Ideas for Using PowerPoint in a Classroom

Share your own use of PowerPoint. Send Email with the idea,your name and school location.

Vocabulary review - Thanks to Linda Bastiani Wilson , an Accessible Technology consultant in Maryland

Use PowerPoint to create slide shows of vocabulary words that students need to learn. Run it as a study show - with the words appearing along with pictures and definitions (and sound, if appropriate) to help a student remember the meaning. Then, students can use it as flash cards, with the word appearing alone and then the picture/sound/definition as needed to remember. You can also have the students create the slide show themselves as a way to study and learn the words.

Spelling activity - Thanks to Sherry Bryant , an elementary teacher in Texas

A slide show of words to be learned can be used as a workstation or as a whole group activity. Students can advance the show after each word has been read. See an example of Sherry's Flash Words show .

Spelling activity - Thanks to Jerry Bates This is a use of text animation, bringing one letter at a time onto the screen

A primary level teacher doing a spelling exercise with kids could insert a picture of the object they are spelling on one side of the slide. Have the students say the spelling word, then have them spell it. As they spell, or to help them when they get stuck, words can be brought up one letter at a time by mouse click. If you decide to use this technique make sure that you do not select "automatically after ___ seconds." You need to retain control over when the letter appears. A slide show of the current spelling words could be set up in a center and students work their way through the set of slides. If you use this activity, Jerry suggests that you use the typewriter sound effect with each letter.

Preparing handouts - Thanks to Jerry Bates

This is a use of the Notes Page Layout view

Use notes page layout to create the 'cover' page of a printed set of handouts for participants in a workshop. On the first slide's note area, write a short abstract about the show's intention, intended audience, purpose, etc. Add when and who did it and format it much the same way as one used to do a term paper cover sheet. (large font, etc., a horizontal rule here or there...)

PowerPoint Presentations

• Instructions on how to set up a PowerPoint presentation teaching the skill of adding two one-digit numbers without regrouping.

PowerPoint presentations you can download.

Save them to your computer or a disk and use PowerPoint to open the slide show

• Using a series of line drawings to show progression of an action or idea
• Teaching the concepts of speed and velocity
• A chalkboard with a grid
• Another chalkboard with a grid and equations
• A thought for the day
• Teaching the concept of retinal fatigue
• Giving a test

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