Class Presentations

Alternatives to Powerpoint Presentations

The next time you or your students give a presentation in your class, please consider some alternatives to the traditional slideshow style Powerpoint. Powerpoints are like the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches of presentations. They can get the job done, but there are way more interesting and satisfying options out there....like a MLT: a mutton, lettuce and tomato sandwich where the mutton is nice and lean and the tomato is ripe. They're so perky. I love that. (First person to write a comment on the bottom and name the movie I just quoted gets a prize).

Lets start thinking more MLT and less PB&J, in both our own presentations and student presentations. There are much more dynamic and interesting ways to present material. Here are a few alternatives to consider:

PowToon

This site lets you create an animation that can tell a story. It is simple to use and combines the elements of a powerpoint and a movie-editor. I created a quick sample for you:

Emaze

Emaze is a presentation platform that makes boring slideshows look like they took hours to put together. They are great for presenting statistics as the built-in spreadsheet makes it SUPER easy to create interesting graphs and charts. A big knock on powerpoint presentations are that they are linear, taking you from one place to the next. Emaze allows you to add buttons on your slide that can take you to different slides or 'sections'. You can create interactive presentations with these buttons, or dress up a traditional powerpoint as I have done here:

At the very least....
There are powerpoint-like alternatives out there that can offer a little variety. Sliderocket and Prezi are two examples. Consider them like PB&J with a slice of banana (don't knock it till you try it).


Other Resources
You can view a list of 20 other options here. 

Bottom line...
The bottom line is to be open to trying something new. It is easy to use the same powerpoint again that you created in 2002, but it probably is time to update and try something different. Also, allow your students to be creative in presenting their material by giving them choices. I am always here to help you or your students during the planning and creation process, so please contact me if you are interested in using any of these presentation tools. Have an awesome week! (no Tech this out this week as I shared the presentation sites instead).