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dougmay

Articles: Design - 0 views

moodlesw.aeapdonline.org/...view.php

shared by dougmay on 16 Apr 15 - No Cached
  • The less clutter you have on your slide, the more powerful your visual message will become.
    • rabraham
      rabraham on 16 Apr 15
       
      This is something that will help transform presentations.  Keeping it simple will ensure the audience stays engaged.
  • Instead of a copy of your PowerPoint slides, it is far better to prepare a written document which highlights your content from the presentation and expands on that content.
    • rabraham
      rabraham on 16 Apr 15
       
      This is a great way to keep the talking points limited.  I think it will be great to use with students who are absent for the lessons too.
    • bdoudwaukee
      bdoudwaukee on 20 Apr 15
       
      I was glad to see that they still advise giving a document if the thought is to not give out the slide handouts. This is good for students who are absent.
  • You will be able to notice more extraneous pieces of visual data that can be removed to increase visual clarity and improve communication.
    • rabraham
      rabraham on 16 Apr 15
       
      Slide Sorter view helps you to see the big picture of the entire presentation put together.
  • ...57 more annotations...
  • But including a healthy amount of white space sharpens viewers’ focus by isolating elements.
    • rabraham
      rabraham on 16 Apr 15
       
      This is a key element to remember.
    • dougmay
      dougmay on 23 Apr 15
       
      I wouldn't have thought of this, but this slide looks good. The old thought process was to not have extra space.
  • Highlight the key phrases that you will help you rehearse for your presentation
    • rabraham
      rabraham on 16 Apr 15
       
      This is a good step to simplify what the audiences sees and may keep them interested because they can't simply read the rest of the information.
  • Listeners will get bored very quickly if they are asked to endure slide after slide of animation. For transitions between slides, use no more than two-three different types of transition effects and do not place transition
    • suzdohrer
      suzdohrer on 18 Apr 15
       
      I've struggled with using animations for transitions and lists. Now I read it may not be worth it. Yeah, back to basics and keep it simple.
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 21 Apr 15
       
      I will admit that I never use animations or transitions in any of my presentations. Not even a subtle fade. Not only is it extra junk, but it can add an hour to your development time. The most I do are builds. If I have a slide with an important point that I want to reveal, I will make two copies of the slide, and delete the "revealed" info on the first one. Then when I advance to the next slide, voila, I have a "transition".
    • dougmay
      dougmay on 23 Apr 15
       
      With my students presentations, It sooooo delayed their presentations with all of their animartions and transitions. I, too, kept thinking of these articles.
  • Gill Sans
  • Cut out the extraneous content. Speak to that content when you present
    • suzdohrer
      suzdohrer on 18 Apr 15
       
      This is when I move the cut text or additional text notes to the "Notes" section of the powerpoint, below the slide shot. Then, I like to print-out the slides to show the notes for my presentation.
    • bdoudwaukee
      bdoudwaukee on 20 Apr 15
       
      I was thinking that I would be using the notes area much more too. I've even been using it to keep the information of where I got the image on the slide so that I can decide where to add that later.
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 21 Apr 15
       
      For many people, the notes section is really good. If you haven't tried the presenter view within Power Point, it is worth trying. On your computer, you can see your current slide, the next slide coming up, the notes that you have, and a timer/clock. The audience only sees your slide.
    • ney4cy
      ney4cy on 22 Apr 15
       
      I have done so few PowerPoints but this was a great tip. I will be checking out my notes section and presenter for sure.
  • The blurred backgrounds set off the stark white illustrations for quick visual processing:
    • suzdohrer
      suzdohrer on 18 Apr 15
       
      I do not have an artisticy background, but I now think this blurred background image will be a use ful tool.
  • You can achieve this through consistent type styles, color, image treatment, and element placement throughout the slide deck.
    • suzdohrer
      suzdohrer on 18 Apr 15
       
      Another artistic point of placement and imagery through cohesiveness. I worry that I do not have the natural talent to put this together on my own, but I do see the real difference.
    • chaneline
      chaneline on 19 Apr 15
       
      Some presenters use lots of different colors, fonts and backgrounds.  May it's just because they can and they haven't taken this course.  The visual clutter distracts from the content and decreases the cohesiveness.
    • mrswalker_
      mrswalker_ on 20 Apr 15
       
      I like creating templates using Google Slides to ensure that colors and fonts translate to all of the slides in a deck.
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 21 Apr 15
       
      We kind of pooh-pooh color and design elements in learning, as though it is just pretty-ness. But, it does have a big effect, and it is worth it to improve one's sense of color combination.
  • If you have a detailed handout or publication for the audience to be passed out after your talk, you need not feel compelled to fill your PowerPoint slides with a great deal of text.
    • mgoodwin5
      mgoodwin5 on 19 Apr 15
       
      I think this is a great point. The more I'm reading about what should (or is appropriate) be on a slide for the best presentations, it is better to have less, than more.
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 21 Apr 15
       
      Do you think the "after" is important? Is it better to pass it out after or before?
    • ney4cy
      ney4cy on 22 Apr 15
       
      interesting point.At the presentation I attend Monday afternoon the speaker handed out a document before he started his talk. in a way I liked being able to dot notes or highlight an idea or concept I wanted to review more closely later, but on the other hand it was very distracting to be leafing through the document trying to find the page that matched up with what he was discussing. I guess I would say it is better to wait till after your talk is done.
  • Use the same font set throughout your entire slide presentation, and use no more than two complementary fonts (e.g., Arial and Arial Bold).
    • mgoodwin5
      mgoodwin5 on 19 Apr 15
       
      This is something that we stress to our students, since based on what students will usually do is have many different text fonts and sizes. They tend to use whatever looks best for each slide, instead of having the presentation look more smooth and have a togetherness.
    • mrswalker_
      mrswalker_ on 20 Apr 15
       
      I like using two fonts on slides: one to convey the big idea (title) and another to convey the supporting ideas (text).
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 21 Apr 15
       
      My rule of thumb is no more than two. One for headers, one for text (though I often use the same for each). I use a sans-serif font for my text, and either the same sans-serif font for my headers, or a designer font to communicate a special theme. I never use serif fonts.
    • ney4cy
      ney4cy on 22 Apr 15
       
      Okay,Okay no more Comic Sans
  • Use the same font set throughout your entire slide presentation, and use no more than two complementary fonts (e.g., Arial and Arial Bold).
  • Images can be very powerful and effective if used with careful intention.
    • mgoodwin5
      mgoodwin5 on 19 Apr 15
       
      This is so true. Many times the image used, is what immediately gets the audiences attention and interest. Images are very powerful. i.e. "A picture is worth a thousand words."
    • mrswalker_
      mrswalker_ on 20 Apr 15
       
      I like the idea of using text over images, but it has to be the right image! This creates one image for students to remember, rather than an idea and an image.
  • Lots of extras actually take away meaning because they become a distraction.
    • mgoodwin5
      mgoodwin5 on 19 Apr 15
       
      As goes with the statement, "Less is more." I completely understand that too much can be a distraction for the eye. Too much on a slide, take s away the meaning and I feel it also makes a person wonder what they should focus on, such as what is the most important point I'm supposed to be receiving from this slide?
    • dougmay
      dougmay on 23 Apr 15
       
      Agreed!
  • The first step is admitting that you have a problem
    • mgoodwin5
      mgoodwin5 on 19 Apr 15
       
      Many of my slides in my presentations either look like this, or have started out like this. This is exactly what I need to work on! Eliminating some of the bullet points and a lot of text!
  • Depending on your content, you may be able to convert each bullet point into a separate image on one slide or over several slides.
    • mgoodwin5
      mgoodwin5 on 19 Apr 15
       
      Here is what I'm going to work towards doing. Since learning about Zen, I realize I'm definitely adding too much to my slides, whether it be text or bullets. By using images, or at least less text and bullets, it appears presentations will be much more appealing and interesting to the audience. I really like the idea of using the images instead of any text at all. Then the presenter (me) will expand on the meaning of the image or what it stands for.
  • Your slides should have plenty of “white space” or “negative space.” Do not feel compelled to fill empty areas on your slide with your logo or other unnecessary graphics or text boxes that do not contribute to better understanding.
    • chaneline
      chaneline on 19 Apr 15
       
      This point has been huge for me.  I really thought I would want to fill up the slide with information, not any more.  I see the power of simplicity of the white or negative space.
    • mrswalker_
      mrswalker_ on 20 Apr 15
       
      This is a great idea- I like the idea of negative space better than white space. My classroom is really bright so light text on a dark background sometimes works better than white.
  • No audience will be excited about a cookie-cutter presentation, and we must therefore shy away from any supporting visuals, such as the ubiquitous PowerPoint Design Template, that suggests your presentation is formulaic or prepackaged.You can make your own background templates which will be more tailored to your needs.
    • chaneline
      chaneline on 19 Apr 15
       
      This lead me to think about use of a white background.  I was so afraid of it because it seemed boring, but with the use of visuals, a white background can be powerful and increase the interest of the slide.
  • Avoid off-the-shelf clip art (though your own sketches & drawings can be a refreshing change if used consistently throughout the visuals).
    • chaneline
      chaneline on 19 Apr 15
       
      Some presenters overuse cartoon type Clipart, maybe because it's easier, that's what they are used to, they are trying to be funny/cute or they haven't learned the power of a visual image/picture within a presentation.  
    • aboevers
      aboevers on 20 Apr 15
       
      I don't think I will be drawing my own art either!
  • Go through your bullet points and try to highlight the main point of each bullet point. Try to bold only the key parts of each point — limit it to as few words as possible.
    • mrswalker_
      mrswalker_ on 20 Apr 15
       
      Great idea to take it step by step rather than just trying to cut a lot of information at once. 
  • Go through your bullet points and try to highlight the main point of each bullet point. Try to bold only the key parts of each point — limit it to as few words as possible.
  • It is very common for people to “brain dump” all of their ideas or thoughts into “stream of consciousness” bullet points as they create slides.
    • chaneline
      chaneline on 19 Apr 15
       
      I think this happens because you want to make sure that all of the points you feel are important are given to the audience.  It has been one of the most eye opening concepts from this course.  I made note cards for my presentation, rather than putting all of the info on the slide. " Redundancy effect" is powerful!
    • bdoudwaukee
      bdoudwaukee on 20 Apr 15
       
      Yes, I had always thought bullet points were a good thing! Oh how wrong I was!
    • ney4cy
      ney4cy on 22 Apr 15
       
      I thought bullet points would be superior to long connected text or narrative on a slide. I really felt it was the most effective way to get your message out. Now I have seen the light!
    • vmcgee
      vmcgee on 23 Apr 15
       
      Me too.  I have been using bullet points extensively all year.  Google slides makes it very easy to do so...
  • The best slides may have no text at all
    • bdoudwaukee
      bdoudwaukee on 20 Apr 15
       
      It is interesting to go to presentations while I'm taking this class. I took the ISEA's mandatory reporter training last week and it was an RN on a video with powerpoint slides for 3 hours. Lots of text, the crayon template and a graph that she kept going back to that you couldn't even read due to tiny font. Death by PowerPoint!
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 21 Apr 15
       
      This is true. It also is somewhat of a curse. You can get to the point where you can't see any presentation without being critical of it :)
    • vmcgee
      vmcgee on 22 Apr 15
       
      Absolutely.  Just today I had to give a presentation to a class on behalf of another teacher.  It had WAY too much text and I had great difficulty keeping the attention of 13 year old students.  I couldn't help but think of this class while presenting.
    • dougmay
      dougmay on 23 Apr 15
       
      In the past, I would have a hard time with no text. My thought was that the slide should do the work. My students did presentations and I kept wanting to critique their slides.
  • Presenters are usually guilty of including too much data in their on-screen charts
    • bdoudwaukee
      bdoudwaukee on 20 Apr 15
       
      This can be tricky when you really need to get all of the data in the hands of your audience. What to leave out?
    • ney4cy
      ney4cy on 22 Apr 15
       
      I guess this is where the analog planning is helpful. Along with the elevator test.
  • though your own sketches & drawings can be a refreshing change if used consistently throughout the visuals)
    • bdoudwaukee
      bdoudwaukee on 20 Apr 15
       
      I had not thought about the use of your own sketches and drawings. I would be afraid that it would look corny, like the clip art, but I'm also intrigued to try this!
    • ney4cy
      ney4cy on 22 Apr 15
       
      It does sound interesting. I think it would nice to try student drawings too when using this if educators or students themselves.
  • The trick becomes finding just the right image(s)
    • bdoudwaukee
      bdoudwaukee on 20 Apr 15
       
      This is where I feel that I could take hours second guessing my choice of image, or trying to edit it to work.
    • ney4cy
      ney4cy on 22 Apr 15
       
      I agree. I have already been out looking, and I just keep looking and looking. I am hoping it will get easier the more experience I have creating PowerPoints.
    • dougmay
      dougmay on 23 Apr 15
       
      This can seem to take more time than the planning.
  • Use high-quality graphics including photographs.
    • mrswalker_
      mrswalker_ on 20 Apr 15
       
      My students LOVE seeing pictures of themselves in a presentation. I try to use student examples as often as possible to create images for presentations.
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 21 Apr 15
       
      This is a great idea! Especially for younger students!
  • But boring an audience with bullet point after bullet point is of little benefit to them
    • aboevers
      aboevers on 20 Apr 15
       
      This reminds me of that first video we watched for this class and the gun image. That has stuck with me and it is all because of the image of the gun!
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 21 Apr 15
       
      I guess this goes to speak of the power of an image.
    • ney4cy
      ney4cy on 22 Apr 15
       
