PowerPoint as an Instructional Tool

I have always enjoyed PowerPoint presentations when my professor has used them and assumed that I would also use them in my classroom.  It really wasn't that difficult finding my way around in PowerPoint although I am sure that I have only scratched the surface of what it can do.  It also wasn't too difficult using the graphic tablet.  But again, I am positive that I have not yet found all that it is capable of.  The time consuming part of this assignment was discovering all of the bells and whistles and trying to design my slides.  

I am sure that PowerPoint will be very useful in the classroom.  Part of the allure is that each lesson plan doesn't have to be re-created.  You can save them n the computer for re-use.  In this way it would be best to keep them very simple as your instruction will inevitably vary based on the classroom you are in.  It may not be as useful for Math as it would be History because of the level of interaction needed.  By this I mean that in Math you must show the process as you do it while in History you could put up outlines with basic facts that do not change and lecture around them.  

Another benefit is that it would be easier to share information with students who have been absent and missed valuable instruction time.  This could be accomplished through sharing the slides with the student after they return to school(during recess, lunch, etc) or they could be e-mailed to the student at home or in the hospital. (God forbid!)  It could also be used to include diagrams within the slides themselves.  This is much easier than trying to deal with an overhead projector.  The fact that information from other programs including pictures, sounds, video, etc. can be included within the slides and that it can be used on the computer, PowerPoint instruction has a mobility and variability that has not been possible previously.  The human or personal touch in teaching cannot be ignored or replaced but PowerPoint can certainly enhance teaching.