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PowerPoints are Boring: 3 Ideas to Chase Better Engagement

Another sixth grader at a 1:1 The school says, ‘The teachers think they know what we are doing, but they don’t. They are not really teaching anymore and can submit everything to be graded automatically.  School is now just all about them telling us articles to read.  We did a lot of Powerpoint last year, and the quiz was just off the notes.

From Screenwise: Helping Kids Thrive (and Survive) in their Digital World by Dr. Devorah Heitner



In 1987, Robert Gaskins and Dennis Austin developed Powerpoint for the software company Forethought, Inc. as a solution to compete with Microsoft Word on the Apple Macintosh. It was later in 1987 that Microsoft purchased PowerPoint for 14 million dollars.  This program was designed to “facilitate visual demonstrations for group presentations of the business environment”.  In his book Sweating Bullets: Notes about Inventing Powerpoint Gaskin writes about the journey of creating this industry-changing tool.  He breaks down in his 1984 product proposal how Powerpoint, then called Presentation, could tap into the $3.5 billion dollar presentation industry of 35mm slides and overhead transparencies. (pg. 62).  Further along in his book he describes the original intention of Powerpoint and how it was to be used: 

“The message to be presented already existed in some longer form- sometimes a text document, sometimes a set of annotations, sometimes just in extensive speaking notes worked out on cards or in the presenter’s head- and the slides were intended to provide a focus for the talk and for discussion.  These days, the common complaint about presenters “just reading the slides” indicates that this has been lost. Both in business presentations and in all other realms where PowerPoint is now used, some presenters have the misunderstanding that they are supposed to put “everything on the slides, then show up and read them, fairly slowly." Some people do this on purpose, so the presentation will be complete for an audience reading only the slides later-particularly if there is no long-form document or other material underlying the presentation.”  


3 Suggestions to Chase Better Engagement:

  1. Instigate a rule that points the audience to the focus. For example, 6 total words per slide. If you have a quote or something else, memorize it and share! Let the passion and knowledge of the content flow while keeping yourself grounded using the presentation to support your points.

  2. Open the Slideshow to be Collaborative. Share the edit rights with the audience and allow for interaction, creation, collaboration, or direct participation to support and enhance the presentation.

  3. Check out the Various PowerPoint Design Pros on Instagram. There are some incredible ways that engagement and design can truly enhance a message! Digital Storytelling and Multimedia Magic can help build engagement without adding words

  4. BONUS: Know your audience. If a slideshow isn't needed, DON'T DO IT!


It comes down to this. If you need to write an essay, you don't need a slideshow! Innovation requires growth, and the it is time for the slideshow to grow.


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