Monday, September 13, 2010

Issue #3 PowerPoint

Bumiller does make a good point. PowerPoint even though it is a useful tool, somehow, it has gained a life all of its own. PowerPoint should not become an excuse to cut protocol or to become away to cut corners. But, if you are using PowerPoint as a substitute for a legal brief as mentioned by the article I think you have gone too far.

In a classroom setting, during some of my more complex classes I did appreciate the professor creating a presentation to mark the main points of the reading or to emphasis a certain topic. However, there is a fine line from creating a PowerPoint to convey specific points and then to just read from the presentation.

An audience centered approach to using PowerPoint would involve not making the experience “agony” for General Patraeus. Junior officers would not be known as “PowerPoint Rangers.” PowerPoint would be used to define specific point, to show a trend, would be kept short, and to the point. Other steps might involve making presentations only 10 slides long and not taking the place of a formal document. Presenters would use the presentation to convey points and not to read directly from the screen.

No comments:

Post a Comment