I don’t usually use presentation software in my lessons. In fact, I haven’t created any lessons this year, and I have only one example from last year to reflect upon.

I do sometimes allow my students to choose to present their work as a PowerPoint, but I usually encourage them to use some other form. I think because when there are so many other options out there, a PowerPoint seems boring and lacking creativity.

And that’s exactly what I see when I look back on the maps slideshow I created last year. I spent a lot of time looking for images that were interesting, and what I hoped would captivate the students. What I didn’t put time or effort into was making the slides themselves captivating. Each slide was designed exactly the same: a title at the top and a large image dominating the slide. Each and every one. At least I didn’t overload them with text; the students had an outline to follow.

In order to improve my presentation the first thing to change would be to break this presentation up into 3 smaller sections.

  1. Comparing globes and maps and map features
  2. Map projections and the basic types of maps (thematic, political and physical)
  3. The history of map making and their relevance today

Using the PechaKucha format (20X20) or a variation of it, I could do three smaller presentations, with more images to illustrate the key points, rather than spending 5+ minutes or so on the same image.

 

Before

After
   

To improve the slide, I started by changing the light blue background to one with complementary colors. Next I removed the line drawing of the map and decreased the size of the remaining image. Finally I changed the title to a declarative sentence. Overall, I am pleased with the way the new slide turned out, and I look forward to creating my next slideshow.