9th April 2009
PowerPointing the way to the end of teaching
“Better stupefied by a slideshow than a paid professor, though, right? The use of PowerPoint seems to be an expression of diffidence on the part of the teacher regarding his oratorical skills: there must be something I can replace as the focal point of class — anything but me! The rhetorical craft that is the teacher’s first and most reliable aide in capturing his students’ imaginations is replaced by pointing and reading. By neglecting the cultivation of this difficult skill, we make teaching a profession open to all — even those who dislike it and lack any aptitude for it.
(thanks, Essays)