      I just sat through a presentation Monday afternoon on PLCs and Short Data Cycle. The presentaer was very engaging but his PowerPoint was not! Too much text and bullets very few images. I found myself critiquing his slides instead of listening to the message!
  • The right color can help persuade and motivate. Studies show that color usage can increase interest and improve learning comprehension and retention
    • aboevers
      aboevers on 20 Apr 15
       
      Color can do so much, like make you feel stronger/weaker, or energize/soothe. That was why they painted our visiting team locker room pink!
  • This looks like they were going for the full-bleed background image effect but just missed
    • aboevers
      aboevers on 20 Apr 15
       
      One of my classrooms has a projector that is slightly to the right and the image bleeds to the white board behind the screen. It is very distracting for me and my students!
  • in your slide deck
    • aboevers
      aboevers on 20 Apr 15
       
      I have recently heard of a presentation set of slides referred to as a deck, but we certainly do not need 52 slides to present!
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 21 Apr 15
       
      Well, this depends. Some presenters make one master deck and then "hide" the slides they don't want. For the next preso, they hide different slides. Also, it depends on how you use your slides. If you talk for each slide, then 52 is way to many. But if you are using builds or quick sequences of slides as a substitute for bulleted lists, you can get there pretty quick. My rule of thumb is one slide every two minutes, but I do have one preso with 70 slides in it for a 45 minute preso. It is the exception, not the rule.
    • ney4cy
      ney4cy on 22 Apr 15
       
      At a recent in-service the speaker had 3 PowerPoints open he retrieved slides from different presentations based on our dicussion. It made the informtion much more relevant to our school but at the same time created a distraction when he couldn't find a slide and had to flip back and forth.
  • the golden rule of PowerPoint presentations — always do what is right for your audience.
    • aboevers
      aboevers on 20 Apr 15
       
      Shouldn't the rule state, "Present unto others as you would like presented to you?"
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 21 Apr 15
       
      Ha! Hilarious!
  • add unrelated “decorations
    • aboevers
      aboevers on 20 Apr 15
       
      Keep the idea of purpose in mind constantly.
    • ney4cy
      ney4cy on 22 Apr 15
       
      This is was my typical slide! ALL bullet points.
    • pkmills
      pkmills on 22 Apr 15
       
      Somehow that simple idea got very lost along the way.
  • “Sorry I missed your presentation. I hear it was great. Can you just send me your PowerPoint slides?” But if they are good slides, they will be of little use without you.
    • pkmills
      pkmills on 22 Apr 15
       
      If someone had said this to me, I would have. Now if they say it to me I still will send them the slides. Ha Ha.
  • You can take your own high-quality photographs with your digital camera,
    • pkmills
      pkmills on 22 Apr 15
       
      I ran into soem object that I need for my presentation that were "iffy" for me in the copyright area, so I decided to take my own pictures instead. I feel great about how it turned out.
  • So make sure your slides pass what I call the glance test: People should be able to comprehend each one in about three seconds
    • pkmills
      pkmills on 22 Apr 15
       
      Love this idea. It's a good way for me to see if I am travelling down the right road.
  • Live long and prosper.
    • pkmills
      pkmills on 22 Apr 15
       
      I found out that "Live long and prosper" was added by Leonard Nimoy for character and was based in his Jewish teachings.
  • By getting out of the Slide View and into the Slide Sorter view, you can see how the logical flow of your presentation is progressing. In this view you may decide to break up one slide into, say, two-three slides so that your presentation has a more natural and logical flow or process.
    • pkmills
      pkmills on 22 Apr 15
       
      I used the sticky notes at the begginnig to check the flow of my presentation. I will use the sorter to check the presentation at the end of the creation process.
  • Try to avoid text-heavy (and sleep inducing) slides like this one
    • vmcgee
      vmcgee on 22 Apr 15
       
      I gave a presentation today on behalf of another teacher that was structured much like this slide.  It had too much text and information on it, and I found myself racing to get through it before I lost the attention of my audience.  Afterwards, it completely felt like a waste of time.
  • Not sure what two guys shaking hands in front of a globe has to do with the fertility rate in Japan. Yet even if we were talking about "international partnership" the image is still a cliché.
    • vmcgee
      vmcgee on 23 Apr 15
       
      It seems like I have seen some sort of "handshake" image a thousand times.  It is overused and carries no meaning - which I think defeats the purpose of an image in a slide.
  • An audience can’t listen to your presentation and read detailed, text-heavy slides at the same time (not without missing key parts of your message, anyway
    • vmcgee
      vmcgee on 23 Apr 15
       
      This is probably the topic that has had the greatest effect on my presentations so far.  I have done about 3 different presentations since this course began, and I am now always concentrating on not having my students read slide material while I talk.
  • Very few audiences enjoy paragraph-length bullet points.
    • dougmay
      dougmay on 23 Apr 15
       
      I can't think of anybody, let alone a few people.
  • It’s okay to cover details verbally that are not reflected in your bullet points.
    • dougmay
      dougmay on 23 Apr 15
       
      I am having a hard time adjusting to this thought. In the past, I wanted to include everything in the slides. Now I thinking of it more of an outline for me.
  • & contains watermark
  • & contains watermark
  • & contains watermark
  • & contains watermark
  • ) Image is of poor quality & contains watermark
  • This introduces distracting visual noi
    • dougmay
      dougmay on 23 Apr 15
       
      Why would anyone do this? How could they think that this is ok?
candace berkley

Articles: Design - 0 views

moodlesw.aeapdonline.org/...view.php

shared by candace berkley on 14 Feb 15 - No Cached
  • The less clutter you have on your slide, the more powerful your visual message will become.
    • stac34
      stac34 on 14 Feb 15
       
      As a person who likes clean lines and simplicity, I apprecaite this statement. I think less can definitely be more!
    • brendahack
      brendahack on 23 Feb 15
       
      It seems to be proven over and over when we see examples of noise and clear slides.
  • By getting out of the Slide View and into the Slide Sorter view, you can see how the logical flow of your presentation is progressing.
    • stac34
      stac34 on 14 Feb 15
       
      This is a great place to proofread and edit to ensure that the presenatation flows and keeps a common theme throughout. I think that it would be easy to spot slides that need some work when looking at all of them at once.
  • Presenter tiles image
  • ...48 more annotations...
  • 8) Presenter tiles image
  • Presenter tiles image
    • stac34
      stac34 on 14 Feb 15
       
      Do people seriously do this??
  • People should be able to comprehend each one in about three seconds.
    • stac34
      stac34 on 14 Feb 15
       
      This is a good rule of thumb, I think that is why the visual on the page is so important to help quickly understand the content.
    • jsoland
      jsoland on 24 Feb 15
       
      I really like this as well. I have such a difficult time figuring out what text to include. This will definitely help me to minimize and focus on what's really important.
  • What key part of each bullet point do you need to mention during your PowerPoint presentation?
    • stac34
      stac34 on 14 Feb 15
       
      This is a good point when thinking about trying to get closer to the "six words per slide" rule. Keeping in mind the key details can help decrease the use of words that are not needed.
  • convert each bullet point into a separate image
    • stac34
      stac34 on 14 Feb 15
       
      Great idea! After deciding the important details on a slide, rather than just including those find a visual that represents what the bullet points would have siad. The presenter will still have to explain what the visuals mean, but that should happen anyway, much bettter than sentences next to bullet points!
    • brendahack
      brendahack on 23 Feb 15
       
      I like this, but also wonder if it is too noisey. Do you think it could be divided into several slides of reasons, or does that become too many slides?
  • Avoid using PowerPoint Clip Art or other cartoonish line art.
    • KIM BYRD
      KIM BYRD on 16 Feb 15
       
      I have been a sucker over the years to use generic clipart. I thought this was something we could do. Now I know we need to use human images to bring more personal aspects to the presentation.
    • brendahack
      brendahack on 23 Feb 15
       
      :) You are not alone on this one.
  • No audience will be excited about a cookie-cutter presentation
    • KIM BYRD
      KIM BYRD on 16 Feb 15
       
      I absolutely thought using templates were what you were supposed to do. Ooops.
  • Make sure you know the difference between a Serif font (e.g., Times New Roman) and a Sans-Serif font (Helvetica or Arial
    • KIM BYRD
      KIM BYRD on 16 Feb 15
       
      When creating a presentation, so not mix these fonts. The articles stated to stay with Helvetia and Arial with only two colors per slide.
  • Text within images is but one way to use text/data and images harmoniously
    • KIM BYRD
      KIM BYRD on 16 Feb 15
       
      I look forward to trying this out and adding gradian to the picture.
  • Presenters are often tempted to fill it up with additional content that competes for attention
    • KIM BYRD
      KIM BYRD on 16 Feb 15
       
      If I had a photo that contained white space on the edges, I usually put a border around it. I did not realize we were to keep the white space open in order to create "open space" needed in a presentation.
  • “Sorry I missed your presentation. I hear it was great. Can you just send me your PowerPoint slides?” But if they are good slides, they will be of little use without you. Instead of a copy of your PowerPoint slides, it is far better to prepare a written document which highlights your content from the presentation and expands on that content.
    • jsoland
      jsoland on 20 Feb 15
       
      I'm embarassed to admit this, but it had never occured to me to prepare a handout other than a copy of the slides until this course.
  • Clip art is chosen
  • Clip art is chosen
  • Avoid off-the-shelf clip art
    • jsoland
      jsoland on 20 Feb 15
       
      So, this example is pretty extreme in how bad it is, but I'm really starting to dislike anything clipart. It seems it is never appropriate.
    • candace berkley
      candace berkley on 20 Feb 15
       
      Wow. This anecdote makes the point very clear: The presentation is to aid the presenter, not replace the presenter.
  • Have a visual theme
    • candace berkley
      candace berkley on 20 Feb 15
       
      I get this concept: Theme is established through consistent choices in color, font, placement, images and not through templates.
  • Use color well
    • sarahjmoore
      sarahjmoore on 21 Feb 15
       
      Another issue I have seen with color is the projector. I have seen a lot of pretty presentations that were turned horrible by the projector. My principle was trying to promote some school spirit and had his slide in school colors (purple background and yellow text). Purple backgrounds were turned pure black when projected. It looked ok, but the point was completely missed. I think it is important to keep it simple and test it out if I can before I give it to help prevent that issue. 
  • cheesy sound effects
    • sarahjmoore
      sarahjmoore on 21 Feb 15
       
      This makes me think of my dear education professor in college. He was 70 something and loved teaching. He tried so hard to keep up with the times, and he must have had someone show him the audio buttons because every slide in his presentations would have a different sound effect. It wasn't really engaging, just annoying. But, we all knew how hard he worked and that he truly loved teaching. 
  • entire presentation
    • sarahjmoore
      sarahjmoore on 21 Feb 15
       
      This view will also be more effective without all of the bullets and large chunks of text. 
  • es the image is actually a pretty good one but it just needs a bit of editing so that the text will pop out more.
    • sarahjmoore
      sarahjmoore on 21 Feb 15
       
      This is one of the biggest struggles I have will use full background images. The text doesn't pop like I want it to. I like the idea of adding in the transparent box. 
  • add one relevant image to the slide
    • sarahjmoore
      sarahjmoore on 21 Feb 15
       
      This is where I feel I get stuck. I want them to be more engaging then this, but I also don't want to have simply concept pictures. 
  • with images
    • sarahjmoore
      sarahjmoore on 21 Feb 15
       
      I think this would be really effective if you reveal them as you talk about them creating that flow of content. I know when I first looked at this slide I started to try and understand the meaning of each photo. I would have to force myself as an audience member to wait for the presenter to explain them. 
  • The slides themselves were never meant to be the “star of the show” (the star, of course, is your audience).
    • brendahack
      brendahack on 23 Feb 15
       
      Good to keep in mind. It is not about you or the images you choose, or the words we use. It is about the audience and having them on the journey with us.
  • If you have a detailed handout or publication for the audience to be passed out after your talk, you need not feel compelled to fill your PowerPoint slides with a great deal of text
    • brendahack
      brendahack on 23 Feb 15
       
      I am excited to present with this point in mind. I know it will be different, but I think it will be a good different.
  • Some animation is a good thing, but stick to the most subtle and professional (similar to what you might see on the evening TV news broadcast).
    • brendahack
      brendahack on 23 Feb 15
       
      I am still thinking about this. How much is too much? This statement of what you might see on the evening news is helpful. I do think some animation, like fade, does make it flow and perhaps more interesting, but you can definately have too much of a good thing.
  • Pretend as though you are an audience member for your upcoming presentation. Do any slides feel text heavy? Be honest with yourself. Remember the golden rule of PowerPoint presentations — always do what is right for your audience. Very few audiences enjoy paragraph-length bullet points.
    • brendahack
      brendahack on 23 Feb 15
       
      I have certainly been gulity of this. How small can I make the font to get it all to fit on one slide. Find the main message and clear away the rest.
  • Think of your slides as billboards. When people drive, they only briefly take their eyes off their main focus — the road — to process billboard information. Similarly, your audience should focus intently on what you’re saying, looking only briefly at your slides when you display them.
    • brendahack
      brendahack on 23 Feb 15
       
      Keep it simple. Over and over, probably the most powerful message throughout. I really think they made the point with the bill board analogy.
    • aneppl
      aneppl on 27 Feb 15
       
      Very good point. On Wednesday when I presented I had a very minimal powerpoint, 12 total slides for the hour. But I was talking, sharing stories, had humor, and had plenty of table discussions. Slowly I can get better at this
  • Here, for example, your eye takes in the cluster of grapes, then moves to the message about quality, and then focuses on one beautiful grape from the “yield”:
    • brendahack
      brendahack on 23 Feb 15
       
      Great example. Rather like painting. You want to have the eye move from one spot to the other, dicovering your message as they go. Nice!
  • So when adding elements to your slides, have a good reason:
    • jsoland
      jsoland on 24 Feb 15
       
