Bad Powerpoints

In this age of technology, many professors rely on powerpoint - this can be great for subjects with alot of detail but really bad for professors who don't know how to use powerpoint effectively. 
Bad Powerpoints:
1) Presentations with too many words, to the effect that the presenter actually reads the powerpoint to you.  Sadly, we can read faster than they can talk, so they have become useless as a presenter.
2) Powerpoints that have super decorative backgrounds are very distracting.  In my presentations I have always been told to use very plain and simple backgrounds, as to not distract from the presentation.
3) That said, a powerpoint with only words and no graphics is very boring to the eye. 
4) Text in a powerpoint should be bulleted, not long sentences.  A powerpoint should be an aid to the presenter and listener - a presentation should not be word for word on the slide.
5) A presenter should keep eye contact with the audience and not just talk while looking at their powerpoint.

Powerpoints can be great tools when used correctly.  In classes and other lectures I've been too, powerpoints are basically necessary because of the vast amounts of imformation given, including graphics and charts.  The professor then can use these slides to supplement what they are teaching us and keep our interest through pretty pictures :) .  Also, powerpoints are very useful when a professor posts them before class so you can print them and take notes directly on the powerpoint slides.

Center for Learning and Technology

The CLT, on the 1st floor of Coates Library, is a hub for technology use within the academic sphere.  I had never been to the CLT before and was very surprised to see what all Trinity has to offer.  With Macs, PCs and scanners, the CLT provides areas for web and graphic design (photoshop), and audio/video editing.  This area will be very beneficial for this class and others as we work on projects.  I have not had to make any graphics or videos for any classes, but I know where to go now to access programs such as photoshop and iMovie.  The CLT also offers an area for video conferencing in HD which allows Trinity to make 20 calls at one time, outside of Trinity, and 100 calls at one time, within the Trinity network.  Such a center really puts Trinity into the future - this allows calls to other students/professors/important figures who are outside of the city, state, or even country.  I don't know if I'll ever have the opportunity to use this technology but it's great that Trinity has this available.

No wonder our perception of beauty is distorted.

     I chose this picture of News Anchor Katie Couric because it shows how images of people, especially when used for ads, are doctored to be more pleasing to the eye.  This photo was edited by changing the contrast of colors - removing the yellow tinting. Also, Couric was slimmed down. CBS edited this photo for their magazine ads.  Is CBS saying that Couric is not good enough as she is?  Photo editing jobs such as these start to rub off on younger girls who have a now skewed image to what is beautiful - and many don't realize that they are being lied to.  This image is harmful.
     I have read many articles on the internet accusing magazines of editing the  photos of women on their front covers.  I remember one particular article about Kimora Lee Simmons, and her reaction to her edited photo in a Baby Phat ad (Simmons is the creative director of Baby Phat).  In her photo she was slimmed down considerably and she said that at her age she would take all the airbrushing she could get.

Airbrushing photos of women can be very hurtful to society.  Simmons is beautiful at her normal size, she didn't need to be digitally slimmed down to a size zero. That's not her and we all know it.  Also, this sends a negative picture to her two daughters - that lying is okay and it also sends the picture that to be perfect or ad-worthy, you must be a size zero, giving her daughters a skewed idea of what is normal and perfect.

This video shows just how easily a person can be transformed by photo editing.  Why can't we use normal women? - there is indeed such a thing as natural beauty and we don't need photoshop to create it.  This video, by Dove, shows that we are being lyed to all the time by ads and photos.  We need to work on our perception of beauty - especially those creating magazines and ads.