[LM_NET] Powerpoint vent

[Dorothy Scanlan <dgscanlan02@YAHOO.COM>]

Hi Jacquie:
   
  I believe you are describing an all too-common problem, but to my mind what you 
are describing is really two different issues.  I have this problem as well 
(students starting with the PowerPoint) and although it has improved, it will take 
a concerted effort by both the librarian and the teacher who has assigned the 
project to end this trend.
   
  However, please allow me to digress for a moment to get something off my chest.  
I REALLY HATE the terms “digital native” and “digital immigrant”.  (Did anyone gush 
about how amazing the generation born into the era of automobiles was?  I doubt it. 
 They were too busy trying to survive a World War and the challenges that followed) 
  These terms somehow imply that kids are superior to adults in their ability to 
navigate around technology.  They aren’t.  The fact that they were born into a 
world of techno-gadgets obviously gives them a head start in their familiarity with 
it.  But let’s face it:  it’s not that kids are extra-brilliant these days, it’s 
that the technology is so darn easy to use.  It’s just a matter of learning 
sequences of clicks and commands.  I think it’s much more impressive that so many 
adults, who have witnessed these dramatic changes, have so easily adapted to 
technology.  But at any rate, native/immigrant is really not the issue regarding 
the overuse
 of the much-too-ubiquitous PowerPoint.
   
  The issue is the research process.  If we teach and promote the Big 6, for 
example, the creation of the PowerPoint is Step 5 (synthesis).  If we hold students 
to each of the six steps, then the students first should have: selected a topic & 
brainstormed the scope of information; brainstormed all possible sources and 
evaluated those sources for usefulness; located those sources; and completed the 
note-taking process.  Then, and ONLY then, should they start putting together the 
end product, whether it’s a PowerPoint, paper, poster, or whatever. 
   
  Copying and pasting information directly from the source onto a PowerPoint slide 
is not only lazy and completely lacking in any thought, it’s plagiarism.  Because 
they have put no thought into what they are doing, of course they are going to 
stumble over unfamiliar words (which they haven’t bothered to look up) and of 
course their presentation is going to be lousy because they really don’t know 
anything about their topic.
   
  As far as images, they gather these not taking into consideration what the 
maximum impact of matching image to text might have, but simply because it’s fun 
and easy.  It takes no thought whatsoever to do a Google image search.  (And here 
you have fair use issues, because how many students are keeping track of the 
websites they get their images from?)  Furthermore, not only do students know very 
little about their topic, but often couldn’t tell you anything about the image on 
their slide.
   
  The answer is to hold students to the research model standards and to evaluate 
them at each step of the process.  Evaluate them on the quality of the information 
they impart and their perceived knowledge of their topic, not the bells and 
whistles that they can so easily add to a Powerpoint presentation.
   
  Dorothy Scanlan
  Librarian
  St. Paul's School
  dscanlan@stpaulsschool.org

       
---------------------------------
You rock. That's why Blockbuster's offering you one month of Blockbuster Total 
Access, No Cost.

--------------------------------------------------------------------
Please note: All LM_NET postings are protected by copyright law.
  You can prevent most e-mail filters from deleting LM_NET postings
  by adding LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU to your e-mail address book.
To change your LM_NET status, e-mail to: listserv@listserv.syr.edu
In the message write EITHER: 1) SIGNOFF LM_NET  2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL
 3) SET LM_NET MAIL  4) SET LM_NET DIGEST  * Allow for confirmation.
 * LM_NET Help & Information: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/
 * LM_NET Archive: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/archive/
 * EL-Announce with LM_NET Select: http://lm-net.info/
 * LM_NET Supporters: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/ven.html
 * LM_NET Wiki: http://lmnet.wikispaces.com/
--------------------------------------------------------------------