      I think this is important for images as well as text. I need to keep in mind that sometimes just having the words on a slide can be as powerful as an image.
  • It’s functioning like a teleprompter
    • jsoland
      jsoland on 24 Feb 15
       
      We always need to keep in mind that the presentation and slides are for the audience, not the presenter. If we need a teleprompter than we don't know the material enough to be presenting.
  • you’re just reading the slides to your audience. Boring.
    • aneppl
      aneppl on 27 Feb 15
       
      I'm learning slowly. This morning in a presentation, I still had one slide that was heavy in text. For a split second I almost starting reading, but then I paused and let staff read it to themselves. Then we went on. I survived.
  • In some cases, the bullet points may not be conducive to matching visuals
  • In some cases, the bullet points may not be conducive to matching visual
  • In some cases, the bullet points may not be conducive to matching visuals
  • In some cases, the bullet points may not be conducive to matching visuals
    • aneppl
      aneppl on 27 Feb 15
       
      Do you need the bulleted list at all in the below slide? The magazine cover would serve as the reminder to both the presenter and audience on the main topics. 
  • your logo
    • aneppl
      aneppl on 27 Feb 15
       
      For several years our district required us to use "approved" powerpoint templates. At first I thought they were kind of cool, I was proud of the district for being so professional right! But as I developed more and more presentations, it was sometimes hard to fit all the text on the slides I wanted. Well...now I know better, both the templates and the extensive text are not appropriate. We pretty much use google presentations now so I need to learn more about using blank templates within google. 
  • If the photographic image is secondary in importance, then I decrease the opacity and add a Gaussian Blur or motion filter in Photoshop
    • aneppl
      aneppl on 27 Feb 15
       
      It totally understand this and given my art and computer background I know I could do this. However, I am a long way from seeming to have time to do this when some of our presentations are literally being built leading right up to the presentation...Planning is key
  • You can give a good presentation without any images at all, but if you do use images in slides, try to keep these eleven tips in mind.
    • aneppl
      aneppl on 27 Feb 15
       
      So if there are times where it might be ok to use clip art, would it be recommended to use clip art throughout the presentation rather than switching between photos/images and clipart?
    • aneppl
      aneppl on 27 Feb 15
       
      Not that I want to use any clip art...
  • Similarly, your audience should focus intently on what you’re saying, looking only briefly at your slides when you display them.
  • Similarly, your audience should focus intently on what you’re saying, looking only briefly at your slides when you display them
  • Similarly, your audience should focus intently on what you’re saying, looking only briefly at your slides when you display them
  • Photos should be taken by the same photographer or look as if they are. Illustrations should be done in the same style.
    • aneppl
      aneppl on 27 Feb 15
       
      This kind of answers my question from the end of the previous article...consistency is good. 
  • White space is the open space surrounding items of interest
    • aneppl
      aneppl on 27 Feb 15
       
      The white space was one of the things I liked about using Prezi.
  • Aim for something like this simple slide above.
  • But if you plan to keep most of the lights on (which is highly advisable) then a white background with black or dark text works much better. In rooms with a good deal of ambient light, a screen image with a dark background and light text tends to washout, but dark text on a light background will maintain its visual intensity a bit better.Learn more:
    • candace berkley
      candace berkley on 02 Mar 15
       
      I have never considered the amount of light in the room and how that might affect the presentation. I will have to experiment with lights on and lights off to see if I can detect any difference.
    • candace berkley
      candace berkley on 02 Mar 15
       
      really like the simplicity of this slide and how powerful that percentage becomes by enlarging the font and minimizing the amount of words.
    • candace berkley
      candace berkley on 02 Mar 15
       
      How many times have I seen students use the same old graphics in presentations? I need to direct them to other sources, such as some of the ones available through Heartland. How do you help them find unique graphics (or not to be satisfied with using the same graphics as everyone else)?
kmcastaneda

Articles: Design - 1 views

moodlesw.aeapdonline.org/...view.php

shared by kmcastaneda on 18 May 15 - No Cached
  • it is far better to prepare a written document which highlights your content from the presentation and expands on that content. Audiences are much better served receiving a detailed, written handout as a takeaway from the presentation, rather than a mere copy of your PowerPoint slides
    • Wendy Arch
      Wendy Arch on 18 May 15
       
      I see how this is a better way to format information.  Any suggestions on adapting this for the instructional format?  Specifically I'm thinking about online courses and flipped instruction.  If I also post the written notes in addition to the presentation, what prompts students to bother with the presentation?  Or do I just need to let it go and be okay with students getting the information in anyway that works fro them?
  • If the photographic image is secondary in importance, then I decrease the opacity and add a Gaussian Blur or motion filter in Photoshop.
    • Wendy Arch
      Wendy Arch on 18 May 15
       
      Anyone know if there is a way to do this without Photoshop?
    • Karen Stern
      Karen Stern on 25 May 15
       
      I would like to know this also! I've checked on Atomic Learning as suggested in one of the lessons, but it does not seem easy to navigate.
  • You can then save the PowerPoint file as a Design Template (.pot) and the new template will appear among your standard Microsoft templates for your future use. You can also purchase professional templates on-line (for example: www.powerpointtemplatespro.com).
    • Wendy Arch
      Wendy Arch on 18 May 15
       
      Good reminder!  I want to improve my presentation abilities - not reinvent the wheel.
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 23 May 15
       
      One thing I do is to recycle past presentations. I very rarely every start from scratch. Sure, the objectives have changed, so 3/4 of the presentation might be new, but having some of the slides already done from the start helps me during the planning phase. It's almost like having a couple pairs in Gin Rummy.
  • ...82 more annotations...
  • Learn more: PresentationPro.com has some great Flash tutorials including one on color. Go to the CreativePro.com to learn more about color. Dummies.com has a good short article on how to create a Color Scheme in PowerPoint.
  • Serif fonts were designed to be used in documents filled with lots of text. Serif fonts are said to be easier to read at small point sizes, but for on screen presentations the serifs tend to get lost due to the relatively low resolution of projectors. San-serif fonts are generally best for PowerPoint presentations,
    • Wendy Arch
      Wendy Arch on 18 May 15
       
      Dangit!  Serif fonts are much more visually appealing to me.  I use them for everything.  I guess not anymore... :-(
    • amytlach
      amytlach on 25 May 15
       
      The example below is a great illustration.  I tend to lean towards serif for most things, but will definitely think about this going forward.
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 26 May 15
       
      Further research on this suggests that sans serif is better for large quantities of text too, as long as it is being read via digital device. Only for printed text are serifs the way to go.
  • Your slides should have plenty of “white space” or “negative space.” Do not feel compelled to fill empty areas on your slide with your logo or other unnecessary graphics or text boxes that do not contribute to better understanding. The less clutter you have on your slide, the more powerful your visual message will become.
  • (and save teleprompter text for the “notes” field, which the audience can’t see).
    • Wendy Arch
      Wendy Arch on 22 May 15
       
      This is an important thing for me to remember.  I don't have to eliminate my content -- I just don't put it on the slide.  That's what my verbal presentation is for.
  • Flow. You can direct people’s eyes to certain areas of a slide to emphasize important points.
  • If they fall below 24 pt then you might be on to something. Also, look at the number of lines you use for your bullet points. If you use more than two lines anywhere, then they’re definitely leaning text heavy. Depending on the type of presentation, two lines might even be too much.
    • Wendy Arch
      Wendy Arch on 22 May 15
       
      Not less than 24 pt font and not more than two lines (and even that is suspect).  Got it!
    • kliston
      kliston on 25 May 15
       
      These guidelines are quick and easy to remember when creating a PowerPoint. I need to have "if you have to decrease the size below 24, you have to many words" on a poster in my office.
  • Depending on your content, you may be able to convert each bullet point into a separate image on one slide or over several slides. This approach isn’t always feasible, but it is far more visually appealing than yet another slide filled with bullet points.
    • Wendy Arch
      Wendy Arch on 22 May 15
       
      This is an interesting idea!  I like it.  I think it will also help reinforce the main ideas instead of (potentially) leaving viewers guessing at what you said.
    • kliston
      kliston on 25 May 15
       
      I couldn't agree more. I think this strategy is something that will really leave a lasting impression with the audience.
    • Karen Stern
      Karen Stern on 25 May 15
       
      I also like this idea! "Speak" through the images rather than text. It will be something interesting to try!
    • amytlach
      amytlach on 25 May 15
       
      This hits home for me when trying to evoke emotion or memories with an audience as well.  Finding the right image will pay off in the end. 
    • amytlach
      amytlach on 26 May 15
       
       
  • Don’t submit to the urge to add unrelated “decorations” to the slide. Be strong.
    • kliston
      kliston on 25 May 15
       
      I need to remember not to submit to the urge to add an image to each slide. Especially if the image does not directly relate to content on the slide.
    • Karen Stern
      Karen Stern on 25 May 15
       
      I agree! The image should only be present if it enhances the presentation, not just to fill space!
    • amytlach
      amytlach on 26 May 15
       
       
    • kmcastaneda
      kmcastaneda on 28 May 15
       
      Ha!  'Be strong' made me laugh...this reminds me of therapy.  Reworking how we attach to making presentations really is a lot of letting go and rearing up of not-so-favorable tendencies I have not just in presentation making, but in all of my life!  
  • In this view you may decide to break up one slide into, say, two-three slides so that your presentation has a more natural and logical flow or process. In this view you will be able to capture more of the gestalt of your entire presentation from the point of view of your audience.
    • kliston
      kliston on 25 May 15
       
      Using the Slide Sorter View is something that I had never thought of but I can see how this would help create consistency for the audience. I would like to start using this view when creating my presentations.
  • Sometimes the image is actually a pretty good one but it just needs a bit of editing so that the text will pop out more.
    • kliston
      kliston on 25 May 15
       
      eeping the image simple is something that I need to keep in mind. The whole "less is more" idea helps the text pop on the screen and create that last impression with the audience.
  • Remember, the slides are meant to support the narration of the speaker, not make the speaker superfluous.
    • Karen Stern
      Karen Stern on 25 May 15
       
      I need to remember this! The slides in my presentation should only support what I say, not compete for the attention of the audience. Reading about the Cognitive Load Theory helped me understand this.
    • amytlach
      amytlach on 26 May 15
       
      I think I'm going to put this statement along with the points on this list on a one pager that can be front and center when begining preparations for presentations during my initial planning quiet time.  Would also be good to share with other as a review of this class when asked.
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 26 May 15
       
      This is difficult for many to learn. Typically, we think creating the best slides you can = the most informative. Creating something that is purposefully NOT as informative in order to force the audience to better attend to the presenter is counter-intuitive at first.
  • to be passed out after your talk
    • Karen Stern
      Karen Stern on 25 May 15
       
      I don't want my handouts competing with the presentation for the attention of the audience. This is a good reminder to give them out after the presentation is over.
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 26 May 15
       
      I think this is a quick and easy item for anyone to do to make them a better presenter.
  • what's your intention?
    • Karen Stern
      Karen Stern on 25 May 15
       
      I like this reminder. What is the purpose of an image that I am adding? Is is serving this purpose? Does it need to be cropped or otherwise edited? Will there be any text with it? Now these will be questions that I will ask with every picture.
    • amytlach
      amytlach on 26 May 15
       
       
    • kmcastaneda
      kmcastaneda on 28 May 15
       
      True true.  Keeping in mind the WHY and the INTENTION is going to eliminate a lot of unnecessary clutter, and, keep me feeling more focused and streamlined.  And CONFIDENT in cutting what I do, because I'll need to keep cutting a lot from my presentations!
  • But including a healthy amount of white space sharpens viewers’ focus by isolating elements.
    • Karen Stern
      Karen Stern on 25 May 15
       
      This is a good reminder. Just like silence should not always be filled, white space on slides should not always be filled.
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 26 May 15
       
      I like the technique that is used in the example below. It took a picture that doesn't blend with the white background, which is kind of a no-no. But by making it appear as a photograph, and then rotating it slightly, it makes it very stylish on the all white background. It makes it look like one cohesive slide as opposed to having the image take up about a fourth of the screen.
  • Remove all extraneous copy from bullet points
    • Karen Stern
      Karen Stern on 25 May 15
       
      I like the reminder of this step: remove any excess words! I can see how this will make me focus on the main point of each bullet, and possibly separate each point into a distinct slide.
    • amytlach
      amytlach on 26 May 15
       
       
  • glance test: People should be able to comprehend each one in about three seconds.
    • amytlach
      amytlach on 26 May 15
       
      I know that I've heard this before with variable times for viewing, but great to think about with every slide that is being created. Keep at it!
  • However
  • approach
  • something
  • Admit your
    • amytlach
      amytlach on 26 May 15
       
      I love this as a reminder....24 point font....no smaller!
  • slide has a text problem
  • main phrases
  • on the
  • phrases
  • Highlight the key phrases that you will help you rehearse for your presentation
  • Speak to that content when you present
    • amytlach
      amytlach on 25 May 15
       
      This was a big take away for me in a previous lesson.  Use it as a starting for the conversation and talk to the points listed, not a reading of the list or points that are listed. 
    • amytlach
      amytlach on 26 May 15
       
      Amy Tlach
  • slide
  • TypeError
  • Slide
  • It’s also important to stick to a consistent visual style in your slide deck.
    • Karen Stern
      Karen Stern on 28 May 15
       
      I can see how the continuity of slides really creates a cohesive presentation. I know that it drives me nuts when I see a presentation with multiple font styles or a frequent switch of background colors.
  • the star, of course, is your audience
    • kmcastaneda
      kmcastaneda on 28 May 15
       
      To remember that the audience wants to FEEL is key for me.  So the question - What am I presenting to elicit feelings and WHY should they care? - guides my work.  
  • Don’t let your message and your ability to tell a story get derailed by slides that are unnecessarily complicated, busy,
    • kmcastaneda
      kmcastaneda on 28 May 15
       
