A key tenet to my belief in democratic education is shared learning on a global scale. In this and upcoming posts I’ll be introducing web tools that strengthen this concept (previously, I mentioned Scratch’s website, which would also fall under this category).

Having students create and present what they are learning is a highly effective teaching strategy. Web connected students have a community that goes well beyond the classroom. They have the potential to engage with a global audience, one of the themes of Alan November’s BLC conference, which becomes a powerful student engagement strategy.

Powerpoint presentations are a common teaching and learning tool used both by teachers and students. I have often found Powerpoint to be a modified high tech version of the old didactic teaching paradigm when used by some teachers, but it can become a powerful teaching tool if used creatively. I’ll post more on creative uses of Powerpoint in the future, but do want to introduce one creative and powerful tool: Slideshare.

Slideshare provides an easy way to post Powerpoints. The slide show is converted to a Flash object that can be viewed on any web connected platform. A voice annotation feature makes slidecasts easy, although the voice file must be uploaded elsewhere. For classrooms using Powerpoint, Slideshare is a great way to have students share their knowledge and receive feedback on the Slideshare website or through embedding the slideshow in a blog.

Besides a great tool for students, I would highly recommend teachers use Slideshare to share their own Powerpoints. Students can review the presentations without needing the Powerpoint application. Combine it with a classroom blog!