Reducing Dependence on Slides

In many professional settings and in schools, slideshows have become so pervasive that a meeting, training, or class rarely goes by without their presence. I recently observed a teacher reading directly from slides while students looked on without discussion or questions. Reliance on slides not only stifles engagement, but it may also remove student voices and critical thinking processes from the lesson.

While banning slideshows in schools is an unnecessarily drastic step to improving engagement, student and teacher focus may benefit from reducing slides and focusing on other forms of instruction. How can we walk back our dependence on slideshows? 

REDUCE AND EDIT SLIDES

First, put very little text on the slide itself. Think in bullet points rather than sentences. Paragraphs of text are more difficult to process, and not all of the information that students need should be on a slide. Instead, use hyperlinks or differentiate resources by providing materials in various modalities such as videos, podcasts, and visuals to provide supplementary lesson supports.

Think of the purpose behind any text as a basic sketch of ideas. For example, if students are learning how to abbreviate state names, rather than listing all state abbreviations on the slide, share only the most relevant information (i.e., that abbreviations are two letters long). Then give one or two examples to make the concept clearer. In-depth information can be part of exploration as the students delve into topics independently if they are provided a short reading piece or a video about state names. 

LET STUDENTS GENERATE MORE CONTENT

To ensure that students understand the concepts they learn about, make them part of creating lesson aids or materials. For example, if a class is learning about a historical time period, rather than listing facts, ask students to turn to one another and make a list of what they already know about the topic. Then, they can share with a whip-around (rotating through the class to gather a brief sampling of student responses).

If the day’s objective is to teach a new concept, find a skill that leads up to that concept and ask students to teach the background to one another. The teacher can observe how they unpack their knowledge and determine their readiness for the next steps. Making inductive and student-centered models part of the instruction not only reduces reliance on slideshows, but it also builds student confidence and lets students know that the teacher respects their contributions.