      So true.  Sometimes I want info in there because it's related, BUT, it gets in the way of my being able to TELL THE STORY! Key.  
  • “Sorry I missed your presentation. I hear it was great. Can you just send me your PowerPoint slides?” But if they are good slides, they will be of little use without you.
    • kmcastaneda
      kmcastaneda on 28 May 15
       
      Ha!  Exactly.  This made me giggle.  So true.  I want to strive for this - that my preparation will be so that if someone missed it, they really missed it.  
  • never, ever turn your back
  • Always be asking yourself, “How much detail do I need?”
  • guilty of including too much data
  • appropriate
  • limit the bars to 4-8.
  • evokes feelings
  • is emotiona
  • can help persuade and motivate.
  • can increase interest and improve learning comprehension
    • kmcastaneda
      kmcastaneda on 28 May 15
       
      I do not underestimate the power of visuals, and color is huge - Saturation, combinations, tone, contrast...it can make or break the staying power of your message!
  • retention
  • if you plan to keep most of the lights on (which is highly advisable) then a white background with black or dark text works much better
  • sans-serif font and is professional yet friendly and “conversational.”
    • kmcastaneda
      kmcastaneda on 28 May 15
       
      I agree.  Sans-serif feels more inviting, casual, playful, yet clear and less cluttered because the tails and frills are gone.  I've never read of anything suggesting fonts for certain types of written communication, so, this is great guidance for me!
  • Spend time in th
  • Slide Sorter view, you can see how the logical flow of your presentation is progressing.
  • You will be able to notice more extraneous pieces of visual data that can be removed to increase visual clarity and improve communication.
  • How many different ways could we use the same image (at different resolutions) inappropriately or use a different image in a way that is less effective than the one on the left?
  • image is cropped for better balance
  • transparent box is added to help the text pop out
    • kmcastaneda
      kmcastaneda on 28 May 15
       
      I've never thought of this effect.  I'm going to try it.  
  • Think of your slides as billboards. When people drive, they only briefly take their eyes off their main focus — the road
    • kmcastaneda
      kmcastaneda on 28 May 15
       
      Great metaphor for this.  The GLANCE test.  We all can relate.  This reminds me of, when reading the first few lines of a book or essay or article, will the audience feel 'hooked'?  In other words, why should they bother reading/viewing/listening to me?!  Give them something to rile their curiosities, stir their emotions, connect with such human universal resonance to a problem or concern they have that it urges them to go deeper...
  • Lots of extras actually take away meaning
  • they become a distraction
  • overtax the audience’s cognitive resources
    • kmcastaneda
      kmcastaneda on 28 May 15
       
      I have thought, in the past, that the audience needed ALL the information I could give.  Yet, now I can reframe that idea as it actually harms the audience.  It's counter-intuitive.  This reframe for me is priceless, because I want to be liked and considered the expert.  Yet, when I give too much, knowing it does the OPPOSITE of what I want really helps me commit to slimming and trimming down to the core essence, to make it easy and, in fact, MORE IMPACTFUL to and REMEMBERED by my audience.  
  • Photos should be taken by the same photographer or look as if they are
    • kmcastaneda
      kmcastaneda on 28 May 15
       
      Difficult to strive for but so extremely critical for people to buy into my professionalism and expertise.  And it's simply more visually easy to digest.  If the audience is jarred, they're less likely to care about what I say.  Even these overlooked, small considerations are actually cornerstone to overall impact, I'm learning.  They're like the subconscious, responsible for 90-95% of what choices we make, and we don't even realize it!  It's the stuff that speaks to our instinctual and intuitive nature, to out 'subtle' bodies.  
  • Illustrations should be done in the same style.
  • streamline the text and incorporate simple visual element
  • moves to the message about quality, and then focuses on one beautiful grape from the “yield”:
    • kmcastaneda
      kmcastaneda on 28 May 15
       
      I talk about this in my art classes, the principle of design called Movement.  I relate it to how your eyes travel or follow a path from one point to another, like connecting the dots.  
  • use contrast to focus attention
    • kmcastaneda
      kmcastaneda on 28 May 15
       
      I love silhouettes. White over black or another dark color is my favorite with silhouettes.  
  • your eye wouldn’t know where to begin, and the quote would have lost its power:
    • kmcastaneda
      kmcastaneda on 28 May 15
       
      Yes, just because space is there doesn't mean we must fill it.  Spaciousness allows the audience to feel spacious.  Period.  Breatheability.  
  • if we’d paired the text with a larger or more detailed image,
  • allows viewers to quickly ascertain a slide’s most important elements:
  • visual unity look as though the same person created them
    • kmcastaneda
      kmcastaneda on 28 May 15
       
      Unity also helps to bring cohesiveness to the look of a brand. It all lends to the audience feeling you're competent, an expert, clear, and easy to work with.  
  • make your message feel cohesive
  • consistent type styles, color, image treatment, and element placement throughout the slide deck
    • kmcastaneda
      kmcastaneda on 28 May 15
       
      To remember that it's important for consistency THROUGHOUT THE SLIDE DECK, entirely.  This is why Slide Sorter view is so good.  Placement and composition is important here, too.  
  • there’s beauty and clarity in restraint
    • kmcastaneda
      kmcastaneda on 28 May 15
       
      Ahhhh!  Love this!  It's a new quotable for me.  :)
  • you’ll free people up
  • to really hea
  • and adopt
    • kmcastaneda
      kmcastaneda on 28 May 15
       
      Ultimately, this is what we want.  Simplicity, relevant support of images to illustrate the INTENTION, spaciousness to make people feel free, easy, and cementing the info for recall and memory permanence...
  • shiny, seductive elements
    • kmcastaneda
      kmcastaneda on 28 May 15
       
      Overwhelm can be remedied by remembering - Just because we CAN doesn't mean we should...
  • Pretend as though you are an audience member
    • kmcastaneda
      kmcastaneda on 28 May 15
       
      Like in teaching, it's advisable to become the student before you introduce a subject.  
  • golden rule of PowerPoint presentations — always do what is right for your audience.
  • Very few audiences enjoy paragraph-length bullet points
    • kmcastaneda
      kmcastaneda on 28 May 15
       
      I need to remember the very basics - don't I want my audience to actually ENJOY my presentation?!  Of course I do!  But I forget to lead with this, and I can't afford not to lead with this.  After all, they could be doing a million other things with their time but if they're with me, and I'm up front, I sure need to overdeliver with high value in a way that makes them feeling 1) they're better for having been with me, 2) that they grew or learned in a way that they can apply easily into their lives, and that it 3)was not only not a waste of time, but was an EXPERIENCE...and they'd even come again!
  • try to highlight the main point of each bullet point
  • Think of it as an approach to rehearsing your slides
  • What key part of each bullet point
  • Focus on the
  • cover details verbally that are not reflected in your bullet points
  • one relevant
  • Replace bullet points with images
    • kmcastaneda
      kmcastaneda on 28 May 15
       
      Brilliant!  Like visual bullet points instead.  Like cues or clues.  :)
  • trick becomes finding just the right image
joyisuful

Articles: Design - 12 views

moodlesw.aeapdonline.org/...view.php

shared by joyisuful on 15 Jul 14 - No Cached
  • The best slides may have no text at all.
    • mnollsch
      mnollsch on 15 Jul 14
       
      NO words at all will challenge me since I am so verbal.  But I can see the value in it.
    • kbelland21
      kbelland21 on 16 Jul 14
       
      I agree. I thought this point was interesting. I never thought of not having any text on a slide.
    • Kristina Dvorak
      Kristina Dvorak on 17 Jul 14
       
      No words?! This is good though, I have often thought how I can encourage my to take notes and I hate giving out my presentations.  This will do it!  
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 20 Jul 14
       
      No words is definitely outside of the box type thinking. It also requires you to have a great interplay with your visuals.
    • fshellabarger
      fshellabarger on 22 Jul 14
       
      I LOVE this! It would be great for setting a stage for a story with a single image. No words needed! If there's no text, your audience can really listen to your words while taking in the image instead of trying to read and listen.
    • tjbudd
      tjbudd on 22 Jul 14
       
      I'm lucky enough to have access to good images (photography is a family hobby) and access to photoshop. This is much tougher without the right tools.
    • nettiemarie
      nettiemarie on 03 Aug 14
       
      this is challenging but an interesting thought... would work for a dramatic statement
    • pattyharris123
      pattyharris123 on 04 Aug 14
       
      I am very verbal, also, but also put a great deal on slides. This is going to be a good challenge for me!
  • But if they are good slides, they will be of little use without you. Instead of a copy of your PowerPoint slides, it is far better to prepare a written document which highlights your content from the presentation and expands on that content.
    • mnollsch
      mnollsch on 15 Jul 14
       
      This reinforces my thinking to go back to providing a notes page and then editing my powerpoints to make them simpler.
    • mnollsch
      mnollsch on 15 Jul 14
       
      These slides are helpful examples
    • pattyharris123
      pattyharris123 on 12 Aug 14
       
      I always thought "good" slides had good content. It makes sense that you should put little on the slides and then talk about the content, rather than load the slide with info.
  • ...59 more annotations...
  • try to highlight the main point of each bullet point. Try to bold only the key parts of each point — limit it to as few words as possible.
    • mnollsch
      mnollsch on 15 Jul 14
       
      Good tip.  I found in looking at many of my presentations I had already highlighted key words.  So why did I add all the other text?
    • Kristina Dvorak
      Kristina Dvorak on 17 Jul 14
       
      This is a helpful idea, I have never thought to do this before.
    • we4nails
      we4nails on 20 Jul 14
       
      I agree - this is a really logical way to pair down my wordy slides without loosing important content. It also encourages note taking in the right way for students.
    • pattyharris123
      pattyharris123 on 12 Aug 14
       
      Occasionally, I have highlighted text on a slide, but I thought I was only putting relevant information on the slide with lots of bullets. Ugh. I could have probably gotten by (I now know I could have) with only putting the hightlighted word and another word or two on the slide, instead.
    • mnollsch
      mnollsch on 15 Jul 14
       
      So much about PP I don't know how to do! I think it's time to take an advance PP class.
    • pattyharris123
      pattyharris123 on 12 Aug 14
       
      I have realized the same. I thought I knew PP pretty well, but starting to work on these new slides (and all the new information) has almost blown me away! I have a friend who just aced a college PP class - I am hoping she can help me work through some of the "new" stuff to me. I don't want PP to be too time comsuming, but I want them to be effective.
  • I often use images of people in my slides, as photography of people tends to help the audience connect with the slide on a more emotional level.
    • kbelland21
      kbelland21 on 16 Jul 14
       
      Makes sense when trying to tell a story and connect with the audience on an emotional level.
    • pattyharris123
      pattyharris123 on 12 Aug 14
       
      I definitely need to switch over to photography. I tend to use cutesy images. Not really sure why other than I like them. Using photos would bring a point home now if the right image is used.
  • People should be able to comprehend each one in about three seconds.
    • kbelland21
      kbelland21 on 16 Jul 14
       
      Good rule of thumb.
    • Patty Harrell
      Patty Harrell on 17 Jul 14
       
      3 seconds - will be a challenge.I will really have to try to think about  the audience and what might attract their attention..
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 20 Jul 14
       
      If it takes longer, then I think a presenter should be quiet and give them time. It isn't that we can't give some silent time to read... it is just that we don't like to, I think.
    • david moeller
      david moeller on 21 Jul 14
       
      Three seconds seems like a good time to transition anyway. 3 seconds of quite between slides, audience gets the glance and then the presenter talks...
    • tjbudd
      tjbudd on 22 Jul 14
       
      I struggle with this when I present charts and graphs. The takeaway is to simplify the graph or chart to highlight what I'm trying to say.
    • pattyharris123
      pattyharris123 on 12 Aug 14
       
      We shouldn't need the time to read with only a few words on the slide. I like to give that "wait time" AFTER I have spoken. Still work work the same way - giving the audience time to comprehend.
  • Remember the golden rule of PowerPoint presentations — always do what is right for your audience.
    • kbelland21
      kbelland21 on 16 Jul 14
       
      When creating and preparing for a presentation, it is important to put yourself in the position of the audience.
  • It’s okay to cover details verbally that are not reflected in your bullet points.
    • kbelland21
      kbelland21 on 16 Jul 14
       
      I am guilty of including a lot of information on presentations. I need to remember that I can include information that is not a bullet point.
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 20 Jul 14
       
      This is a pretty straightforward example of this process. It really isn't too hard once it is laid out like this, but it isn't a natural step for me either.
  • convert each bullet point into a separate image
    • kbelland21
      kbelland21 on 16 Jul 14
       
      Great idea if it is possible with the slide content.
    • pattyharris123
      pattyharris123 on 05 Aug 14
       
      In my opinion, the slide would get too cluttered and distracting to do this.
  • Think of your slides as billboards. When people drive, they only briefly take their eyes off their main focus — the road — to process billboard information
    • Kristina Dvorak
      Kristina Dvorak on 17 Jul 14
       
      This is a good correlation and great tip.  
    • we4nails
      we4nails on 20 Jul 14
       
      I agree, this is one of my favorite tips so far, it made me rethink a couple of my slides!
  • So when adding elements to your slides, have a good reason: Does the audience need to see your logo on each slide to remember who you work for? Does that blue swoosh add meaning? If not, leave it off
    • Kristina Dvorak
      Kristina Dvorak on 17 Jul 14
       
      This is good information and should be done during the 'analog' stage.
    • tjbudd
      tjbudd on 22 Jul 14
       
