1. PowerPoint Presentations • Why use PowerPoint? • Amount of information • Font • Color • Extras • Examples

2. Why use PowerPoint? • Reach different learning styles • Reinforce key information • Give clear prompts for assignments • Move presentation directly to your web site • Keeps instructor organized and on task • Serves as Ockham’s razor

3. Amount of information • Ockham’s razor: “entities are not to be multiplied beyond necessity” • Less is more A good rule of thumb: No more than 6 words per line. No more than 6 lines per slide. • What do I really want them to know? • What can they see / read / take in?

4. Why use PowerPoint? • PowerPoint allows me to reach students of different learning styles because it adds a visual element to my oral presentation. This is especially important because today’s students seem to be more visual than other generations. • It helps reinforce the key information in my presentation and keeps student interest focused on the front of the room. • It allows me to give students clear prompts for their assignments, especially in-class assignments. They can always look up to refocus their attention to the assigned task. • A PowerPoint presentation can be moved directly to your web site so that students can look at it again after class and as many times as they want. • PowerPoint forces an instructor to organize his or her lecture and presentation material and keeps them on track and focused. • It serves as Ockham’s razor by helping me structure my thoughts.

5. Why use PowerPoint? • Reach different learning styles • Reinforce key information • Give clear prompts for assignments • Move presentation directly to your web site • Keeps instructor organized and on task • Serves as Ockham’s razor

6. Font • Choose font size and type for your particular context. • Use same font for continuity. • Use 2 contrasting fonts to organize information, for emphasis. -- Comic Sans & Arial --

7. Font Legibility • ALL CAPSvs. Upper & Lower case

8. Font Style • SerifWhich of these is easier to read? (Times New Roman 36) • Sans SerifWhich of these is easier to read? (Arial 32)

9. Font Size • 12: Read this. • 20: Read this. • 32: Read this. • 36: Read this. • 40: Read this. • 44: Read this. • 60: Read this.

10. Color • Uses: contrast, emphasis, interest • Contrast between text & background -- computer projection: dark background, light text -- overhead projector: light background, dark text • With newer computer projectors, this difference is minimal

11. Color • Uses: contrast, emphasis, interest • Contrast between text & background -- computer projection: dark background, light text -- overhead projector: light background, dark text light background, dark text

12. Color • Use a consistent color scheme for continuity. • Avoid reds & greens. • Use color sparingly for emphasis. • Don’t get carried away!

13. Slide Transitions • Chose one transition and use for all sides • Transition should be (almost) transparent • Used to draw viewer to the next slide

14. Extras: Pictures & Animation

15. Group Discussion How do maps influence our thinking about the world?

16. Individual Midterm Grades A B C D F 16 41 49 43 22

17. Font Color Content Amount Extras Images • Generate interest • Illustrate points • Decorate • Visual Literacy

18. Visual Literacy Russia: From Empire to Federation

19. Russia: From Empire to Federation

20. Russia: From Empire to Federation

21. Russia: From Empire to Federation

22. Public Speaking Rule 1: Know Your Subject

23. Public Speaking Rule 2: Know Your Audience

24. It is a period of peace, with explorers setting off to find and study new ideas. A group of students, working together, have managed to reach a new galaxy, and are looking for ‘nirvana’ there. You are those students, and you have to decide where you will touch down to look for ‘nirvana’. . . . A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. . . .

25. With your group, list things in the picture that help us determine the location of this picture. What does this scene suggest? Group Writing

26. Make your own! • Create your own presentation on one of the articles from the Learning section of your notebook or your class material --a minimum of 2 slides --design for this room