Powerpoint is Not Another Word for Overhead

So, you have finally decided to ditch the overhead projector and jump with both feet into the cold waters of Powerpoint® presentations. Congratulations! While it might take your breath away at first, the water will feel warmer if you just keep swimming!

When used in a creative manner, PPT presentations can be engaging, exciting and effective for a wide variety of learners in your classes.


But, when used improperly….things can go badly. Very badly.

So, as a newbie to the world of PPT, what things should you keep in mind when creating a new presentation??

1.   Choose a simple Slide Design with clean lines and contrasting colours. There are a variety of pre-made slide designs already embedded in PPT and hundreds more to choose from in Microsoft’s Office.com

2. Use Smart Art to simplify text and make it appealing to visual learners

     

      

3.  Insert videos/animations directly into your presentation to avoid switching between programs.

4. Use hyperlinks to take you a specific web page, or another slide in your presentation. Here’s how.

5. Less is more. Please don’t crowd your slide with everything you are going to say. Use the notes section to insert speaker notes.

6.  Less is more again. Limit the number of slides to the audience. 75 slides in 75 minutes is tough. It’s tough to present and tough to watch.  

7. Watch the custom animations. Some students (and adults) are easily distracted by  or paragraphs that fly in from the left and then rotate 5 times before being able to be read. Custom animations can be effective if used sparingly and in the right context.

Interested? Intrigued?

Let me provide the wetsuit and diving board to help you get your feet wet using PPT in your classes. Book a Tech Session for next week.

Already a PPT user? I can help you make your slides MORE engaging and exciting for your students!

Okay, it’s time. Jump in!

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