Teaching with Technology Workshop
 Saint Michael's College

PowerPoint
 Christine Bauer-Ramazani

 

 

 

 

1.  Links to Tutorials on PowerPoint

2.  My own tips for teaching with PPT (that I have not found in any of the guides below):

  • Change the settings for advancing the slideshow depending on HOW YOU WILL USE IT.

    For elicitation in teaching:

    • Have a printout of your slides with notes in hand when you teach so that you have all of the
      items on the slide in front of you.
    • When authoring, use Custom Animation to select the appropriate settings.  Purpose: to
      discuss the item first and elicit answers from the audience (students) before showing the item
      on mouse click for confirmation.
    • Check the Sound and select No Sound from the drop down menu, UNLESS there the
      content calls for any of the sounds (cash register, bomb explosion, camera clicks, etc.). 
      The default sometimes has a sound, so be sure to deselect it.
       
    • Animate each bullet item, shape, or line, according to your needs.  Click Add Effect, then
      select Start > On Click.  Usually it is best to select a fast speed.
    • Select how the text comes in; usually it is best to have the text come in all at once--by 1st level
      paragraphs (i.e. each bullet item), but NOT by letter or word, unless this is a spelling or
      vocabulary lesson!

    .           

    • ALWAYS select AutoPreview and Play to see how the selected timings and effects are working.
    • ALWAYS walk through the entire slide show to see if the effects and transitions are appropriate. 
      I usually spend most of my editing time on this part after the content is all set.

    For viewing on the web:

    • The effect settings for teaching are usually NOT appropriate for web viewing of slide shows. 
      Imagine having to click for each line or bullet to appear!!!  I would quickly click "end show". 
      Web viewers like to peruse materials quickly and have control over the pages that they view
      (navigation).
    • For the above reasons, I recommend using automatic timings (Custom Animation > click
      the item you want to animate > click Add Effect > Effect Options      ).  For automatic
      timings, choose Start after (or with) Previous, then click Timing to choose the delay (if any).
    • To advance slide instead of with mouseclicks, use navigation or action buttons on slide shows.
      Select Custom Animation > Action buttons and choose the appropriate setting (Home,
      Next, Previous)      .  PowerPoint automatically links to the selected slide.
    • Copy and paste the 3 action buttons on each page.  Remember that the first and last slide should
      only have 2 buttons (Next OR Previous plus Home).
    • ALWAYS select AutoPreview and Play to see how the selected timings and effects are working.
    • ALWAYS walk through the entire slide show to see if the effects and transitions are appropriate. 
      I usually spend most of my editing time on this part after the content is all set.
 

Please see some samples for teaching on my web site for the Academic English course that accompanies an undergraduate business course: http://academics.smcvt.edu/cbauer-ramazani/cbr/AEP/ac_eng_BU113.htm 

Please see some samples for web viewing on my Professional Presentations web site: http://academics.smcvt.edu/cbauer-ramazani/pres.htm

 3. Links to guides for effective presentations:

4. Printing out handouts
That can be easily done in PRINT, but the default SLIDES must be changed to HANDOUTS.  Then you have a
choice of formats--6 slides and no note space or 3 slides with note space.  I also like to use the Notes Pages
for my presentations--I have the slide info PLUS my notes all on one sheet.

5.  Sounds and Movie clips
Free sound clips (music) for PPT presentations: http://www.brainybetty.com/soundsforpowerpoint.htm
Movies.com: http://movies.go.com/moviesdynamic/trailers
The Internet Movie Database: http://www.imdb.com/

© Christine Bauer-Ramazani   This page was last updated: Wednesday, December 19, 2012