Powerful presentations

NEA Today, Feb 2003

Wired

Dear Web Editor,

I'm tired of creating boring Microsoft(R) PowerPoint(R) presentations! Do you have any tips about how I can make my classroom presentations more fun for my students?

Your question tops the "most frequently asked questions" list among teachers who use Microsoft PowerPoint. Teachers and education support professionals complain about endlessly searching PowerPoint's clipart library for the right graphic. In my humble opinion, I don't believe it's possible to craft a PowerPoint presentation that completely matches one's style, personality, or message using only what comes out of the software box. You must be willing to experiment, and PowerPoint lets you be as creative as you want. The software includes some great tools to support the addition and manipulation of external graphic, sound, and video files in any presentation.

To make the look of your presentation match its subject, start by designing your presentation's "background" or, specifically, creating the "slide master" template. You access the slide master from PowerPoint's VIEW menu bar: select VIEW, then MASTER, then VIEW MASTER.

Once you're in the VIEW MASTER mode, you can set the font style, size, color, and alignment for all the slides in the entire presentation. Any additions and/or font settings you establish here will apply to every slide.

In the VIEW MASTER mode you can add your own graphics as well. Whatever you add to the white space at this stage becomes the background for every slide.

For example, you might have a digital photo stored on your computer's hard drive and want to use it in a presentation. From the INSERT menu bar, select PICTURE, then FROM FILE. Locate the photo you want to use and select INSERT. Your picture will appear on the screen. When you select INSERT, a PICTURE tools palette also should appear. This window bar contains command icons that resize, crop, lighten or darken the image, and adjust the colors. If you don't see these tools, select the TOOLS menu bar option, then click CUSTOMIZE, and add a "check" to the PICTURE selection box. Keep in mind, not every tool on the menu will work with every graphic.

Here are some additional design tips you should know and practice:

* Always build your presentation outline first. Then set your text and arrange your slides. Add the art last.

* Only use art that's relevant to your message. Less is always more.

* Never compromise your message by making your artwork the focus of your presentation. Adjust the brightness, contrast, and opacity controls so that your picture won't obscure the text on your slides.

* Use the corner selection buttons on a picture when you resize it. (These appear on the picture after you import it into PowerPoint. You may need to click on the picture to see them.) This ensures that the picture resizes proportionately. If you resize using the side or bottom selection buttons, your picture will look stretched or squished.

* Review your presentation in the same location using the projection equipment you will use when delivering to the real audience. I've never seen a presentation look the same on both the computer and projection screen. Colors and brightness always differ.

* If you receive any complaints about the visibility of your presentation press ESC to stop immediately! Go to the VIEW menu bar option and select MASTER then VIEW MASTER. Here you can change your colors or delete background pictures.

If you don't have a graphics library, check out the Microsoft Design Gallery Live at http://dgl.microsoft.com/. Here you can download a new image each day or browse the clipart collections to find images sorted by theme.