Comments on: “That needs to be moved out of the room – we’re having a conference in here!” http://educationdiversityblog.mayo.edu/2008/06/09/%e2%80%9cthat-needs-to-be-moved-out-of-the-room-%e2%80%93-were-having-a-conference-in-here%e2%80%9d/ 3 Shields...many perspectives Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:24:18 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: ehliyet sınav sonuçları http://educationdiversityblog.mayo.edu/2008/06/09/%e2%80%9cthat-needs-to-be-moved-out-of-the-room-%e2%80%93-were-having-a-conference-in-here%e2%80%9d/#comment-145 ehliyet sınav sonuçları Mon, 22 Sep 2008 21:25:26 +0000 http://educationdiversity.wordpress.com/?p=40#comment-145 The read-only nature of a ppt presentation in the classroom arises because its drawing tools in slideshow mode are hard to use with any accuracy. But when combined with a smart board (or similar) this is no longer a problem. As most of the physical spaces I teach in don’t have smart boards, I use a data projector (but not usually with ppt, more often with a wiki) alongside a whiteboard for recording notes, diagrams etc. nice example The read-only nature of a ppt presentation in the classroom arises because its drawing tools in slideshow mode are hard to use with any accuracy. But when combined with a smart board (or similar) this is no longer a problem. As most of the physical spaces I teach in don’t have smart boards, I use a data projector (but not usually with ppt, more often with a wiki) alongside a whiteboard for recording notes, diagrams etc. nice example

]]> By: Brenda http://educationdiversityblog.mayo.edu/2008/06/09/%e2%80%9cthat-needs-to-be-moved-out-of-the-room-%e2%80%93-were-having-a-conference-in-here%e2%80%9d/#comment-121 Brenda Sun, 17 Aug 2008 21:32:58 +0000 http://educationdiversity.wordpress.com/?p=40#comment-121 I agree totally. Ppts really are boring. Put me to sleep just about every time. Now give me a lecturer with a chalkboard and they have my full attention. I think its due to the anticipation of what he/she is going to draw or write. I agree totally. Ppts really are boring. Put me to sleep just about every time. Now give me a lecturer with a chalkboard and they have my full attention. I think its due to the anticipation of what he/she is going to draw or write.

]]> By: Jp Bida http://educationdiversityblog.mayo.edu/2008/06/09/%e2%80%9cthat-needs-to-be-moved-out-of-the-room-%e2%80%93-were-having-a-conference-in-here%e2%80%9d/#comment-75 Jp Bida Wed, 02 Jul 2008 02:50:59 +0000 http://educationdiversity.wordpress.com/?p=40#comment-75 I agree powerpoint needs some improvements but not so many as to go back to chalk. How about you take things a step forward and get Mayo to invest in interactive displays. Here is an example of how to make one for $40. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5s5EvhHy7eQ&eurl=http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~johnny/projects/wii/ And here are neat examples of what they can do. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjdNPMZJbLs&feature=related This way your chalk lovers will be happy, you can still hold a conference in the same room, and no one complains about the dust. P.S. Powerpoint can make websites too... www.mgsug.com/includes/example.htm I agree powerpoint needs some improvements but not so many as to go back to chalk. How about you take things a step forward and get Mayo to invest in interactive displays. Here is an example of how to make one for $40.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5s5EvhHy7eQ&eurl=http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~johnny/projects/wii/

And here are neat examples of what they can do.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjdNPMZJbLs&feature=related

This way your chalk lovers will be happy, you can still hold a conference in the same room, and no one complains about the dust.

P.S. Powerpoint can make websites too…

http://www.mgsug.com/includes/example.htm

]]> By: silvajm http://educationdiversityblog.mayo.edu/2008/06/09/%e2%80%9cthat-needs-to-be-moved-out-of-the-room-%e2%80%93-were-having-a-conference-in-here%e2%80%9d/#comment-55 silvajm Wed, 11 Jun 2008 20:27:07 +0000 http://educationdiversity.wordpress.com/?p=40#comment-55 Wow, Thanks Paul for your information on Wiki. I have never heard about this and will definately look into it. I think these are great pointers for all of us....especially students who have a plan on becoming teachers and great presenters! Wow, Thanks Paul for your information on Wiki. I have never heard about this and will definately look into it. I think these are great pointers for all of us….especially students who have a plan on becoming teachers and great presenters!