      This one is tough because some companies demand the logo be placed on slides.
  • If they fall below 24 pt then you might be on to something. Also, look at the number of lines you use for your bullet points. If you use more than two lines anywhere, then they’re definitely leaning text heavy.
    • Kristina Dvorak
      Kristina Dvorak on 17 Jul 14
       
      Good guideline for checking up on myself.
  • Nothing in your slide should be superfluous, ever.
  • Follow these steps to reduce and simplify your text-heavy bullet points
    • Kristina Dvorak
      Kristina Dvorak on 17 Jul 14
       
      I like the steps used in this process.  I think the most challenging part of designing presentations is figuring out what is most important.  This seems so helpful in making those decisions.  
    • pattyharris123
      pattyharris123 on 12 Aug 14
       
      The most challenging part of design would be figuring out what to use to engage the audience (ie photograph). If we have the end design in mind, and know what our main points are, the text should be easily simplified.
    • Patty Harrell
      Patty Harrell on 17 Jul 14
       
      Not sure how I will manage to leave superfluous behind. I'm so used to looking for ways to incorporate it. I do agree  it would improve presentation when I think about what I like to see when I am listening to a presentation. 
  • Instead of a copy of your PowerPoint slides, it is far better to prepare a written document which highlights your content from the presentation and expands on that content.
    • Patty Harrell
      Patty Harrell on 17 Jul 14
       
      YIKES! both of these look impossible! I have listened to presentations like this and the presenter doesn't always read them and I can't see them well enough to read-it's very frustrating. Eye chart is exactly what I think of.
  • Use high-quality graphics including photographs.
    • Kristina Dvorak
      Kristina Dvorak on 17 Jul 14
       
      Coming from an art teacher, this is GREAT advice!
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 20 Jul 14
       
      Even coming from a very non-artistic person... this is GREAT advice! I couldn't make art when I try, but I can make crap... which means I know crappy visuals when I see them :)
    • pattyharris123
      pattyharris123 on 05 Aug 14
       
      This IS great advice, but...I will miss the cutesy graphics. (Just kidding.) Looking for the higher quality graphics that are appropriate is going to take some time.
  • “Wipe Left-to-Right” (from the “Animations” menu) is good for a bullet point
  • The right color can help persuade and motivate.
    • pattyharris123
      pattyharris123 on 05 Aug 14
       
      I never really thought about this before for a presention. However, I know when I dress for certain events, I look for outfits of a certain color so it only makes sense that this would be even more appropriate for presentations!
  • color usage can increase interest and improve learning comprehension and retention.
  • Cool colors work best for backgrounds
  • Warm colors generally work best for objects in the foreground (
  • white background with black or dark text works much better.
  • San-serif fonts are generally best for PowerPoint presentations,
  • video clips to show concrete examples promotes active cognitive processing, which is the natural way people learn.
  • people comprehend better when information is presented in small chunks or segments.
  • Spend time in the slide sorter
    • Patty Harrell
      Patty Harrell on 17 Jul 14
       
      There is a first time for everything. I have not ever done this, but it makes good sense, so I will start using it.
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 20 Jul 14
       
      I think this is true for many people. Power Point used to not let you re-arrange slides from the normal view (via that sidebar). You had to go to this view to re-arrange things. Then it got easier to use. The slide sorter is a tool that encourages a creative look at the big picture of one's presentation
  • extras actually take away meaning
    • Patty Harrell
      Patty Harrell on 17 Jul 14
       
      I want their attention to be focused and not distraccted by "extras" I better remember this.
  • including a healthy amount of white space sharpens viewers’ focus
    • tjbudd
      tjbudd on 22 Jul 14
       
      Good point. Leaving white space seems like wasting valuable real estate for presenting our message but in reality, the white space makes understanding our message easier.
  • This is all too common.
    • Patty Harrell
      Patty Harrell on 17 Jul 14
       
      Another thing I am guilty of although I usually just don't use these, but I'm not sure how to do this correctly. 
    • tjbudd
      tjbudd on 22 Jul 14
       
      I see this very commonly. Presenters don't take the time to find quality images. They google a topic and pull very low resolution photos to include in their presentation. The resolution is fine for a website but grainy when displayed large.
  • what's your intention?
    • Patty Harrell
      Patty Harrell on 17 Jul 14
       
      Why am I using this image? If I can't answer that clearly-I need to pick another.
  • Your slides should have plenty of “white space” or “negative space.”
    • we4nails
      we4nails on 20 Jul 14
       
      I teach students about the parallel of white space with rests in music, I never thought about how that should be used in presentations before!
  • Best if you limit the bars to 4-8.
    • we4nails
      we4nails on 20 Jul 14
       
      This is helpful to me, as I like to use charts, but have a hard time determining where to stop with information - balancing the need to know with the why do I care.
  • You can achieve this through consistent type styles, color, image treatment, and element placement throughout the slide deck
    • we4nails
      we4nails on 20 Jul 14
       
      Again, I like the idea of consistency without the use of the templates. We are often drawn to the templates because they are consistent, but there are so many other ways to create the same effect.
  • relevant
    • we4nails
      we4nails on 20 Jul 14
       
      I need to remember that this means relevant to the AUDIENCE!
  • Now the software background template can be seen just enough to become a bit of noise
  • Have a visual theme, but avoid using PowerPoint templates
    • david moeller
      david moeller on 21 Jul 14
       
      It's interesting that the software we use to create presentations has bad presentation templates..
    • pattyharris123
      pattyharris123 on 05 Aug 14
       
      The templates were one of my original "draws" to PowerPoint. They made things so easy to get started.
  • mage is lame & has nothing to do with content
    • david moeller
      david moeller on 21 Jul 14
       
      But it made me laugh! :-)
  • Presentation software gives us many shiny, seductive elements to work with
    • david moeller
      david moeller on 21 Jul 14
       
      It does. and all the examples here really help me to identify what is quality and what is not..
  • bullet points in your slides are way too text heavy?
    • david moeller
      david moeller on 21 Jul 14
       
      answer: almost every time i create a powerpoint. :-/
    • tjbudd
      tjbudd on 22 Jul 14
       
      I did this in the past. I actually stopped using powerpoint because students didn't like it. I think I used the slides (as an outline) more than my students. I moved to telling more stories and relating topics to current interests and events. Students are much more engaged.
  • Remove all extraneous copy from bullet points
    • david moeller
      david moeller on 21 Jul 14
       
      This is difficult! but it is rewarding once the final product comes out nice and clean...
  • The software was designed as a convenient way to display graphical information that would support the speaker and supplement the presentation.
    • jessicawoods8
      jessicawoods8 on 21 Jul 14
       
      These words stand out to me: support and supplement.
  • use no more than two-three different types of transition effects and do not place transition effects between all slides
    • jessicawoods8
      jessicawoods8 on 21 Jul 14
       
      Good to remember to use no more than 2-3 different types of transition effects. 
  • Again, if it is included in the software, your audience has seen it a million times before.
  • Again, if it is included in the software, your audience has seen it a million times before.
    • jessicawoods8
      jessicawoods8 on 21 Jul 14
       
      Great point! I have seen some images or borders that are overused on PowerPoints! 
  • You can give a good presentation without any images at all, but if you do use images in slides, try to keep these eleven tips in mind.
    • jessicawoods8
      jessicawoods8 on 21 Jul 14
       
      Imagining a presentation without visuals would have been crazy to think about before this class! 
  • Here’s an “after” slide to illustrate:
    • jessicawoods8
      jessicawoods8 on 21 Jul 14
       
      This slide is great because it leaves me wanting to know more about the topic. I would really pay attention to the speaker because I would be intrigued by the visual! 
  • The less clutter you have on your slide, the more powerful your visual message will become.
    • fshellabarger
      fshellabarger on 22 Jul 14
       
      This is good to remember. We need to be okay with letting go of the need to "fill the slide". I know that I personally struggle with thinking I should add more visual appeal.
  • decrease the opacity and add a Gaussian Blur or motion filter in Photoshop
    • fshellabarger
      fshellabarger on 22 Jul 14
       
      I never thought about whether an image is your primary or secondary focus on any given slide. The idea of fading the picture to the back for secondary is an interesting technique to make what needs to stand out more do just that.
  • the image is still a cliché
    • fshellabarger
      fshellabarger on 22 Jul 14
       
      This is good to note. It is time for us to step away from cliche pictures that will prevent our instruction from making an original, meaningful connection with our audience.
    • tjbudd
      tjbudd on 22 Jul 14
       
      Presenters and teachers get in a hurry to create their visuals and use anything to fill the page. What I'm learning is that these images do more damage than good by distracting our audience.
  • help you remember what to cover but won’t make it easier for the audience to digest it.
    • fshellabarger
      fshellabarger on 22 Jul 14
       
      It's interesting to see how something that can try to make the speaker more comfortable can actually work against the purpose they are speaking for. We need to ask ourselves, what is more important: our audience or our script?
  • Focus on the main phrases
    • fshellabarger
      fshellabarger on 22 Jul 14
       
      This is a helpful reminder. It really hit me when I read one of the lessons in simplifying that stated we should never have a full sentence on a slide. We only need enough text for it to be memorable when we are sharing on it. In some cases, text may not even be needed to do this.
  • Even worse is to take a free comp from a photo website and stretch it out
    • tjbudd
      tjbudd on 22 Jul 14
       
      It's fine to use these images as comps until you decide whether or not the image will work but the high res image should be used in a final presentation.
  • the star, of course, is your audience
    • joyisuful
      joyisuful on 23 Jul 14
       
      Have to always keep this in mind.  The audience is the star- how can I make sure they feel satisfied after I'm finished withe my presentation?
  • If you have a detailed handout or publication for the audience to be passed out after your talk, you need not feel compelled to fill your PowerPoint slides with a great deal of text.
    • joyisuful
      joyisuful on 23 Jul 14
       
      This is something I have really learned in this class and had some interesting conversations with some people about this.  From my conversations I have learned that  people in occupations other than teaching have different oppinions about this.
  • And this is even better…
    • joyisuful
      joyisuful on 23 Jul 14
       
      I have to keep this in mind and keep working on keeping text as little as possible.
  • You can take your own high-quality photographs with your digital camera
    • joyisuful
      joyisuful on 23 Jul 14
       
      I need to take my own pictures more often.  My presentation is about history though so this is hard but give lots of presentations where I can take or use my own photographs.
  • You clearly need a consistent visual theme throughout your presentation, but most templates included in PowerPoint have been seen by your audience countless times (and besides, the templates are not all that great to begin with).
    • joyisuful
      joyisuful on 23 Jul 14
       
      This is hard for me.  I really like some of the templates in Keynote and don't feel like the audiences have seen them- the problem is they aren't always compatible with Powerpoint and sometimes have to present on a computer that only has Powerpoint.
  • Fonts communicate subtle messages in and of themselves, which is why you should choose fonts deliberately.
    • joyisuful
      joyisuful on 23 Jul 14
       
      Sometimes I'm like a kid when it comes to fonts and spend lots of times looking for a "cool" one.  I need to always remember that simple is better!
    • Patty Harrell
      Patty Harrell on 23 Jul 14
       
      The thing is some kids have trouble with some of the letters in the fonts suggested. I use comic sans because I like the way the a and the g look. For special ed students with moderate disability, it looks more familiar to the way they are learning to print.
  • Think like a designer when you arrange slide elements.
    • joyisuful
      joyisuful on 23 Jul 14
       
      I'm not a designer and think I'm not very good at thinking like one- a weakness of mine.  I need to keep the design elements in mind.
kluttenegger

Articles: Design - 0 views

moodlesw.aeapdonline.org/...view.php

shared by kluttenegger on 19 Jun 15 - No Cached
  • You can then save the PowerPoint file as a Design Template (.pot) and the new template will appear among your standard Microsoft templates for your future use. You can also purchase professional templates on-line (for example:
    • leahjmiller
      leahjmiller on 19 Jun 15
       
      Awesome!  I didn't know that you could do this.
    • cherylfletcher
      cherylfletcher on 30 Jun 15
       
      Good to know.
  • Colors can be divided into two general categories: Cool (such as blue and green) and Warm (such as orange and red). Cool colors work best for backgrounds as they appear to recede away from us into the background. Warm colors generally work best for objects in the foreground (such as text) because they appear to be coming at us.
    • leahjmiller
      leahjmiller on 19 Jun 15
       
      I often don't think in terms of the cool/warm colors but just try to pick colors that go together.  Now I will be more mindful.
  • Lots of extras actually take away meaning because they become a distraction.
    • leahjmiller
      leahjmiller on 19 Jun 15
       
      Throughout the course readings, I've come to really understand this.  The great examples speak for themselves.
  • ...32 more annotations...
  • Do any slides feel text heavy? Be honest with yourself.
    • leahjmiller
      leahjmiller on 19 Jun 15
       
      I realize that my slides have been very text heavy in the past.  Now it is easy to think, duh, why put all the text on the slide, if I'm going to be sharing the information with my audience anyways.
  • This happens when you take a low-rez jpeg (from a website, for example) and stretch it out.
    • leahjmiller
      leahjmiller on 19 Jun 15
       
      This is very frustrating to me.  I've experienced this many times and I often end up picking a different picture.
    • cherylfletcher
      cherylfletcher on 30 Jun 15
       
      This is a hard topic to explain to people. I have worked with staff for many years explaining bigger is better. You can always make it smaller and be ok but the oppposite is not true.
  • People should be able to comprehend each one in about three seconds
    • dahrens20
      dahrens20 on 22 Jun 15
       
      Being a business teacher I'm seeing a lot of similar traits to building resumes and app letters...the effectiveness of white space and as  mentioned here the eye test.
  • A clear visual hierarchy allows viewers to quickly ascertain a slide’s most important elements:
    • dahrens20
      dahrens20 on 22 Jun 15
       
