PowerPoint is the classic presentation software. You can create "slides" that play in sequence and add graphics, sound, and animations to "jazz it up". PowerPoint is relatively easy to use and fairly standard in the academic community.

RealPresenter G2 allows you to publish your multimedia presentations to the Web. Anyone with an Internet connection and RealPlayer will be able to access them. Not only will you be able to offer archived presentations, you can also feature live, real-time broadcasts. You can even create a fully interactive, narrated tour of the Web.

The program fully integrates into PowerPoint 97 and 2000, so it's easy to set up and use. Simply create a presentation as you normally would, then click the RealPresenter G2 menu from the toolbar. You can then narrate the presentation with audio and video, particularly your own voice. Use the Presentation Manager to edit and re-record your presentation.

1. When you open PowerPoint you will be prompted to select a slide layout. There are lots of options here but don't worry too much - you can always change your mind later. Why not start with the first option: Title Slide.



2. Now you have an empty slide before you. If you click your mouse poiner in the area marked "Click to Add Title" you may type in whatever you wish - "Welcome to Nursing 130!" for example. Another way to add text is by using the Add Text Button which is located on the left side of the screen.

   ADD TEXT BUTTON

   

3. To add a new slide to your presentation select Insert -> New Slide from the menu at the top of your screen. Add as many slides as you need to make your presentation complete.
4. To save your presentation select File -> Save from the menu at the top of your screen.
5. To show your presentation as a slide show in class select SlideShow -> View Show from the menu at the top of your screen or click the Slide Show Button in the bottom left corner of your screen.

   SLIDE SHOW BUTTON

Now that you know the basics you might want to take the time to read about applying a template to your presentation, using rehearsed timings for in-class viewing, adding images, and adding sounds and streaming video to your PowerPoint presentation.

Applying a Template to Your PowerPoint Presentation

You can use templates to make your PowerPoint presentation more pleasing to the eye as well as more professional looking. There are forty five different designs available. To apply a template to your entire presentation select Format -> Apply Design Template from the menu at the top of your screen. Here's a look at the Pulse template!

Adding graphics to your presentation is just as easy as adding text. You can either select Insert-> Picture-> From File from the menu at the top of your screen. Once your picture appears in PowerPoint you can change its size, contrast, brightness, or even change its colors completely. You can also use the crop tool to trim the picture down to only the portion you want to show.

To add clip art to your presentation select Insert-> Picture-> Clip Art from the menu at the top of your screen. You can scroll through several different categories (including Health Care and Medicine) to find an appropriate picture.

Slide timings allow you to step away from your computer while PowerPoint advances your slide show. You can specify any amount of time between slides that you wish and it needn't be the same amount of time for each slide. For example, you may want a slide that illustrates several key concepts to remain onscreen for a minute or more so that students may make notes. Your next slide, however, might simply be a picture that students won't need to see for more than five or six seconds.

Select Slide Show-> Rehearse Timings from the menu at the top of your screen. Your slide show will begin to play. When you click your mouse button to advance to the next slide the program keeps track of the timing. After you have finished the program will ask you whether you want to record the timings or not. If you're happy with the timings, great, select Yes, otherwise simply select No and rehearse the timings again.

Want to make words and pictures zoom across the screen? It's easier than you think. Simply select the object you'd like to animate (either a text box or a picture) and then choose Slide Show-> Preset animation. Now you have a list of animations to choose from. After you select an animation it will automatically be applied the next time you view your slide show. If none of the present animations please you it's possible to create your own by selecting Slide Show-> Preset animation.

Select Slide Show -> Record Narrations from the menu at the top of your screen. Be ready to talk when you click this option! Your slide show will play. Speak into your microphone clearly. When you've finished recording the audio for the first slide click your mouse button to advance to the second slide. If you make a mistake at any point you can use the Escape key to return to the menu screen.

If you've already recorded a sound in a compatible file type such as (.WAV, for example) you can add it to your PowerPoint presentation by selecting Insert -> Movies and Sound -> Sound from File. Simply browse for the file you wish to include and then double-click to add it to your presentation.

In the lower left hand corner of the screen you'll see a bar with five small picture icons. This is the "View Changer" - it allows you to switch between different aspects of your PowerPoint presentation. You might use Outline view, for example, to print a list of your slides. Use Slide Show view to "show" your slide show to your class.

Normal view

Normal view allows you to see and make changes to each slide as well as view the "outline" of your presentation in a bar off to the left. You can use this bar to switch between slides, if you'd like.

Outline view

Outline view allows you to see the titles, subtitles, and content of each slide. You can also add "notes" in a bar off to the side that will be printed with the presentation but will not appear in the slide show. Use the "notes" feature to add reminders for yourself or helpful suggestions for your students.

Slide view

Slide view is simply the slide - no notes, no outline, no slide timings...

Slide Sorter view

Slide Sorter view gives you a "snapshot" of each slide. It is very useful for changing the order of your slides quickly. Simply "drag" them into an order you like and PowerPoint will automatically use that order the next time you play your slide show. You can also use the Transitions menu at the top to add transitions when you're in Slide Sorter view.

Slide Show view

Slide show view is the presentation view. Click the icon and all of the PowerPoint buttons disappear, leaving only your slides. Ta-da!

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