I created this PowerPoint in an attempt to contain an exceptionally loud group of students and it worked wonders. We passed a ball around the room, and students were only permitted to speak when they were holding the ball. This PowerPoint has the potential to turn any ordinary class discussion into a game-like activity, but for me the most important part was adding an immediate penalty for speaking out of turn. It forces the overpowering personalities to give the more passive students a chance to share their ideas.The presentation doesn't look like much at first, but it is interactive. The teacher can click on different parts of the screen and show exactly how many points each student in the class has earned and/or lost.
Each time a student adds something relevant to the discussion, he gains points toward the participation grade. This is shown in the green columns. Each time a student contributes positively to the discussion, click the appropriate cell and record the increase in points.
On the other hand, the red columns are to be clicked when students break the rules. For each offense, students lose 10 points from the participation grade (and the point penalty lights up when you click on the correct cell). If the student is already down 30 points and still can't control himself, he gets a one way ticket to In School Suspension.
Download the Interactive Seminar PowerPoint!
