Saturday, September 19, 2009

Pump Up PowerPoint

Here are the tips and tricks that Ms. Puckett shared with IHS teachers in her CPE training session on PowerPoint.

HOW TO DO IT:

Backgrounds:
Go to Format > Backgrounds > Fill Effects. Use Color, Gradients, Patterns, Fill Effects or use your own pictures.

Import backgrounds from Internet:
Do a Google Image Search for Scrapbooking, Wallpapers, etc. and “Save Picture As” to My Pictures. Then follow the directions above to insert.

Graphics:
Copy and paste your own pictures or images from internet, then you can enlarge, reduce, rotate.

Use drawing tools:
Found at the bottom of the screen to add borders & shapes of any size & color. Try using Line Fill, Lines, Word Art, Autoshapes

Fill shapes with pictures:
Drawing Tools >Paint bucket >Fill effects > Picture

Animations:
Do a Google Web Search for “free animated clip art of ____” . Then copy and paste to your presentation.

Import sounds & video:
Use from your camera or copied from internet or from Windows file. Insert > Movie & Sounds > from file OR from internet—“Save Target As” to My Documents

Custom Animations:
Slide Show > Custom Animation. Add Effects, custom motion paths, time entrances & exits

Slide Transitions:
Time your show to move without clicking by clicking: Automatically after ___ seconds.

Narrate your presentation:
Slide Show > Record Narration. Use a microphone to record your voice.

WHAT TO DO WITH IT:

Here are some K-12 Jeopardy games already ready to use made by Hardin County, Kentucky teachers.

This site from Jefferson County, Tennessee provides the templates for PowerPoint games such as Password, Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Twenty Questions, Guess the Covered Word, Hollywood Squares, Weakest Links, and Undercover. You or your students can create projects or reviews using ready made templates. Just plug in information from your course.

For LOTS and LOTS of ready-made PowerPoint presentations to use in your class for K-12 in all subject areas including math, language arts, science, health, and social studies...again thank Jefferson County.

Go to the Microsoft website for a variety of suggestions for not only using PowerPoint but all the other Microsoft Office products for education.

For what NOT to do on PowerPoint, watch this video...Death by PowerPoint!

What have you done with PowerPoint...comment on this blog.

Monday, August 31, 2009

How (and Why) to Comment

To view the blog at anytime, you do not need to register or sign in. You can just read, enjoy, and use these tech tools.

However, I hope you will use the blog format to leave comments or suggestions for how you have used each Web 2.0 tool in your classroom...or even a suggestion for how another grade or course might use it. Also leave comments for new ideas, new ways of doing something, shortcuts, tips, or anything that would help someone else with these Web 2.0 applications. That's what Web 2.0 is...interactive online sharing and creating.

If you would like to leave a comment on any posting, then you will need a google account, which is very easy and safe to create. Just follow these simple steps:
1. Click "(#) Comments" at the bottom of a post.
2. Type your comment in the box under "Post a Comment".
3. Comment as "Google Account".
4. Click "Post Comment".
5. Sign in to your existing Google account or if you are new, go down and click on "Create an Account Now"
6. Fill in each line/question. When you are through, it will take you back to the comment screen.
7. Type the word verification (those crazy squiggly letters).
8. Click "Publish Your Comment" or "Preview". (Your comment will not immediately show up on the blog. It goes to my email for preview first.)
9. To get back to the blog, click the blog "Title" above the comments posted.
10. When done, Sign Out in the top right corner.