I am toying with the idea of using slides (Beamer package) in a third year math course I will teach next semester. As this would be my first attempt at this, I would like to gather ideas about the possible pros and cons of doing this.
Obviously, slides make it possible to produce and show clear graphs/pictures (which will be particularly advantageous in the course I will teach) and doing all sorts of things with them; things that are difficult to carry out on a board. On the other hand, there seems to be something about writing slowly with a chalk on a board that makes it easier to follow and understand (I have to add the disclaimer that here I am just relying on only a few reports I have from students and colleagues).
It would very much like to hear about your experiences with using slides in the classroom, possible pitfalls that you may have noticed, and ways you have found to optimize this.
I am aware that the question may be a bit like the one with Japanese chalks, once discussed here, but I think as using slides in the classroom is becoming more and more common in many other fields, it may be helpful to probe the advantages and disadvantages of using them in math classrooms as well.
Best Answer
I think you already touched on the two main points: pretty pictures are so much better than anything done on a chalkboard is the pro, but you cannot decently unwind any argument on slides.
I've used them intensively, I do it a lot less now. (Here's a con you did forget about: they take a lot of time to prepare, even when you're only revising them.) If the room lends itself well to it, the hybrid method is best: use the slides only when they beat the board. Rooms that have a screen in the corner, rather than in front of the board, are best for this.
Also, it seems that it's easier to fall asleep to slides than to a lecture, so be aware of that. Make sure that the room is never too dark (the quality of the screen material can be critical here too: good screens should be readable in full light). And switching your routine, never showing slides for too long, helps keeping the students awake.