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PowerPoint cool skills

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Since we now embed personal computing skills like MS Office into the curriculum, it is not uncommon for me to visit classes to "review" software and teach them some fresh skills. Incoming students don't need to know how to use PowerPoint or Word... but rather need some neat tricks like how to embed YouTube video, and to snip maps from Google Earth.

I always cover basics very quickly for those who need a refresher, but the priority of the lesson is to create presentations quickly and conservatively that look professional. No more flying objects and custom color schemes that may be very distracting to the audience while very time-consuming to make. I always enjoy sharing a funny "What not to do with PowerPoint" video with them too.
Don McMillan: Life After Death by PowerPoint

Students always need to be reminded not to READ from their slides, so asking them to minimize text helps. Eliminating animation also lets the presenter stay focused on what she is saying!

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