The Magazine article about PowerPoint was a bit ludicrous–PowerPoint is a tool, not a thought process. There is nothing within PowerPoint that says that one must stick to the three bullet points per page format. That feature was designed to create simple, straightforward business presentations (which, unlike creative writing, are designed to communicate as simply as possible; that’s the whole point). Comparing a poem to a PowerPoint presentation doesn’t make sense, anymore than comparing a creative writing class to a business writing class does. When the technology gets in the way of the message, then it is a problem.
My 8-year-old uses PowerPoint all the time (for example, block party invitations, thank you notes, etc.) and has never felt limited by existing formats. She loves to try new fonts; use clip art; make things larger, smaller, pinker, greener. She is actually creative with it, the same way a good graphic designer is creative with technology programs. Virtually all design work is done with the help of computer programs now, but it is the skill and thoughtfulness of the user that make the difference. PowerPoint is just another medium to her; she will use paint, crayons and markers equally as often.
So I will continue to use PowerPoint for my work presentations–but will continue to send my friends handwritten, thoughtfully composed cards for their birthdays.
