images, and a clever Greasemonkey script for the adventurous ones!

Image: Back to the Future; Flickr 'n 3D