Let Me Add To the Powerpoint Discussion!

I think they're dumb. That's my intelligent opinion. Since middle school, I've been subjected to hundreds of powerpoints by both teachers and students, most, if not all of, were composed of the default templates and really cheesy animations and transitions. I hated them. Always. I hated it most when teachers would force students to use a powerpoint in their presentation. Because as bad as the teachers were at creating powerpoints, students were a million times worse. With green script font on a bright blue background, or black words over a not even water marked picture... student presentations were actually painful for me. I would actually sit in the back of the room and bleed from my eyes.

It's actually one of the many reasons why I started making videos. In group projects, teachers would often request there be a visual aid. Obviously, every student was like, "YEAH POWERPOINTS FTW!" I had had it, and in 9th grade I asked if instead of a powerpoint, my group could do a video. And history was made. From then on, I always chose the video route over using that dumb program.

I think powerpoints are the safe route. Sure, they meet the required specs for a presentation. They show graphs and charts and pictures and the audience can follow along easily. But they're safety nets. I never find myself challenged when I'm forced to create a powerpoint project. I never feel like I'm working for the attention of my classmates or like I'm really even making an impact. When watching people (and by people I mean non-professionals) present powerpoints, I never feel particularly interested.

I don't think powerpoints have a place in student presentations. Unlike teachers, who know their subject matter and have years of experience giving lectures and presenting in front of groups of people, students usually BS their way through a presentation and use their powerpoint as a crutch. I can handle a teacher powerpoint presentation, even if I think teachers can find more effective ways to relay information, but students I think should never use powerpoints unless it's a last ditch effort or a presentation on mostly graphs and charts.

When I was a Junior, my Government & Economics teacher banned students from using powerpoint presentations when presenting anything. And you know what? It was the best idea, because all of a sudden people were making videos, making posters, dressing up, or thinking of other creative ways to relay information effectively that wasn't a powerpoint. With all the variety, we as a class actually cared about what our peers had to say.

I think powerpoints are effective for businesses. I think they're good for teachers when they know they have a lot to say and they need their students to take notes (as long as there aren't any stupid animations/transitions). I think they're the worst mistake a student could make when presenting to his or her class. There are a thousand ways to get a message across, and using a powerpoint to do it is generic and boring. No one perks up when they see a person open a powerpoint. No one goes, "YEAH A POWERPOINT!" Every one just prepares themselves to endure another powerpoint.

Of course, like everything, there are exceptions. But those exceptions are far and few. And that's my opinion on powerpoints. The End.

-R.