Presentations

= Presentation Software =

This type of software allows users to create and present information in exciting and dynamic ways, mixing text, images and even videos into a slideshow that illustrates a story.

Software
Three common Presentation Software packages are:
 * PowerPoint - created and supported by Microsoft, purchased as part of the MS Office Suite for both PC and Mac.
 * Keynote - created and supported by Apple, purchased as part of the iWork suite
 * OpenOffice - integrated into the __**FREE**__ OpenOffice package - downloadable from the web

In our lab, we will be utilizing PowerPoint, but all three packages work in similar fashion and files are often transferrable from one to the other.

Types of Presentations
While presentation software is used in a variety of ways, there are two basic applications
 * 1) supporting oral presentations (e.g. teacher in a class)
 * 2) stand-alone packaged presentations (like the TV in the lobby).

For your assignment, we will be looking at creating presentations to support oral presentations.

Using Software to Support Oral Presentations Oral presentations take lots of time and practice to master, but here are __//**four**// **//basic rules//**__ to follow as you start to create visual presentations to support your story.


 * 1) Use one font throughout the presentation
 * 2) Limit words - **talking points only**
 * 3) Keep the graphics simple
 * 4) Use minimal (if any) animations

A good basic presentation has several parts. They are:


 * 1) Title Page (1 slide)
 * 2) Thesis Statement - //what you are going to talk about// (1 slide)
 * 3) Body - //information for the audience. This can be broken into several sections to illustrate various points//.
 * 4) Summary - what you have talked about (1-2 slides)

For more information on Effective Presentations, check out this page.

Activity 1 - Starting Your Presentation
To start your presentation, follow the steps below.
 * __Step One__**
 * PC - click on START (lower left corner of your desktop), select ALL PROGRAMS, select MS Office, select PowerPoint
 * MAC - click on the PPT icon in the dock. If not there, click on the HardDrive icon (top right), click on Application, click on the Microsoft Office folder and then click on the PowerPoint icon.

__**Step Two**__
 * Add a Presentation Title / Subtitle (choose a topic that is of interest to you - e.g. hockey, horses, bikes, etc.)
 * From the top menu bar, select INSERT, choose NEW PAGE
 * Add a Page Title (e.g. Cats), and Thesis Statement (e.g. Skateboarding is a great sport so long as you play safely)
 * Find an Creative Commons image from the web - click here to search - right click, copy, and then paste on your Thesis Page.
 * When you have completed the assignment be sure to save it in your student folder and to show your teacher.