HIT: Teaching Use of PowerPoint

[Edith LaForge <Ealaforge@AOL.COM>]

     After my request this fall for ideas for presenting a 2 hr. intro. class
on "Using PowerPoint", I had many requests to post a HIT on the suggestions I
received.   I hope you find these ideas useful; I did!    Thanks to all who
shared wonderful ideas.
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                                                 Ideas for Teaching
                                               Using PowerPoint 4.0
                                            compiled by Edith LaForge

       The following ideas were emailed to me.   (Not many did just a 2 hr.
class.)

1.  Show a sample presentation, then create together, using Wizards, a
presentation on
some hot issue at school.

2.  Let participants go through the 2 Wizard tutorials; then have them select
a
topic/lesson of their choice with goal of presenting a lesson to the class
(this was a 2 day
workshop).  Lessons included making a book,  how to make chocolate pancakes.

3.  Create a presentation about your family.  This works best if you have a
scanner and
can digitize photos; participants should be asked to bring pictures.

4.  Have students work in groups of 2 or 3 and produce a short slide show
after going
through the Wizard tutorials.

5.  Be certain to have some way to display what you are presenting  with
either an LCD
panel,  video projector, or big screen (27" or bigger) tv.   Have people come
with a 3-5
card presentation in mind that they can create while there.    If you have a
scanner, have
them bring pictures to use.

6.  Create appropriate seasonal greeting cards/slides.

7.  Design a series of slides for use with students/parents at the first of
the school year,
explaining your objectives (outcomes), grading scale, behavior rules, etc.

8.  Select the first unit you teach each year and create a presentation for
it.

9.  Create a presentation about your favorite book,  tv show,  movie, ....

        Be aware of the level of competency in computer use among your
students.  If all
use Microsoft Office,  your presentation will be very different from one
where  none of the
students has ever turned on a computer before.   Consider having a
requirement that all
can type and have used Windows or a Macintosh computer before.