Powerpoint is Evil

**In a 2003 article, "PowerPoint is Evil" (http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.09/pp12.html Edward Tufte says that the PowerPoint style routinely disrupts, dominates, and trivializes contents. Thus Powerpoint presentations often resemble a school play-very loud, very slow, and very simple.

      This is not the first time I've heard that powerpoints are more or less useful. I've been in presentations in which the presenter used a powerpoint and I've felt like it was a complete waste of my time. I always felt that I could just read the slides on my own if he/she is reading directly from them. Many times I am wondering how many more slides are there until the end. I guess I am saying a powerpoint presentation has never made me smarter.

However, with that being said, I have used powerpoint presentations in my class. I thought somehow this would interest the students more. I always made it colorful and visually appealing. It was something new for them to get them motivated. Although I think it doesn't help as much in seminars or professional developments, I find it useful in the classroom. I am able to present the material to the students as I walk around the classroom to keep students on task. That beats staying at the board with my back turned anyday. I like using powerpoints with my students, yet not when they are used for something I am attending.