This document provides guidance on using PowerPoint effectively, including tips for preparation, best practices during presentation, and follow up options. It recommends brainstorming the topic and desired outcome, creating an outline with main and subtopics, using visual brainstorming tools, keeping the slideshow simple with fewer slides, less text, simple transitions, readable fonts and colors, and relevant graphics. Useful PowerPoint features include themes, templates, slide layouts and headers/footers. It also discusses when PowerPoint may not be suitable and alternatives like narration or Prezi for enhancing presentations beyond slides.

1. PowerPoint in the Classroom Tech Talk – April 2010

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3. Using PowerPoint effectively 3 Before: What do to before starting During: Some best practices & features After: Presenting/lecturing with PowerPoint Followup: Enhancements/Alternatives

4. Before What to do before starting

5. Brainstorm What's the subject and why does it matter? What is the desired outcome or action? What do you want audience to remember? 5

6. Outline What are the main topics? (brainstorm) Logical grouping of subtopics Scalability 6

7. Make an outline Word demo OmniOutliner Mac Google Docs PowerPoint demo 7

8. Try visual brainstorming Stimulates thinking and taps creativity Ideas are recorded quickly and represented visually Popular applications MindManager Inspiration Webspirationbeta 8

9. Some best practices for slideshows During 9

10. Keep it simple 10 Fewer slides Less text Simple slide transitions

11. Text 11 On a screen a sans serif font (e.g. Arial) will display better than a serif font (e.g. Times). Use a decent font size. Font size of 28 to 34 for subtitles Avoid Title Capitalization Avoid long blocks of text

12. Color 12 White background is harder on eyes. Use contrast: light on dark or dark on light. Use consistent backgrounds For a long presentation, you may want to change background designs when shifting to a new topic

13. Graphics 13 Graphics should make a key concept clearer, otherwise, don’t use them. Place in similar location within each screen. Photos of people help people relate Avoid clip art

14. Make it enticing! 14 Try for a memorable opening and closing You can insert video and audio clips into PowerPoint. You can also insert hyperlinks. Animation effects can be interesting when used in moderation. Beware of flying bullets

15. Some useful features in PowerPoint During 15

16. Get started 16 Start from scratch (blank template) Or start with existing template, theme, or presentation What’s the difference between a template and a theme?

17. Themes 17 Colors Fonts Backgrounds

18. Templates 18 You can repurpose any presentation file; just rename it A template is any presentation you plan to reuse Theme Background images Headers and footers Placeholder text

19. Slide Layouts 19 Apply canned layouts Try to apply before typing text Can move elements around Home > Slides > Reset

20. Extras 20 Headers & Footers Can apply to all or some Slide sorter Quick Access Toolbar

21. Presenting/lecturing with PowerPoint After 21

22. What do you think? 22 For what kinds of presentations would PowerPoint not be suitable?

23. What do you think? 23 Does PowerPoint enhance or detract from a presentation and/or lecture?

24. Enhancements / Alternatives Followup 24

25. 25 Share the presentation Slideshare.net Google docs Narrate it PowerPoint ProfCast iTunes

26. 26 http://prezi.com/hgjm18z36h75/why-should-you-move-beyond-slides/