Most educators who started teaching in Microsoft’s operating system in its heyday have all created more than their share of Powerpoints. For good reason too. They’re easy, there’s a wide variety of designs, animations, transitions, and it’s easy to embed a data chart in a slide of your choosing.
Web 2.0 tools are changing the way we present. Stopping or pausing for a “think-pair-share” can be done with a number of presentation tools, but I like the 2.0 interface of Google Presentations. Most notably, creators of a presentation can give access to viewers to comment and contribute which is a great accommodation for many mixed ability classrooms.
Cool Factors of Google Presentations
1. It’s versatile
It can be downloaded into a PDF, JPEG or powerpoint which can be attached in a email.
2. Videos can be directly embedded
Some presentation tools do not allow for this, or if they do, have a hyperlink to direct viewers to YouTube. The problem with this though, is that some videos have inappropriate comments that I don’t want my students to read. Having a video directly embedded can prevent students from “wandering off” or being distracted.
3. It’s accessible
Creators of a presentation can share and “publish” and get an instant embed code if you’re running your lesson off a web based platform or a URL for direction.
4. You can add speaker notes
For a flipped classroom, you may want to add a podcast that explains slides in more detail. Click on the “present” button in the upper right hand corner and play “present with speaker notes”
5. Students can share information
From the picture above, the ability to comment is a powerful one. Applications are asking students to make a prediction, curate and collect information, share background knowledge and respond to others. It’s more engaging than passively sitting back and being a listener.
If you’re interested in more Web 2.0 tools for presenting, make sure to also check out our post, 5 Presentation Tools To Captivate Every Student. And, let us know in the comments if you are using Google Presentations in any interesting ways. As well as any other tools you are using to create engaging presentations for your class.
Feature image courtesy of Flickr, gonalvmar.