2: On slides

Slides appear to have become a common tool for teaching — but when are they genuinely useful, and when might a different resource be required?

In this episode, we take a closer look at slide decks. We explore the things slides can do particularly well: supporting fast-paced review, vocabulary instruction, visual representations and pre-planned checks for understanding.

But we also look at the risks. What happens when the slide deck becomes the curriculum — or the plan itself? Does giving every teacher the same deck really create consistency? And what gets lost when static slides replace live modelling, rich texts, concrete materials or interactions with students?

In this episode

• When slides are a genuinely useful instructional tool
• Why shared slide decks can be helpful for large teaching teams
• Why slides shouldn’t become the plan
• The difference between consistency of resource and consistency of instruction
• Why “low variance” slide decks don’t necessarily produce low-variance teaching
• The importance of choosing resources that suit the subject and the learning

One Good Woman: Ruth Ashbee

This episode’s One Good Woman is Ruth Ashbee, teacher, school leader and author of Curriculum: Theory, Culture and the Subject Specialisms.

We discuss Ruth’s work on curriculum, knowledge and subject disciplines — and particularly the importance of thinking carefully about how curriculum and its resources work differently across subject areas.

Ruth Ashbee — Curriculum: Theory, Culture and the Subject Specialisms
Read more about the book at Routledge

Research mentioned in this episode

Does teaching with PowerPoint increase students’ learning?

Baker, J. P., Goodboy, A. K., Bowman, N. D., & Wright, A. A. (2018). Does teaching with PowerPoint increase students’ learning? A meta-analysis. Computers & Education, 126, 376–387.

Read the study

This meta-analysis brought together 48 studies conducted over 22 years. Overall, students taught with PowerPoint did not demonstrate greater cognitive learning than students taught using traditional approaches. The authors argue that the more useful question is not simply whether PowerPoint is used, but how it is integrated into teaching to support learning.

Also mentioned

Next Steps in Responsive Teaching
A digital masterclass with Bron

27 January 2027 | 9.30am–1.30pm

Register here

Heavy is the English Head

There are new eps coming soon on Emina’s other podcast.

Heavy is the English Head

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