Be careful what you wish for” is good advice, even in this technological age. Once upon a time, people dreamed of presentations without blackboards, flipcharts, or those overhead projectors which amplified hairy forearms to King Kong proportions - and so PowerPoint was born.
But PowerPoint can make anything look respectable, no matter how badly prepared or dull, which is one reason many teachers are dreading next week’s crop of Inset days. Ironically, the worst offenders seem to be presentations on enlivening lessons.
And now, after a decade of campaigns for more technology in class, it emerges that many pupils are experiencing “death by PowerPoint”, a fate so well-known to adults that Google has eight million references to it. Still, look on the bright side: school is supposed to be about preparation for adult life.
