No.. the standard doesn't say PowerPoint (part 2)

What?! Are you still using PowerPoint?  I understand, for many teachers PowerPoint is the go-to resource because they know if backwards and forwards.  Try these resources and ideas when Speaking & Listening Standard #5 is in front of you.

Third Grade - #5 Create engaging audio recordings of stories or poems that demonstrate fluid reading at an understandable pace; add visual displays when appropriate to emphasize or enhance certain facts or details

Fourth Grade - #5 Add audio recordings and visual displays to presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes.

In part 1, we looked at resources students can use for create audio recordings. For part 2, we will look at visual displays both students and teachers can use when presenting information.

Infographics

Students (and teachers) can present data in beautifully through infographics.  Infographics are graphics that present information. You need to make sure you have the data (research) completed before you start putting everything together. Without data, you will find your students staring at the computer screen for a while not knowing what to do!

http://infogr.am/ and http://www.easel.ly/ ~ Two resources students and teachers can use to create infographics.

You will want to explore both sites before letting your students loose in the computer lab.

Student Created Visual Displays

Students don't need to do a Google Image Search to find presentation enhancing visual displays.  These displays can be student created in many ways.

My daughter gets frustrated when she can not find the image she wants to use. Even though she isn't an artist, she can create just the right illustration for her presentation.  Let your students draw just what they want to enhance their presentation.  Then scan or take a picture of the illustration so students can add them as needed.

Don't let picture taking stop at shooting student drawings.  Let students get creative and get pictures and/or videos to enhance what they are researching. For example, if the students working on a presentation of a historical figure, let the students reenact an event and record it. Yes, it may be easier to find a historical video, but the students will really take ownership of their learning and the project if they create their own video.

Visual displays do not have to high tech. Students can create posters that showcase the main points or key ideas for the presentation.

So, do you feel comfortable walking away from PowerPoint yet?