Why+New+Tools+Are+Needed

=Why New Tools Are Needed=

This "7 Things You Should Know" PDF from Educause outlines why we need these new tools, what they are, who's using them, how they work, and much more.

Adapted from Robin Harris at [|ZDNet]

PowerPoint - and Keynote, its prettier Mac cousin - are only tools, albeit very popular tools. Give a man a hammer and everything looks like a nail. **Update:** PowerPoint is a hammer. It does some things well and others - such as presenting complex ideas - poorly, no matter how gifted the presenter. There are many ways to engage an audience with minimal text - watch Steve Jobs present - and 1 of the best is with a story. **End update.**

Discussion Killer
A critical issue is that PowerPoint is a tool for //presentation//, not //discussion//. In a multivariate world, we need more discussion, not less. That lack of discussion exists in an organizational context that values hierarchy and control. A business plan is written, a presentation given to management - who will not read the plan - and the plan is approved without serious thought. Management’s prerogatives have been honored.

Combine that with the all-too-human reluctance to think (see “dittoheads”) and the popularity of PowerPoint is clear: it creates the illusion of participation without the sweaty bits. Getting into issues requires the hard work of questioning assumptions, examining evidence, determining values and accepting compromises. That’s discussion, not presentation.


 * Update:** Check out Prezi for a creative alternative to PP/KN. They have a lot of great ideas. **End update.**

**Back to... Advanced Tech Tools Workshop**