]]> By: Paul Left http://educationdiversityblog.mayo.edu/2008/06/09/%e2%80%9cthat-needs-to-be-moved-out-of-the-room-%e2%80%93-were-having-a-conference-in-here%e2%80%9d/#comment-53 Paul Left Wed, 11 Jun 2008 03:10:55 +0000 http://educationdiversity.wordpress.com/?p=40#comment-53 When I say a wiki open on the projector, it might be a read-only page like this one: http://verso.co.nz/mw/index.php?title=Online_and_Flexible_Learning It provides learners with an agenda for the workshop, they can access it during or after the class in their own time, and of course it does provide non-linear access. For use with a projector I usually zoom the text in on the browser so the font size is a lot bigger. I agree with the questions you raise too about how to best present info - how we do this makes a big difference! When I say a wiki open on the projector, it might be a read-only page like this one:

http://verso.co.nz/mw/index.php?title=Online_and_Flexible_Learning

It provides learners with an agenda for the workshop, they can access it during or after the class in their own time, and of course it does provide non-linear access. For use with a projector I usually zoom the text in on the browser so the font size is a lot bigger.

I agree with the questions you raise too about how to best present info – how we do this makes a big difference!

]]> By: Peter http://educationdiversityblog.mayo.edu/2008/06/09/%e2%80%9cthat-needs-to-be-moved-out-of-the-room-%e2%80%93-were-having-a-conference-in-here%e2%80%9d/#comment-52 Peter Tue, 10 Jun 2008 19:10:47 +0000 http://educationdiversity.wordpress.com/?p=40#comment-52 Interesting idea, Paul! I'm really intrigued by your idea of having a wiki open on the projector. It sort of blows my mind that we have computers capable of running all sorts of programs and storing all sorts of data yet very few presentations use any programs besides PowerPoint. In my own presentations, I've tried to integrate molecular visualization programs, such as VMD. Rather than just show a few snapshots of a molecule of interest, I go grab the pdb file, boot up VMD, and interact with the molecule as I'm talking. You can rotate, zoom, highlight key residues, show hydrophobicity...you can get much more information out than you can with two or three snapshots. Also, you can respond to audience questions: "Where is this tryptophan we're talking about?" "Let me highlight it and zoom in for you..." The smart board is also step in the right direction - letting presenters add things to their presentations in real time. The slides themselves may still suffer from the fundamental PowerPoint problem - everything you have to say has to be shoe-horned into PP's linear and hierarchical structure. Sometimes, it works best to say "Okay, here's the big idea. Now here are 5 sub-ideas. Let's walk through each one and build our case." Other times, it actually works best to start with some smaller idea and expand out in multiple directions. Oddly enough, some of my favorite lecturers are the ones who are most prone to going off on wild tangents. If you're a non-linear thinker, it can actually help to sort of show the audience how you think. All in all, the big problem with PowerPoint isn't the program itself, but rather that PP is so ubiquitous that no one ever stops to ask if there are better ways to present things. When you have a presentation for journal club, you think "okay, make a title slide, then an outline, now four bullet points about the background,then figure 1, then 4 bullets about that..." It pays to take a few seconds to say, how can I make this clear and engaging? Would it help if I made handouts with my figures so people can more easily compare them? Would it be better to draw this diagram on a white board? Should I take a few minutes to update that slideshow I made last year that people found confusing? Thanks for all of your feedback! Knowing that people are reading and responding makes me want to do a better job next time. Interesting idea, Paul! I’m really intrigued by your idea of having a wiki open on the projector. It sort of blows my mind that we have computers capable of running all sorts of programs and storing all sorts of data yet very few presentations use any programs besides PowerPoint. In my own presentations, I’ve tried to integrate molecular visualization programs, such as VMD. Rather than just show a few snapshots of a molecule of interest, I go grab the pdb file, boot up VMD, and interact with the molecule as I’m talking. You can rotate, zoom, highlight key residues, show hydrophobicity…you can get much more information out than you can with two or three snapshots. Also, you can respond to audience questions: “Where is this tryptophan we’re talking about?” “Let me highlight it and zoom in for you…”

The smart board is also step in the right direction – letting presenters add things to their presentations in real time. The slides themselves may still suffer from the fundamental PowerPoint problem – everything you have to say has to be shoe-horned into PP’s linear and hierarchical structure. Sometimes, it works best to say “Okay, here’s the big idea. Now here are 5 sub-ideas. Let’s walk through each one and build our case.” Other times, it actually works best to start with some smaller idea and expand out in multiple directions. Oddly enough, some of my favorite lecturers are the ones who are most prone to going off on wild tangents. If you’re a non-linear thinker, it can actually help to sort of show the audience how you think.

All in all, the big problem with PowerPoint isn’t the program itself, but rather that PP is so ubiquitous that no one ever stops to ask if there are better ways to present things. When you have a presentation for journal club, you think “okay, make a title slide, then an outline, now four bullet points about the background,then figure 1, then 4 bullets about that…” It pays to take a few seconds to say, how can I make this clear and engaging? Would it help if I made handouts with my figures so people can more easily compare them? Would it be better to draw this diagram on a white board? Should I take a few minutes to update that slideshow I made last year that people found confusing?