      These slides are really hitting home with me with the larger font on the statistic. I'm realizing now that I haven't utilized statistics this way in the past in my presentations and will change that going forward!
    • berlandson
      berlandson on 30 Jun 15
       
      I also find myself trying to be "consistent" so I don't vary the font size.  This illustrates how important it is to emphasize the important!
  • The arrow comes in later to underscore the point: Our future looks good!
    • dahrens20
      dahrens20 on 22 Jun 15
       
      I've never seen a chart with the added emphasized arrow...I like it!  It definitely grabs your attention right away!
  • you hate bullet points
    • dahrens20
      dahrens20 on 22 Jun 15
       
      I'm definitely agreeing with using as few as bullet points as possible after looking through all the articles and lessons in this class. You're making me think real hard how I'm going to approach my college computer class that I teach. Obviously we aren't in PPT very long compared to the other Microsoft applications but never have I discouraged using bullets...now you're making this hard on me!  : )  There will definitely be some itmes and ideas that I take from this class and learn it forward.
  • Try to bold only the key parts of each point — limit it to as few words as possible.
    • dahrens20
      dahrens20 on 22 Jun 15
       
      Very simple but yet very productive!
    • pfineran
      pfineran on 26 Jun 15
       
      I have done this far too often in the past and also been in presentations that used too many bullets. I'm very excited to learn how to avoid this pitfall.
    • pfineran
      pfineran on 26 Jun 15
       
      When I first learned how to work with PPT, I thought animations and fades and such were a plus. Now I realize they get a little distracting.
    • pfineran
      pfineran on 26 Jun 15
       
      This a great rule of thumb to go by!
    • pfineran
      pfineran on 26 Jun 15
       
      As someone who is very visual in the way I process information, I can see that this second example would be what I would prefer. It's simple and it's a lot less to take in.
    • pfineran
      pfineran on 26 Jun 15
       
      I thought too much white space was a bad thing. Here it actually works to make the image/text stand out. I always thought there had to be strict balance.
  • if it is included in the software, your audience has seen it a million times before
    • kluttenegger
      kluttenegger on 28 Jun 15
       
      This seems so incredibly obvious, yet I have never considered it. The same clip art is being reused through the world and many presenters are probably unaware.  With high schoolers at least, I think overly cheesy or old graphics are a quick way to lose both credibility and engagement.
    • berlandson
      berlandson on 30 Jun 15
       
      In my personal finance class I have always used the company slides with my changes.  I was worried most about content and then last year one of my students asked if I had considered using a different template for each unit (it was stated in a kind way, just wondering way) and it made me see the need for change.  Last year I just changed templates....which they liked.  I wish they could see the changes this class is bringing for me!
  • Use appropriate charts
    • kluttenegger
      kluttenegger on 28 Jun 15
       
      The power of these charts lies in their simplicity. When we usually see charts in PD or staff meetings they are cram too much information into one slide. While I'm very unfamiliar with creating charts, I think well-designed and visually simple ones could enhance several of my presentations.
  • contains watermark
    • kluttenegger
      kluttenegger on 28 Jun 15
       
      I'm not sure there is a quicker way to advertise that your selection of images is lazy than to have a gigantic watermark plastered on a screen.  Students also need to be reminded how poorly this can reflect on a presenter.
  • Think of your slides as billboards
    • kluttenegger
      kluttenegger on 28 Jun 15
       
      This combined with the three second rule mentioned above are helpful tips, but also very practical. You don't need a degree in design to consider how quickly your slide can be comprehended.  I've never considered how quickly people give up on a slide that is confusing, but we all do it.
    • cherylfletcher
      cherylfletcher on 30 Jun 15
       
      Great concept. We only put important information on a billboard and that should follow suit on presentation.
  • Follow these steps to reduce and simplify your text-heavy bullet points
    • kluttenegger
      kluttenegger on 28 Jun 15
       
      I was getting a bit frustrated at being told why so many slides are crap but not having enough practical advice to prevent it. This list of steps is incredibly helpful. I can't wait to try and simplify some of my presentations, though I'm scared how long it may take for such a text heavy person like myself!
  • Image is stretched vertically & distorted
    • berlandson
      berlandson on 30 Jun 15
       
      This is a #1 "bad presentation" thing for students!  Sometimes I think they think they are at the mercy of the software and decide "I can't do anything about the strange picture"!  Distorted images draw the audience to the image rather than the message!
  • And this is even better…
    • berlandson
      berlandson on 30 Jun 15
       
      This really proves "a picture is worth 1000 words"..the slide started out so wordy and see it move to one "word" is impressive!
  • Remove all extraneous copy from bullet points
    • berlandson
      berlandson on 30 Jun 15
       
      Love this advice.  Hard for teachers to walk away from "the list", but this advice improves "the list"!
  • Your slides should have plenty of “white space” or “negative space.” Do not feel compelled to fill empty areas on your slide with your logo or other unnecessary graphics or text boxes that do not contribute to better understanding. The less clutter you have on your slide, the more powerful your visual message will become.
    • gsmutz
      gsmutz on 30 Jun 15
       
      Before this class, I had never thought about how important the white space was.  I am looking forward to making my powerpoint effective by using the white space to my advantage.
    • cherylfletcher
      cherylfletcher on 30 Jun 15
       
      White space - guess I always thought it looked blank and needed to be filled. I will have to practice this one.
  • If the photographic image is the primary area I want the audience to notice (such as a picture of a product), then the image can be more pronounced and little (or no) text is needed.
    • gsmutz
      gsmutz on 30 Jun 15
       
      I like how this idea was explained.  If the picture is the focal point, make it stand out!  If the text is the focal point, blur the picture and the text will draw the eye first.
  • Spend time in the slide sorter
  • Spend time in the slide sorter
  • Spend time in the slide sorter
    • gsmutz
      gsmutz on 30 Jun 15
       
      I don't think I have ever used this screen on powerpoint.  This will be beneficial to make sure my slides have a consistent theme and that they flow nicely.
    • cherylfletcher
      cherylfletcher on 30 Jun 15
       
      I remember when I have worked with staff who do not use powerpoint very much how excited they were to see the slide sorter. Some of them had deleted slides in the past because they were in the wrong order. OH MY!
  • Can you just send me your PowerPoint slides?” But if they are good slides, they will be of little use without you
    • cherylfletcher
      cherylfletcher on 30 Jun 15
       
      This happens at a lot of the conferences I attend. I get the documents with links and things but the actual presentation? It should NOT be any good without the speaker.
  • Use high-quality graphics including photographs.
    • cherylfletcher
      cherylfletcher on 30 Jun 15
       
      The AEA provides great clip art and real photography. I push it to my staff but I feel they use the google images way to much and they are not always appropriate.
  • Unity. Slides with visual unity look as though the same person created them and make your message feel cohesive. You can achieve this through consistent type styles, color, image treatment, and element placement throughout the slide deck. Here’s a pair of slides to illustrate:
    • gsmutz
      gsmutz on 01 Jul 15
       
      I like how this looks.  How do you find images that you can do this with (put on any color screen)?  I also notice how each image is placed in line with the other images.
  • Step 4b: Replace bullet points with images
  • Step 4b: Replace bullet points with images
    • gsmutz
      gsmutz on 01 Jul 15
       
      This is a good way to get more pictures and less text.  It would also be easy to present on, given the pictures that you were showing.  I am assuming you show the whole slide at once, and not get one picture animated after another.
  • Step 4b: Replace bullet points with images
  • informed
katekrieg

AEA PD Online: Log in to the site - 0 views

moodlesw.aeapdonline.org/...view.php

shared by katekrieg on 15 Sep 15 - No Cached
  • prepare a written document which highlights your content from the presentation and expands on that content.
    • scott fillner
      scott fillner on 15 Sep 15
       
      It seems like a no brainer, but I think it is such a valid piece of the presentation to consider...amount of text & handouts that support.
    • alberhasky
      alberhasky on 20 Sep 15
       
      Scott, I agree. I can see how a handout is better than a slide full of text.
    • emoses
      emoses on 23 Sep 15
       
      Bullets are my go-to in all my presentations. And I hate to just read off the screen; it's very boring for everyone! They can read - why am I reading it to them? My only notes I bring are the slides from the presentation, and I think it would be more beneficial to bring background notes/information as opposed to just repeating what they're reading.
  • Limit transitions & builds
    • scott fillner
      scott fillner on 15 Sep 15
       
      It is funny how this has transitioned from the beginning of PPT. I remember many years ago teaching in a different district where transitions with sounds were encouraged for students. Never really understood even at that time how this was needed.  The kids think it is neat, but it is quite the distraction. I can viviidly remember a student who completed a presentation for enrichment coming back with transitions and sound effects \where their content came in a letter at a time....ugh :)
  • presented in small chunks or segments
    • scott fillner
      scott fillner on 15 Sep 15
       
      This is no different when we consider scaffolding success criteria for students. Thinking about organization, flow, and scaffolding learning.
  • ...26 more annotations...
  • White space.
    • scott fillner
      scott fillner on 15 Sep 15
       
      I learned the value of white space for our Art teacher.  We were discussing what is visually appealing and if certain ways of arranging information actually help make it stick.  That led us to a chat about white space.
  • Replace bullet points with images
    • scott fillner
      scott fillner on 15 Sep 15
       
      This will be a focal point of my presentation improvement for this class. Since my presentation is for welcoming new parents, then I should be able to replace information with images, and provide a handout to enhance presentation.
    • alberhasky
      alberhasky on 20 Sep 15
       
      This is the really tricky part, I think. Finding the right image and incorporating it into the presentation with visual appeal takes time and effort.
    • carolborchard
      carolborchard on 24 Sep 15
       
      This will be the hardest for me because I don't enjoy searching for things on the computer. 
    • carolborchard
      carolborchard on 24 Sep 15
       
      This will be the hardest for me because I don't like to search for things on the computer/internet.
  • try to
    • alberhasky
      alberhasky on 20 Sep 15
       
      Audience and purpose are key! We should not add images just for the sake of adding images, but because the context deems it appropriate and beneficial. Good to keep in mind!
  • f you will be presenting in a dark room (such as a large hall), then a dark background (dark blue, grey, etc.) with white or light text will work fine. But if you plan to keep most of the lights on (which is highly advisable) then a white background with black or dark text works much better.
    • alberhasky
      alberhasky on 20 Sep 15
       
      Keeping the light source of the room in mind is great advice! I can see how that's helpful for design.
  • Lots of extras actually take away meaning because they become a distraction. They overtax the audience’s cognitive resources.
    • alberhasky
      alberhasky on 20 Sep 15
       
      Seems like this is an important theme throughout this course: simplicity!
  • Go through your bullet points and try to highlight the main point of each bullet point.
    • alberhasky
      alberhasky on 20 Sep 15
       
      I think this is an excellent and easy strategy to start editing text-dependent slides!
  • But boring an audience with bullet point after bullet point is of little benefit to them
    • micintosh
      micintosh on 22 Sep 15
       
      It is amazing how I now look at the audience and the slides to see how they react.  The last presentation had many bullets points which made me shutter, and the audience was also disengaged.
  • Regardless of what font you choose, make sure the text can be read from the back of the room.
    • micintosh
      micintosh on 22 Sep 15
       
      This is so true. I was just at a presentation where half of the audience kept asking what the slide said because the font was too small.
    • emoses
      emoses on 23 Sep 15
       
      I think there should be a standard size on font (nothing smaller than 30 or something). This would force people not to put so much on the slide!
  • A clear visual hierarchy allows viewers to quickly ascertain a slide’s most important elements
  • convert each bullet point into a separate image
  • If you chose the slide on the right you could also have a simple line chart fade in as you talk about the declining rate as a long-term trend.
    • micintosh
      micintosh on 24 Sep 15
       
      The example on the right seems to go against some of the suggestions in this lesson about design.  The text pops out, but in the picture is a little small and the graph on top of the picture seems like a lot of clutter.
  • Your slides should have plenty of “white space” or “negative space.” Do not feel compelled to fill empty areas on your slide with your logo or other unnecessary graphics or text boxes that do not contribute to better understanding. The less clutter you have on your slide, the more powerful your visual message will become.
    • emoses
      emoses on 23 Sep 15
       
      I don't know why, but for some reason I do not like having white space! I feel like it should always be filled with something, because there's always something to look at or learn. Doing less of the "white space"/"negative space" would give my note-takers a nice breather! I also have to determine what my audience needs to know to succeed, as opposed to what all I can cram in 40 minutes!
    • carolborchard
      carolborchard on 24 Sep 15
       
      I think we will need to accept that what is on the screen isn't equal to the value gained from the slides. I tend to gauge the value of presentations I attend by how much data I saw, how fast I had to take notes or how fast I had to follow along with the slides. I need to re-train my thinking that the slides are the focus aid but not the whole content of the presentation.
  • Avoid using PowerPoint Clip Art or other cartoonish line art.
    • emoses
      emoses on 23 Sep 15
       
      Another mistake made - I always like to have visuals to help my visual learners a bit, and I do like the options that Google Slides has for pictures, but for some reason I think cartoons could be fun for the students. My attempt at making my presentations "fun" has fallen short (and I think my classes would wholeheartedly agree!) Real-life images would be much more compelling and help the students relate a little more.
    • francysmaureen
      francysmaureen on 23 Sep 15
       
      I like ClipArt because of the weight inside the document or presentation vs a picture that weights more. Whenever I create a Kahoot in my class, I prefer ClipArt. I don't knwo why the author hates it so much
  • You clearly need a consistent visual theme throughout your presentation, but most templates included in PowerPoint have been seen by your audience countless times (and besides, the templates are not all that great to begin with).
    • emoses
      emoses on 23 Sep 15
       
