Classroom presentations are no different than any other kind of presentation. The goal is simple; to convey information to others – in this case, students – in a way that enables them to better remember what you’ve told them. As is often the case in life, gadgets have provided a way to make that goal easier.
TechImperative shortlisted five classroom gadgets that will rock your presentations and help to keep kids engaged and learning.
1. Portable Speakers
There’s a good chance that your classroom already has some kind of speaker setup in place. If not, then you’ll likely be relying on the speakers from your laptop or your portable smart projector. That’s great for a small boardroom, but it doesn’t work so well in a large classroom where you have to ensure that dozens of people can hear you and follow along. Students in the back are going to have a hard time hearing a presentation so be sure to put some up back there. Make things easier for them. Read full reviews for portable speakers here.
Portable speakers, along with a great portable projector, are the way to go with that. They give you the power to spread the audio around the room as and how you please. Invest in a few good Bluetooth portable speakers and place them in strategic locations around the classroom. Connect them all up to your laptop wirelessly and you’re good to go. These devices are lightweight and portable too so you shouldn’t have any issues taking them to class with you.
2. Presentation Remote
One of the worst things that can happen to a presenter of any kind is being stuck to their podium or computer. Giving a good presentation means having the freedom to address the class directly and even move around the room. They say that motion creates emotion. It gives a sense of things moving forward. This is why you should keep a presentation remote with you. It will also allow you to directly address the class so they can better hear and comprehend you, rather than having you talk to the presentation.
These presentation remotes come in a few different varieties;
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Bluetooth Remote
Much like a portable speaker, these remotes connect to computers through Bluetooth. A click on the remote is sent to the computer and interpreted as a click on the mouse to move to the next slide.
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Smartphone Remote
There are plenty of apps that give you control over your presentations from your phone. Google themselves have created their own app for it, and Windows phones – being developed by the same people that made PowerPoint – also make it super easy. No matter which kind of phone you have you’re sure to be able to find something that works for you. Don’t worry about your students downloading apps and messing with things either as they would still need your permission to connect to the computer/projector.
Being able to speak to the crowd means that you’ll have an easier time seeing students that aren’t paying attention and students that have questions about the material. Keep the conversation going and keep everyone an active participant.
3. Smart Whiteboard
What classroom is complete without a whiteboard? Smart whiteboards such as the Smart Kapp take things to the next level. There’s everything to enjoy about whiteboards but with some extra upgrades packed in. Write on your whiteboard with a simple dry erase marker as usual and have everything connected to an app. All the notes you – or your students – make will be saved on an app ready to be accessed whenever necessary.
The connectivity of these smart whiteboards means that everyone has a little board of their own. The boards create images and PDF files of the notes taken during a presentation. That way they can be collected and handed out to students who need a copy. That’s a real advantage if the presentation is important but there are some kids out of school who need to see it.
4. Portable Thumb Drive/Hard Drive
You can spend weeks putting together what you feel is a great presentation that is sure to impress and reach your audience. The fact is that without graphics such as photographs and videos it’s going to be hard to really engage listeners. This is what makes portable thumb drives and hard drives such a key tool for any kind of presentation giver, including a teacher.
By investing in some good quality storage like this, you’ll always have access to your information, outlines, and presentations no matter what. It’ll also come in handy if you need students to give presentations of their own. They can send them to you and then you can put them on the drive ready for their presentation. This will save a lot of time and hassle over-relying on students to set themselves up.
5. Laptop Display Adaptor
There’s one classroom gadget for presentations that can be overlooked a lot and that’s the humble little display adaptor. These adaptors connect to a laptop and they ensure that everyone in the audience is able to see the presentation. They basically convert your laptop into a little projector.
These adaptors display a large and clear image that anyone in the room should be able to read and comprehend. How much you should invest in a display adaptor can depend on the projector in question. Different ones have different needs. One thing is for sure though; it’ll take any presentation you give to the next level.
Last Words
Keep in mind that classroom presentations aren’t designed to be a replacement for teaching. They are designed to enhance learning and convey information in a fun and engaging way. The tools and gadgets mentioned above can help do that by enhancing presentations. Students are sure to soak up the information when they can see and hear it clearly. Go forth and teach!
