Abstract
The use of Computer to assist language learning is widespread today. The increase of coverage suggests the teacher to be familiar in computer programs. PowerPoint is one of the programs used to present teaching materials with colored text, pictures, motion, and sound effect. It is the most well-liked because it comes bundled with Microsoft packages. It is also easy to use and share with others. Although PowerPoint has been existed for many years, however, it has just started to spread in university level in Indonesia. There are not many high school teachers use it in the English classroom. This paper examines the higher school English teachers’ perspectives toward PowerPoint. In addition, the difficulties of using the tool in teaching English are also reviewed. From the questionnaires consisting of 6 questions, it is found that teachers have good perspectives toward PowerPoint. However, they have financial and technical problems in using it in the classroom.
Introduction
There have been a lot of tools used by the teacher to support language teaching, and none of them is best claimed toward over another. Teachers, however will determine themselves which is more appropriate set can be employed in their classroom subject. The use of tool of teaching itself might have been associated in line with the growth of science, technology and culture.
Today, increasingly, traditional face-to-face teachings are being delivered using presentation software such as Microsoft PowerPoint (Nicholson, 2002). Power Point is first published in 1987 by Forethought of Sunnyvale, and originally named “Presenter”. Although it has been made for many years, it has just begun to spread to schools recently. The reason for this postpone is that technology requires hardware, which is relatively expensive, software, and knowledge as well as skill to operate system. Nonetheless, more and more classrooms and teachers have computers and the equipment to use PowerPoint as their tool of teaching. What is PowerPoint, the use of it, how it works and the previous research in dealing with it will be elaborated first below.
PowerPoint is a type of presentation software that allows one to show colored text and images with simple animation and sound. It gives us everything we need to produce a professional-looking presentation (Fisher, 2006). Now, it is widely used by business people, educators, students, and trainers and is among the most prevalent forms of persuasion technology.
In line with the use of PowerPoint for education, Fisher said that it can be used for initial teaching, for practice and drilling, for games, for reviews, and for tests. In initial teaching, PowerPoint can be used to teach new ideas and concepts to students. It takes time to make the presentation but once it is made, it can be saved and reused again later. Even, it can be modified again to fit another classroom setting. For practice and drilling, PowerPoint is useful. It can be made in the simple way but repeatedly presented to the students in a particular time. PowerPoint presentations are great for reviewing ideas which have already been taught. After the students have learned and practiced something, it is good to see a presentation. Teacher can use PowerPoint for the tests. He places items on slides to be shown at preset intervals and of course he sets the timer for a reasonable number of seconds for each slide.
PowerPoint works in a simple way. The slide is just like the Ms. Word’s screen to type. It provides three types of movements. Entrance, emphasis, and exit of elements on a slide which are controlled by what PowerPoint calls custom animation. Transitions, on the other hand are movements between slides. These can be animated in a variety of ways. The overall design of a presentation can be controlled with a master slide and the overall structure of the text on each slide can be edited by using an outliner. The sound, music or pictures can be just inserted. Presentations can be saved and run in any of the file format. The default .ppt (presentation), .pps (PowerPoint Show) or .pot (template). The presentation slides are shown either manually or with timer-setting and displayed onto a regular computer monitor, an ordinary television set or a special projector. PowerPoint is the easier made than many other presentation software. Ready-made PowerPoint lesson even can be downloaded from the internet.
Some educationalists have their opinion about the use of PowerPoint in the classroom. Hunt agrees that the use of this presentation software can encourage a more active learning environment; Sammon believes it can increase the effectiveness of classroom activity; Rossen thinks it lends greater understanding. Rocklin in addition suggests that the use of PowerPoint can help teachers to "help their students learn", while Creed in Nicholson reminded that PowerPoint is teacher-centre and that in some senses it can be a "bad pedagogical tool". (Nicholson, 2002).
Padilla describes the advantages and disadvantages of PowerPoint use in the classroom. On the one hand, we should not forget about the greater attractiveness of the presentation, interactivity, sound, image, the possibility of inserting video files, as well as other multimedia resources. On the other hand, we cannot overlook other contextual limitations which encumber the implementation of new technologies in the classroom: the necessity of funding, facilities and appropriate infrastructures.
However, no one refuse that there are advantages can be obtained from using this presentation program. Supporters and critics generally agree that the ease of using presentation software is that it can save a lot of time for people and it also eases who would make presentations. In Indonesia, PowerPoint seems to be more familiar used in universities. Although the computers have started to be prevalent in school, a few only higher school teachers use it in the classroom. The infrequent use of PowerPoint in the classroom suggests this study. I am curious to know their perspectives and also their difficulties in using it.
Methodology
The respondents are ten high school English teachers. They are given open-ended questionnaires consisting of six questions. Five questions are dealing with their perspectives about using power point in English classroom and one question is to analyze the obstacles gained in its application. The respondents are teachers in different places and they also have different regional background. The paper will describe the findings qualitatively from the questionnaires.
