Science and technology - powerpoints in the classroom

Some sections of biology can be very hands on, however sometimes the content needs to be thoroughly explained before students can do it themselves, such as transects. Transects often lead into the completion of a field study in the ecology unit.

The first way PowerPoint presentations could be used in this topic, would be to have pictorial instructions on how to complete a transect, with a quiz on the presentation to be completed after students have watched it. Following on from this, when students have completed their field study, the could present their findings in groups, to their peers, via a PowerPoint presentation. As stated by the Department of Education (2002), connectedness to the outside world involves student "making a connection to the wider social context within which students live". The field study that goes with the topic of ecology and transects relates to their local environment, therefor students are getting involved in the community, and could also look at ways to preserve the environment that they have studied, whether it be the beach, a forest or a waterway. By presenting their findings in groups, students are also engaging in substantive conversation, which involves "considerable interaction among students, and between teacher and students, about the ideas of a substantive topic; the interactions are reciprocal, and promote shared understanding" (Department of Education, 2002, p4). To further promote this productive pedagogy, the other students and their teacher could engage in a question time once the group has presented.

There are many ways of using PowerPoint in the classroom, which allow students to become more engaged than if teachers were using the old style method of talk and teach. PowerPoint presentations can be jazzed up to include colours and pictures, as well as movies and sounds, and can incorporate quizzes and practical activities for students to complete in their books. The limits of PowerPoint in the classroom are endless, and should definitely be used more frequently.


References

Department of Education. (2002). A guide to productive pedagogies, classroom reflection manual. Brisbane, QLD: Queensland Government.