      It's hard to remember that students are seeing presentations again, and again, and again, so making your presentation unique would definitely help your class. I'm guilty of template usage just because I don't like white space, and I think making it a bit more colorful helps? However, thinking about putting actual pictures in the background, as opposed to templates, would be a better idea, and get the message across much better!
  • Color evokes feelings. Color is emotional. The right color can help persuade and motivate. Studies show that color usage can increase interest and improve learning comprehension and retention.
    • emoses
      emoses on 23 Sep 15
       
      I am a big fan of color, but I think too much color can give the students a headache! I'm always presenting in my classroom, with one light off, so it's somewhat dark, and I usually use darker colors too. I try to make the information stand out by using light or white text, but in the end, it really does get hard to read sometimes. 
  • to never, ever turn your back on the audience and read text from the slide word for word.
    • francysmaureen
      francysmaureen on 23 Sep 15
       
      If we ever read word by word from a slide we are not giving a presentation. Just like in school, we had some words on cards, we never read from them. I don't know why they insist on this. To me, this is obvious.
    • carolborchard
      carolborchard on 24 Sep 15
       
      How many times have we seen this happen by people who speak/present for their livelihood? Don't turn away from the audience!
  • People should be able to comprehend each one in about three seconds.
    • francysmaureen
      francysmaureen on 23 Sep 15
       
      I like the idea that a slide can be understood at a glance. I'll keep this on mind
  • consistent type styles, color, image treatment, and element placement throughout the slide deck
    • francysmaureen
      francysmaureen on 23 Sep 15
       
      If all these elements are consistent, we can tell they have been organized and belong in the same presentation
  • Try to bold only the key parts of each point — limit it to as few words as possible.
    • francysmaureen
      francysmaureen on 23 Sep 15
       
      Bullet points should serve as reminders of what we're going to be talking about, right? That's what I learned in my technology in Ed class at UNI
  • there’s beauty and clarity in restraint. Use simple visuals that support your message, and you’ll free people up to really hear — and adopt — your ideas.
  • direct people’s eyes to certain areas of a slide to emphasize important points.
  • 24 pt
  • two lines might even be too much.
  • Focus on the main phrases
  • add one relevant image
  • The trick becomes finding just the right image(s)
  • katekrieg on 03 Oct 15
     
    Design of the presentation
cherylfletcher

Articles: Presentation "Awakening" - 1 views

moodlesw.aeapdonline.org/...view.php

shared by cherylfletcher on 14 Jun 15 - No Cached
  • One of the findings mentioned in the article: it is more difficult to process information if it is coming at you both verbally and in written form at the same time. Since people can not read and listen well at the same time, the reporter suggested, then this may mean "the death of the PowerPoint presentation."
    • leahjmiller
      leahjmiller on 14 Jun 15
       
      As I read this, I know this is true.  I attend Professional Development all the time in which the person presenting is "reading" the slides as I am trying to also read them.  Most times I am also trying to take notes.  Obviously, this is not an effective way to remember the content.
    • dahrens20
      dahrens20 on 18 Jun 15
       
      You are correct about this now that I think about it. A lot of that has to do with the time in preparation as we all know time is precious with just our regular schedule. 
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 21 Jun 15
       
      While reading off the slides is never good, it is especially painful when the person is up front and cranes his neck around to read the slides, turning away from the audience.
    • berlandson
      berlandson on 23 Jun 15
       
      I try so hard to help my students be confident enough about their presentation to realize they don't have to write every word!!  I've always encouraged brief bullets and now I think I will have to work on dropping bullets.
  • Next time you plan a presentation, then, start by using a pencil and pad, a whiteboard, or a stick in the sand — anything except jumping headfirst into slideware on your computer with its templates, outlines, and content wizards that may point you down a path you wish not to go.
    • leahjmiller
      leahjmiller on 15 Jun 15
       
      This will be a new practice, to plan before just diving straight into the presentation but it will be beneficial. 
    • cherylfletcher
      cherylfletcher on 30 Jun 15
       
      Most of us do dive in before planning, remember back to the days of writing the report and then typing it up?
  • No more than six words on a slide. EVER. There is no presentation so complex that this rule needs to be broken.
    • leahjmiller
      leahjmiller on 15 Jun 15
       
      This is a big one for me!  It's an "a-ha" that I will put into practice right away!
  • ...28 more annotations...
  • six key principles in common: simplicity, unexpectedness, concreteness, credibility, emotions, and stories. And yes, these six compress nicely into the acronym SUCCESs.
    • leahjmiller
      leahjmiller on 15 Jun 15
       
      What a great acronym to help remember these six key principles.
    • berlandson
      berlandson on 23 Jun 15
       
      I wrote this down in the list I am keeping of improvements I know I want to make immediately!!
    • cherylfletcher
      cherylfletcher on 30 Jun 15
       
      Hopefully can remember the SUCCESs acronym. I seem to never forget the RICE one!
  • One of the components for creating sticking messages is story.
    • leahjmiller
      leahjmiller on 15 Jun 15
       
      I don't think I've thought about presentations being presented as a story.  However, stories are usually very memorable so this will be a great strategy.  However, I do see how time consuming it will be!
  • Words should be presented as speech (i.e., narration) rather than text (i.e., on-screen text) or as speech and text.
    • dahrens20
      dahrens20 on 19 Jun 15
       
      It's much more interesting listening to someone presenting when it's an actual presentation and  not just reading word for word as what this article has referred to.
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 21 Jun 15
       
      This is very true. However, not all speaking is golden. It takes some skill (and confidence) to make that work.
  • No more than six words on a slide. EVER. There is no presentation so complex that this rule needs to be broken.
    • dahrens20
      dahrens20 on 19 Jun 15
       
      This was an eye-opener for me to read as I'm still use to teaching the 7x7 rule...no more than 7 words in a line and no more than 7 lines on  a slide. Makes perfect sense though as the majority of the time it needs to be more of a presentation instead of a read along.
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 21 Jun 15
       
      Yes, the 7x7 rule leads to quite a bit of text still.
  • Don’t hand out print-outs of your slides. They don’t work without you there.
    • dahrens20
      dahrens20 on 19 Jun 15
       
      I think this largely depends on what you're presenting. I understand what they're saying but this one I say isn't 100% correct. What if you're presenting in Math class???
    • cherylfletcher
      cherylfletcher on 30 Jun 15
       
      I think follow up handout is good but it should not be the same as your presentation. Make a cheat sheet of instructions.
  • Sound effects can be used a few times per presentation, but never use the sound effects that are built in to the program.
    • dahrens20
      dahrens20 on 19 Jun 15
       
      This is fun for the younger students and keeps them engaged but I agree, not for presentation purposes.
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 21 Jun 15
       
      I am really not sold that even ripped CD sounds have a purpose. I wouldn't use these either. The only sound that should come from your computer is either from a video or a Skype-like live broadcast from someone afar.
    • cherylfletcher
      cherylfletcher on 30 Jun 15
       
      Hate the presenters who think the sounds effects are so cool so they put them in on about every slide.
  • Assignment: Pre-Class PresentationTutorial: Diigo Account SetupEnrichment: Are You Addicted to Power Point?
    • pfineran
      pfineran on 22 Jun 15
       
      I sure PowerPoint isn't going to go away! I am looking forward to learning the proper way to use it!
    • pfineran
      pfineran on 22 Jun 15
       
      This sounds so easy! I keep seeing advice to START prepping for a presentation on paper NOT in a slide show. Makes sense using these four steps!
    • pfineran
      pfineran on 22 Jun 15
       
      Love when steps are in easy to remember acronyms!
  • why are you there?
    • kluttenegger
      kluttenegger on 22 Jun 15
       
      This is a great question for any presenter to ask.  I have been part of innumerable staff meetings that existed to communicate information that should have been sent in an email or a printed sheet in teachers' mailboxes.  If the presenter isn't an integral piece than the presentation itself is doomed for mediocrity.
  • First, make yourself cue cards. Don’t put them on the screen. Put them in your hand. Now, you can use the cue cards you made to make sure you’re saying what you came to say.
    • kluttenegger
      kluttenegger on 22 Jun 15
       
      Aside from a student speech that didn't involve any slides, I can't remember the last time I saw a presenter using cue cards. Seems to be a dying strategy that is actually much more useful than reading verbatim from the slides themselves.
    • berlandson
      berlandson on 23 Jun 15
       
      I use the "notes page" within the presentation software to make bulleted lists as reminders to me.  I print the slides with notes and put them in a folder so I can review what I wanted to share with students before the presentation.  I find it easier than keeping track of notecards.  I notice my notes pages get pretty "messy" as I add things in ink after I print!
    • cherylfletcher
      cherylfletcher on 30 Jun 15
       
      Love the notes page - helps me tremendously to make sure I get all the facts out.
  • No cheesy images. Use professional stock photo images.
    • kluttenegger
      kluttenegger on 22 Jun 15
       
      Do "cheesy images" include personal photos, silly or otherwise? When the audience and presenter are very familiar I tend to think that familiarity can encourage relevancy and engagement for the audience. Perhaps "cheesy images" simply refers to the world of clip art.
    • berlandson
      berlandson on 23 Jun 15
       
      I'm excited to have sources for "free" pictures.  I've used a lot of poor clipart in the past!!  That will definitely have to go!
  • If everything is a priority, then nothing is a priority. You must be ruthless in your efforts to simplify—not dumb down—your message to its absolute core. We’re not talking about stupid sound bites here. Every idea can be reduced to its essential meaning if you work hard enough.
    • kluttenegger
      kluttenegger on 22 Jun 15
       
      This is such a challenge because as teachers we want to be as thorough as possible. There is so much information we want to communicate to students and/or colleagues that we never want to leave anything out. From the perspective of an audience member, however, "quality over quantity" is always preferred.
  • Proverbs are good, say the Heath brothers, at reducing abstract concepts to concrete, simple, but powerful (and memorable) language.
    • kluttenegger
      kluttenegger on 22 Jun 15
       
      I used proverbs for an assignment during the past school year and was amazed at how much they resonated with students. I hope to utilize them in newer presentations I create. Why fret at coming up with the perfect words when a centuries-old phrase can do it for you?
  • why are you there
    • gsmutz
      gsmutz on 22 Jun 15
       
      This final questions really made me think.  You want the audience to be listening and paying attention to you, not the computer screen.  Good last remark!
  • Second, make slides that reinforce your words, not repeat them
    • gsmutz
      gsmutz on 22 Jun 15
       
      This was well put.  So often, it seems the presenter says exactly what the slide said, but maybe in different words.  I like the idea of slides that reinforce your words.
  • IMPORTANT: Don’t hand out the written stuff at the beginning! If you do, people will read the memo while you’re talking and ignore you. Instead, your goal is to get them to sit back, trust you and take in the emotional and intellectual points of your presentation.
    • gsmutz
      gsmutz on 27 Jun 15
       
      I like this idea.  A lot of times at staff development (especially if we have a guest speaker), we get a huge packet of the powerpoint.  Although it is nice to have an outline, I often would find myself flipping through the packet instead of focusing on the presenter.  It would be better to watch the powerpoint and get a document with the most important parts of the presentation.
  • If you are famous in your field, you may have built-in credibility
    • gsmutz
      gsmutz on 27 Jun 15
       
      I am starting my 12th year of teaching, but my first year in the Iowa City School District.  I really want to work on my first day presentation so that the students know who I am without boring them.
    • cherylfletcher
      cherylfletcher on 30 Jun 15
       
      My role is not a teacher so when I present it is to parents, student groups and board. I need to work on this so my presentations follow my work ethic.
  • If everything is important, then nothing is important.
    • berlandson
      berlandson on 23 Jun 15
       
      Note to self.  This lesson is so hard for teachers!!  We are constantly encouraged to walk away from facts/details and focus on the big picture.  In the end the students cannot remember EVERYTHING so I think it is my job to help them sort out what is most important!
  • Stories get our attention and are easier to remember than lists of rules.
    • berlandson
      berlandson on 23 Jun 15
       
      I think this helps students tie to "real life".  I also thinks it helps build relationships with students when they hear personal stories from the teacher on occasion instead of just "bulleted lists". Takes time to build the stories!  I like to keep bookmarks and clippings of things I see and link them in to my presentations....I always tell the students I've found a friend who can tell the story :)
    • pfineran
      pfineran on 24 Jun 15
       
      Thinking about PPT as a medium rather than a method is an interesting way to think! It's a means to an end, a vehicle to get a message across. But it has limits just like any other medium, and it's important to keep that in mind.
    • pfineran
      pfineran on 24 Jun 15
       
      I have had some exposure to Cognitive Load Theory, but I never really thought about it in regards to my audiences who are experiencing my presentations. Just because I know what I'm saying doesn't mean they will magically "get it" especially when I throw too much at them at a time in multiple ways.
    • pfineran
      pfineran on 24 Jun 15
       
      THese images help me visualize the important features of a good presentation. This speaks to me very loudly as I am a visual learner.
  • it is more difficult to process information if it is coming at you both verbally and in written form at the same time
    • gsmutz
      gsmutz on 27 Jun 15
       
      I was surprised to see this quote.  I would have thought it would be easier for your brain to process information if you could see it and hear it.  I didn't think about the multi-tasking aspect, rather, I just thought they went together.
  • Is it finally time to ditch PowerPoint?
  • I am assuming that what Professor Sweller means is that the way PowerPoint is used should be ditched, not the tool itself
    • cherylfletcher
      cherylfletcher on 30 Jun 15
       
      Powerpoint is just a tool, the same as a computer. We would not ditch the computer but we should find a better way of using the tool.
  • Structure will help bring order to your presentation and make it easier for you to deliver it smoothly and for your audience to understand your message easily.
    • cherylfletcher
      cherylfletcher on 30 Jun 15
       
      I definitely need to be more structured when creating my presentations. It seems I am always forgetting something or adding something else.
tvalline

