If you have been teaching for many years as I have, it is easy to get into a rut and stick to a presentation method that seems to work.
The problem is that students will tire of the same types of presentations, and the excitement will wear off over time.
I have created some beautiful interactive and creative flipcharts for my Promethean Board, yet sadly even my flipcharts that contain plenty of Magic Ink can bore the students if they get predictable. It is a good idea to try some of the other presentation tools available to teachers. The following are my favorite presentation websites due to ease of use and reliability over time.
Google Slides– A great alternative to PowerPoint that offers some user-friendly components teachers appreciate. The presentations can be shared with the students even if they do not have Microsoft Office on their computers or personal devices. In addition, teachers can insert media much easier than in PowerPoint. One can add links and videos on Google Slides directly without having to hyperlink items. Teachers can also simply import existing PowerPoints and present them on Google Slides.
Nearpod- A site that allows teachers to upload existing PowerPoints or PDF files and insert questions in a variety of formats at any point in the presentation. Students can join the presentation and answer questions live, to be viewed by all on the screen. These presentations can also be assigned for homework or as independent work to individualize lessons.
TES Teach with Blendspace– A no-nonsense site to create lessons when time is short. Users begin with a basic title slide. They then search for content on Google, YouTube, Google Drive, or computer files to be added onto the next slide. Finally, teachers add a quiz to complete the lesson. Last semester my students created their own Blendspace lessons on this site and presented them as a review for the semester exam. This was very successful as not one student failed the exam in my classes.
Buncee– A colorful presentation site that is especially easy and fun to use for teachers as well as students. Users begin by selecting a background or a background color. Then, teachers simply add content in the form of text, images, links, stickers, animations, a blank canvas for drawing, or videos. The creators of the site offer free webinars for anyone who wants to learn more about the advanced features of this presentation tool.
As a 21st century teacher, we must try to find ever changing methods to relate our content to our students. Fortunately, there are numerous user-friendly web-based presentation tools available to teachers who wish to keep their students actively engaged and interested. In addition, these tools allow students to participate actively by creating their own presentations, individualizing their learning experience. Let’s keep them guessing by varying our presentation tools.