Results and Discussion
The followings are the description of high school teachers’ perspectives in teaching English by using power point gained through questionnaires. Question 1 asks what high school teacher’s think about using power point in teaching English. All respondents give positive answer in which they think that power point is useful for the classroom activities. The following is one of the respondents’ points of view.
R : What a good idea! It will be a great beneficial tool to improve my students’ English
mastery through an interesting classroom activities.
One teacher who has never used power point in teaching process admits that power point seems useful in the teaching learning process.
R : I never use power point for teaching but seen from how it works, it will increase
students’ interests to learn.
Question two is dealing with the respondents’ perspectives whether using and operating power point is easy or not. One out of ten respondents states that it is easy used and operated because it only needs laptop and in focus; eight respondents say that it will be easy for trained teachers; and one says that she never use power point and has no idea whether it is easy or not.
R : It’s easy to use since we are trained to operate it. So, it depends on our skills.
R : I’ve never used it, I don’t know whether it is easy or not.
Question three is due to their perspectives whether PowerPoint is helpful for the teachers. All respondents give positive answer with various reasons. Most of them agree that PowerPoint makes the process of presenting materials easier.
R : Yes, it seems easier to explain materials by using PowerPoint.
One views the benefit that it relaxes and satisfies teachers during the class. However, the process of preparing the materials is an exception.
R : Yes, regardless of preparing PowerPoint materials, teachers will be more relaxed and
satisfied during the class. It’s far more helpful than an ordinary language instruction.
One says that it is helpful because it can be reused again for many times to many classes.
Question four is due to their perspectives whether PowerPoint is helpful for the students. All respondents agree that it increases students’ motivation to learn. PowerPoint can stimulate students to learn more enthusiastically. Students will not get bored.
R : Yes, it can stimulate my students to learn English more enthusiastically
R : Students’ interest will be more increased since they see the new things in their learning
experiences.
R : Yes, the students’ will be not bored in the classroom.
Question five is about the main practical benefits of using PowerPoint in teaching. They view the condition from different aspects. About the materials, PowerPoint is believed creating better materials than language instruction. Another aspect, it makes the lessons more interesting from the students. Some teachers also agree that because it can be saved and reused again, it is good to teach many classes.
Last question is about the problems in using PowerPoint for teaching English in the classroom. There are two problems that can be concluded. The one is a financial problem. Most of the school have computer but not to be used in the classroom. Even for some school with a laptop to be used in the classroom, there is not any projector yet in addition. Another problem is about teachers’ skill in technology. A few teachers only are good enough in using technology.
R : There is only one laptop for many teachers. There is no in focus yet at school.
R : There is not experienced person in operating it. There are no computers used for
teaching and learning.
R : The technical and financial problems.
From the research, teachers are essentially ready to get innovation in their learning. They give positive attitudes toward PowerPoint. Teachers who never use PowerPoint also agree that the technology makes teaching easier to do. Moreover, it encourages students’ motivation. However, teachers have varying levels of skills and access to computers and technology.
Technical problems should be a concern of school management. Teachers should be not only trained in curriculum and syllabus, but it is time to move to the technological training. Computer is not longer a tool to type or print a text. Teachers’ have to be introduced to how to maximize using it to teach in the classroom. The fact is that technology has broadened out to the young generation. Students are getting closer with technology nowadays. Teachers are assumed as people who know everything. Therefore, their knowledge should be also in line with the growth of science and technology.
Financial problem is about the concern of education institutions. Technology is not used once but many times for many years. However, if they never know how equipment is able to increase students’ achievement, they will close their eyes to the technology. Therefore, I suggest the next researcher to study how effective is PowerPoint in increasing students’ motivation and also achievement.
Conclusion
PowerPoint is much discussed at present. However, in Indonesia, it has just started to spread in university. From the questionnaires, it is know that teachers have good perspectives toward PowerPoint. However, they have financial and technical problems in using it in the classroom. Technological training should be more given to the teachers. Availability should be a concern to the related institution. Now is the time to get closer to the innovation of teaching.
References
Belleville. PowerPoint Historical Review. Retrieved from: www.bitbetter.com. November 25 2007. 7 PM.
Fisher, Don L. 2006. Using PowerPoint for ESL Teaching. Retrieved from: http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Fisher-PowerPoint.html. November 24 2007. 2 PM.
Nicholson, Dr. Dawn T. 2002. Lecture Delivery Using MS PowerPoint: Staff and Student Perspectives at MMU. Retrieved from: http://www.celt.mmu.ac.uk/ltia/issue2/nicholson.shtml. November 25 2007. 7 PM.
Padilla, Juan Ráez. 2006. More power to PowerPoint: ideas, examples and resources for the ESL classroom. Retrieved from: http://www.hltmag.co.uk/may06/mart03.htm. November 24 2007. 2 PM.
e-dictionary: www.wikipedia.com
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