I had heard a lot of buzz about the "PowerPoint is Evil" article by E. Tufte when it first came out. Having finally read it, I can see why it created such an interest.
I have used PowerPoint a handful of times with my classes. There is no question that a teacher can eat up a lot of instructional time when working with PowerPoint. We all know we need to make the most out of every minute of a student's day, whether we're trying to close the achievement gap or stick to our learning objectives. It's a little scary that we could be spending our precious time worrying about font choices for a presentation. I think it can be easy for teachers to get caught up in some of the cool aspects of technology and forget that basic skills are really the most important piece. The key here is, as in any good lesson, the teacher needs to stick to the learning objectives. (and they need to be meaningful and relevant!!)
Having sat through countless boring PowerPoint presentations, I do agree with Tufte. It's the content that matters most. Students need to be exposed to the latest greatest technology, but only if it directly supports the learning standard.
We would probably be better off without PowerPoint in the classroom until we can be sure that the content will be the priority rather than the format. I do think that it should be used when making modifications for students with special learning needs. It can be very effective for certain students.
By the way, I find it really alarming that kids might be spending more time in front of screens or completing assessments then in the block area or at recess. I have always been taught that recess is the most important period of the day and play is the best way to teach communication skills and social competence.
