Use of PowerPoint

I just started to think that colleges should put effort on teaching how to use PowerPoint for presentation. I've seen so many presentations that use PowerPoint as manuscript. Even one of my current professor does this. They just read what is on the slides, and don't really talk.

PowerPoint is an aid for presentation. It can add visual material to presentation that help audience to understand and entertain.

I was reviewing materials on the slides from last night's class. This professor made total of 29 slides, and about a half of them are filled with so many sentences. Plus, even if she had not put the materials on the slides and she just had presented verbally, it wouldn't have sounded interesting. At least in her case, she may be a great scholar, but she is not a good presenter.

When I present, I always try to speak without manuscript. I just prepare outline. I've never given lecture, but I try to talk to audience, instead of just speaking to them.

I also see some students just speaking from the slide. If you speak exactly what's on the slides, why do you need to prepare those slides in the first place?

Anyway, I just don't know whether I should just review the PowerPoint slides or read the textbook for this particular class as the end of semester comes close. I understand that classes are not necessarily fun, but when materials prepared by professor don't seem helpful, it makes everything so tiring...

Boring Lecture II

Last month I wrote about a boring lecture. I've been think again about the reason why this particular class is so boring.

Why? Why is it? Why is this scholarly well-experienced professor bad at giving an interesting, enjoyable lecture?

The monotone? Maybe.

But the biggest reason I think is that her lecture lacks stories of real experience.Yes, she gives examples to make it easier for us to understand. But, they are just imaginary examples.

In another class I'm taking, the lecturer is an actual staff of a nonprofit organization. She gives examples from her actual experience. She keeps the class interesting and students' attention.

Maybe this boring class is difficult to give real examples, but this is where she can make difference. It doesn't matter whether it is an undergraduate or graduate program. Professor's job is to teach and train students effectively and help them to be successful, besides pursuing scholarly knowledge. 

And it is a very tiring task to try to focus on boring lecture. Maybe she can work on it, hopefully.