Thanks for all of your feedback! Knowing that people are reading and responding makes me want to do a better job next time.

]]> By: silvajm http://educationdiversityblog.mayo.edu/2008/06/09/%e2%80%9cthat-needs-to-be-moved-out-of-the-room-%e2%80%93-were-having-a-conference-in-here%e2%80%9d/#comment-51 silvajm Tue, 10 Jun 2008 16:28:19 +0000 http://educationdiversity.wordpress.com/?p=40#comment-51 Ya, I think this is true. The way someone uses pp is the key. Now a days those new Mac computers let you see your notes without the audience seeing them, which can help with your presenting. I think I may still be in the dark ages with technology (PC user)...but personally I still like white boards or a combination..... Ya, I think this is true. The way someone uses pp is the key. Now a days those new Mac computers let you see your notes without the audience seeing them, which can help with your presenting. I think I may still be in the dark ages with technology (PC user)…but personally I still like white boards or a combination…..

]]> By: Paul Left http://educationdiversityblog.mayo.edu/2008/06/09/%e2%80%9cthat-needs-to-be-moved-out-of-the-room-%e2%80%93-were-having-a-conference-in-here%e2%80%9d/#comment-50 Paul Left Tue, 10 Jun 2008 04:15:02 +0000 http://educationdiversity.wordpress.com/?p=40#comment-50 I agree with a lot of what you say - but in general it's how ppt is used that is the problem. I guess you still like the chalkboard because you can't do diagrams etc in the middle of a presentation. The read-only nature of a ppt presentation in the classroom arises because its drawing tools in slideshow mode are hard to use with any accuracy. But when combined with a smart board (or similar) this is no longer a problem. As most of the physical spaces I teach in don't have smart boards, I use a data projector (but not usually with ppt, more often with a wiki) alongside a whiteboard for recording notes, diagrams etc. I agree with a lot of what you say – but in general it’s how ppt is used that is the problem.

I guess you still like the chalkboard because you can’t do diagrams etc in the middle of a presentation. The read-only nature of a ppt presentation in the classroom arises because its drawing tools in slideshow mode are hard to use with any accuracy. But when combined with a smart board (or similar) this is no longer a problem. As most of the physical spaces I teach in don’t have smart boards, I use a data projector (but not usually with ppt, more often with a wiki) alongside a whiteboard for recording notes, diagrams etc.

]]> By: Andrea http://educationdiversityblog.mayo.edu/2008/06/09/%e2%80%9cthat-needs-to-be-moved-out-of-the-room-%e2%80%93-were-having-a-conference-in-here%e2%80%9d/#comment-42 Andrea Mon, 09 Jun 2008 20:31:45 +0000 http://educationdiversity.wordpress.com/?p=40#comment-42 I agree with you completely - Powerpoint and education do not mix! I too wish they could go back to using chalkboards! It made learning so much more fun and easier. Now I have to sift through hundreds (and sometimes thousands) of powerpoint slides to study for any test. I agree with you completely – Powerpoint and education do not mix! I too wish they could go back to using chalkboards! It made learning so much more fun and easier. Now I have to sift through hundreds (and sometimes thousands) of powerpoint slides to study for any test.

]]> By: Amine http://educationdiversityblog.mayo.edu/2008/06/09/%e2%80%9cthat-needs-to-be-moved-out-of-the-room-%e2%80%93-were-having-a-conference-in-here%e2%80%9d/#comment-41 Amine Mon, 09 Jun 2008 18:57:17 +0000 http://educationdiversity.wordpress.com/?p=40#comment-41 Nice blog. I think that powerpoint is an incredibly useful tool, and like all useful tools, it makes people's jobs easier. When people's jobs become easier they tend to become lazier. However, I think the important question to ask is "Does powerpoint, at its best, maximize the quality of presentations?". You touched on that at the end and said that people use it to show high quality animation, movies, and pictures. I think that powerpoint HAS made presesntation better. It just shouldn't be a crutch that everyone uses. Oh my... did I just repeat what you said? I just realized that... My bad haha Nice blog. I think that powerpoint is an incredibly useful tool, and like all useful tools, it makes people’s jobs easier. When people’s jobs become easier they tend to become lazier. However, I think the important question to ask is “Does powerpoint, at its best, maximize the quality of presentations?”. You touched on that at the end and said that people use it to show high quality animation, movies, and pictures. I think that powerpoint HAS made presesntation better. It just shouldn’t be a crutch that everyone uses.

Oh my… did I just repeat what you said? I just realized that… My bad haha

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