Powerpoint is one of the most popular technology tools of teachers. It can also be one of the least effective. Afterall, it is presentation software which often means that students sit passively while a teacher presents a lesson. Nevertheless, an effective powerpoint can be inspiring (see Al Gore's recent film, An Inconvenient Truth) and if students are the ones creating the powerpoints then the level of thinking required is much higher.

Here are some tips to making an effective powerpoint:

• Make it visual. This doesn't mean add unnecessary and distracting text animations but it does mean include real pictures, charts, graphs. Ask yourself, what does this powerpoint add to my oral presentation?
• Do not hide behind the powerpoint. Ineffective speakers simply recite what is on the screen. A boring powerpoint and a boring speaker is worse than no powerpoint at all.
• Make clip art culturally responsive. Many teachers are unaware that the clip art the choose does not reflect the cultural diversity of their classrooms. It sometimes takes more work to find appropriate clip art but the extra work is necessary to engage students and respect differences of culture.
• Give control to students. In the hands of teachers, powerpoint is often a glorified overhead projector. In the hands of students, powerpoint presentations require the processing and evaluation of information. Higher level thinking is required as students choose appropriate illustrations, and sequence their presentations.

Power Tip: When displaying a Powerpoint presentation, press the "b" key on your keyboard to make the screen turn black and then press it again to bring back the powerpoint. This allows you to shift the focus between yourself and your presentation.

Awesome Tutorial for Using Powerpoint in the Classroom

Another Tutorial from University of Rhode Island

Oregon State University Tutorial and Slideshow

Powerpoint How To Films from Atomic Learning

Tons More Powerpoint Sites with Advanced Techniques

This are two fantastic projects by Melissa Lape who includes many visuals:
Realistic Fiction Unit Opener by Melissa Lape
Breaking into Print by Melissa Lape

Here are two Game Show Powerpoints which can be adapted with your own content. These make for a more engaging recall of key concepts but do not necessarily lead to higher level thinking in students according to Bloom's Taxonomy:
Who Wants to Be A Millionaire?: Little Red Hen
Jeopardy

Here is an example of a simple powerpoint that students can create. By designing their own quiz, the level of thinking required for students is much deeper than simply answering factual questions posed by a teacher:
Who Am I? Tom Cruise Powerpoint by Susan Obuchi

Sometimes iMovie/Windows Movie Maker may be a more appropriate tool for the job but teachers are sometimes more intimidated by these programs. Here's an example of a Powerpoint-like Quicktime movie:
Where's Boomer? Quicktime by Mathew Needleman

Basics of PowerPoint from Tech Learning

PowerPoint as an Interactive Multimedia Lesson from Tech Learning

Making the parent Connection with PowerPoint Multimedia from Tech Learning

How to Use Powerpoints with Open Court Reading Curriculum

Game Show Templates

Elementary Presentations Tons!

Math & Language Arts Powerpoints

Yahoo Group for Math Powerpoints