Articles: Design - 2 views

moodlesw.aeapdonline.org/...view.php

shared by tvalline on 24 Sep 14 - No Cached
  • The less clutter you have on your slide, the more powerful your visual message will become.
    • merle64
      merle64 on 24 Sep 14
       
      This is a huge takeaway for me--less is truly more. But the "less" needs to be thoughtful, not just less.
  • According to the Segmentation Principle of multimedia learning theory, people comprehend better when information is presented in small chunks or segments.
    • merle64
      merle64 on 24 Sep 14
       
      I wonder if this applies to young children, too, in terms of showing a few slides, then breaking for an activity or application, then returning to a few additional slides?
  • Again, nothing should look accidental. This looks like they were going for the full-bleed background image effect but just missed. Now the software background template can be seen just enough to become a bit of noise
    • merle64
      merle64 on 24 Sep 14
       
      This may look like many of my slides.  I considered that the "border" rather than "noise"--which is a bit like using a scrapbooking model rather than a presentation model.
    • nathanjenkins
      nathanjenkins on 29 Sep 14
       
      Yes, the border would seem to help.  Is there a way to fit to screen?  Is there a tool for this technique?  It often seems to be an issue for me.  
  • ...27 more annotations...
  • So make sure your slides pass what I call the glance test: People should be able to comprehend each one in about three seconds.
    • merle64
      merle64 on 24 Sep 14
       
      This glance test matches with the elevator test taught earlier.  If the presenter is able to pass the elevator test in terms of clarity, the audience should be able to pass the glance test with the slides.
  • If sharing this approach prevents just one audience from suffering through another bullet-point-intensive, “death by PowerPoint” session, my efforts were not in vain.
    • merle64
      merle64 on 24 Sep 14
       
      What a concrete, do-able approach to editing slide text down to the bare bones, or even replacing text entirely with visuals.  
  • Make sure you know the difference between a Serif font (e.g., Times New Roman) and a Sans-Serif font (Helvetica or Arial).
    • marydirksen
      marydirksen on 26 Sep 14
       
      I am so glad to have this explained! I did not know the difference between Serif and Sans-Serif.
  • f you have a detailed handout or publication for the audience to be passed out after your talk, you need not feel compelled to fill your PowerPoint slides with a great deal of text.
    • marydirksen
      marydirksen on 27 Sep 14
       
      Thanks to Zen Presentations, I did this very thing today at a faculty inservice. The atmosphere was light and fun and simple and I gave them a one page handout that was full of bullets. Thank you Zen!
    • nathanjenkins
      nathanjenkins on 29 Sep 14
       
      I am excited about changing my presentations and eliminating the wordiness.  I am a true believer in putting more work into the hands of the students, and they will hopefully become more in-tuned with the material.  
  • “white space”
    • marydirksen
      marydirksen on 27 Sep 14
       
      I like the repeated emphasis on white space. It has a very clear look.
  • Think of your slides as billboards.
    • marydirksen
      marydirksen on 27 Sep 14
       
      This comparison presents a strategy that will be very easy to remember.
  • Avoid off-the-shelf clip art
    • marydirksen
      marydirksen on 27 Sep 14
       
      Thank you for this strategy. Clip Art tends to cheapen the message.
  • Some animation is a good thing, but stick to the most subtle and professional
    • nathanjenkins
      nathanjenkins on 29 Sep 14
       
      I have been to many presentations where animation on the slides took over (often during technology meetings).  The only thing it said was that the tech guy knows his programs.  It was often distracting and limited the true expression of the material.
  • Similarly, your audience should focus intently on what you’re saying, looking only briefly at your slides when you display them
    • nathanjenkins
      nathanjenkins on 29 Sep 14
       
      I absolutely agree, but when the presentation is posted on a large screen in the front of the class it will be difficult to not have the students stare at the screen the entire time.  This kind of seems contradictory.  If we are trying to make catchy and interesting slides, why are we also only wanting them to take a brief glance?
  • Use the same font set throughout your entire slide presentation
  • You can use video clips within PowerPoint without ever leaving the application or tuning on a VCR. Using a video clip not only will illustrate your point better, it will also serve as a change of pace thereby increasing the interest of your audience. You can use audio clips (such as interviews) as well.
    • medidiigo
      medidiigo on 30 Sep 14
       
      I have never tried to use video or sound bites in my presentations. I would like to figure out how to do this
    • tvalline
      tvalline on 02 Oct 14
       
      I also believe incorporating video clips into my presentations will help keep the attention of the audience, as well as, add interest and hopefully deepen understanding.
  • Even worse is to take a free comp from a photo website and stretch it out. This introduces distracting visual noise (and says you are either cheap, lazy, or both). If you cannot afford images (or do not have a camera, etc.), then it's better to use none at all
    • medidiigo
      medidiigo on 30 Sep 14
       
      This author "makes no bones about it" when expressing his opinions. His adjectives are a bit harsh..here, and elsewhere....but point taken.
  • Sometimes the image is actually a pretty good one but it just needs a bit of editing so that the text will pop out more. The slide on the left below is not horrible but the balance is off and the text does not pop out as much as it could. For the slide on the right below, the image is cropped for better balance, giving more space for the text to breath (and a transparent box is added to help the text pop out a bit more, though there are other ways to do this).
    • medidiigo
      medidiigo on 30 Sep 14
       
      I have been experimenting with creating a transparent box to help the text show up when there is a picture with background that interferes. I am still not happy with the effect that I got. I'm thinking there is probably a better way.
    • tvalline
      tvalline on 02 Oct 14
       
      I would also like to perfect this technique.  I agree that it helps the text stand out much better.
  • White space is the open space surrounding items of interest. Presenters are often tempted to fill it up with additional content that competes for attention. But including a healthy amount of white space sharpens viewers’ focus by isolating elements. In this example, if we’d paired the text with a larger or more detailed image, your eye wouldn’t know where to begin, and the quote would have lost its power:
    • medidiigo
      medidiigo on 30 Sep 14
       
      Here, I'm wondering why they didn't enlarget he picture to cover the full screen as suggested earlier, and put that transparent box behind the text. Maybe they tried that and preferred this look. I find myself trying different things versions of my slides now as I am working on my current presentation project.
  • Presentation software gives us many shiny, seductive elements to work with. But there’s beauty and clarity in restraint. Use simple visuals that support your message, and you’ll free people up to really hear — and adopt — your ideas.
    • medidiigo
      medidiigo on 30 Sep 14
       
      This is well stated. It's a good point to take from the article and remember as I create my presentations.
  • It can be challenging to reduce and simplify
    • medidiigo
      medidiigo on 30 Sep 14
       
      True. More so than I thought it would be
  • Follow these steps to reduce and simplify your text-heavy bullet points — your audience will thank you. Live long and prosper.
    • medidiigo
      medidiigo on 30 Sep 14
       
      This is a good strategy for recreating old text-heavy PowerPoint presentations that need a fresh look.
  • (the star, of course, is your audience)
    • Joe Brekke
      Joe Brekke on 02 Oct 14
       
      Fantastic reminder. 
  • “negative space.”
    • Joe Brekke
      Joe Brekke on 02 Oct 14
       
      My architect friends always talk about this as well. 
  • The best slides may have no text at all.
    • Joe Brekke
      Joe Brekke on 02 Oct 14
       
      Let me transcribe that for myself so I remember: "The best slides have no text at all." Got it. 
  • Try to avoid cheesy clip art like this.
    • Joe Brekke
      Joe Brekke on 02 Oct 14
       
      Why do they still make this stuff and offer it? 
  • decrease the opacity and add a Gaussian Blur or motion filter in Photoshop
    • Joe Brekke
      Joe Brekke on 02 Oct 14
       
      I'm adding this suggestion to the tool belt. 
  • Image is lame & has nothing to do with contentNot sure what two guys shaking hands in front of a globe has to do with the fertility rate in Japan. Yet even if we were talking about "international partnership" the image is still a cliché.
    • Joe Brekke
      Joe Brekke on 02 Oct 14
       
      This just made me laugh out loud :-) 
  • People should be able to comprehend each one in about three seconds.
    • Joe Brekke
      Joe Brekke on 02 Oct 14
       
      Here's another easy-to-remember tip to pass on to my students. 
  • Use high-quality graphics including photographs
    • tvalline
      tvalline on 02 Oct 14
       
      Guilty.  I'm looking forward to working through my various presentations replacing my plethora of cartoon graphics with emotion-provoking photographs.
  • Audiences are much better served receiving a detailed, written handout as a takeaway from the presentation, rather than a mere copy of your PowerPoint slides
    • tvalline
      tvalline on 02 Oct 14
       
      I found this interesting.  I often wish I could just take the power point handout and be on my way since many times the presenter just reads the slides to the audience.  I can read.
  • Remove all extraneous copy from bullet points
    • tvalline
      tvalline on 02 Oct 14
       
      This is where I falter.  It's hard to simplify information to just one or two words, even though it is often more effective.  I will be working on this.
lauralross

Lesson: Articles on Visual Design - 2 views

www.aeak12online.org/...view.php

shared by lauralross on 05 Mar 16 - No Cached
  • Instead, it enhances it by engaging users and helping to build trust and interest in the brand.
    • Pam Buysman
      Pam Buysman on 05 Mar 16
       
      I think the key word is enhances. Content has to be most important and the layout and design of the website has to be secondary. It's important to make sure that the website itself doesn't overpower or overwhelm the message. 
  • You should direct the user’s eyes through a sequence of steps. For example, you might want your user to go from logo/brand to a primary positioning statement, next to a punchy image (to give the site personality), then to the main body text, with navigation and a sidebar taking a secondary position in the sequence. 
    • Pam Buysman
      Pam Buysman on 05 Mar 16
       
      Web design is a bit like designing a PowerPoint isn't it? While a web site is certainly not linear, we have to design a way to make sure the content we're sharing is seen by our audience. That does mean figuring out some kind of path for them to follow. 
  • One of my worst habits is making low-contrast text. It looks good but doesn't read so well, unfortunately. Still, I seem to do it with every Web site design I've ever made, tsk tsk tsk.
    • Pam Buysman
      Pam Buysman on 05 Mar 16
       
      There are many things to consider about readability. The thing that stands out for me is that very frequently, simple is better. Fonts might look attractive, but often it is best to stick with tried and true fonts and also tried and true colors. Obviously, if the reader is unable to read your site, they won't see what you want them to. 
  • ...47 more annotations...
  • When a user comes to your site what are they actually trying to do? List out the different types of tasks people might do on a site, how they will achieve them, and how easy you want to make it for them.
    • Pam Buysman
      Pam Buysman on 05 Mar 16
       
      It's important to think like the end user. It might be a good idea to enlist the help of a second set of eyes. Like proofreading an article, having someone "test drive" your website might be a good idea before actually sharing it with the intended audience. 
  • Keeping your design consistent is about being professional. Inconsistencies in a design are like spelling mistakes in an essay. They just lower the perception of quality. Whatever your design looks like, keeping it consistent will always bring it up a notch. Even if it's a bad design, at least make it a consistent, bad design.
    • Pam Buysman
      Pam Buysman on 05 Mar 16
       
      Again, it's so important to keep the end user in mind. Consistency helps the end user know how to use and navigate your site. In web design, and also in Soft Chalk created lessons, users really don't like to be surprised. They want to know what to expect. 
  • Hierarchy does not only come from size. Amazon makes the ‘Add to cart’ button more prominent by using color
    • Pam Buysman
      Pam Buysman on 05 Mar 16
       
      What is your message or goal?  After determining that, you can plan how to prominently place the most important items on your web page. Size and color are two ways of creating hierarchy. I guess I had never really given much serious consideration to this. 
  • In other words, the bigger an object and the closer it is to us, the easier it is to use it.
    • Pam Buysman
      Pam Buysman on 06 Mar 16
       
      Does Fitt's law have something to do with the number of clicks it takes to get to information from the homepage? Is there a rule of thumb that says no more than 3 clicks? 
  • The best images follow the rule of thirds: an image should be imagined as divided into nine equal parts by two equally-spaced horizontal lines and two equally-spaced vertical lines, and that important compositional elements should be placed along these lines or their intersections.
    • Pam Buysman
      Pam Buysman on 06 Mar 16
       
      I don't know much about photography, but I have heard about the rule of thirds. Again, something I didn't really think this when I considered adding photos to a web site or to a Soft Chalk page. Not all photos automatically ascribe to the rule of thirds, so it might be helpful to know a little bit about photo editing as well. Just one more thing to consider! 
  • Notice how you could see the dog without focusing on each black spot that the dog consists of?
    • Pam Buysman
      Pam Buysman on 06 Mar 16
       
      Sorry, I don't see the dog. :-)
    • Denise Krefting
      Denise Krefting on 06 Mar 16
       
      In the center below the large dark section. His head is down like he is smelling the ground sniffing toward the upper left.
  • Content is more important than the design which supports it.
    • Pam Buysman
      Pam Buysman on 06 Mar 16
       
      This is essential to remember. What we are trying to say is so much more important than making something "pretty." We always need to start with the message or content. 
  • Users are rarely on a site to enjoy the design; furthermore, in most cases they are looking for the information despite the design.
    • Pam Buysman
      Pam Buysman on 06 Mar 16
       
      Not much more to say about this. It's all about the content!!
  • according to Weinberg’s law, a developer is unsuited to test his or her code
    • Pam Buysman
      Pam Buysman on 06 Mar 16
       
      Collaboration is so important. Ask for another pair of eyes to help you. Make sure as well, that your colleague will be willing to critique your work. Sometimes that's difficult to do, but it key to the success of your design and usability. 
  • A successful visual design does not take away from the content on the page or function
    • Denise Krefting
      Denise Krefting on 06 Mar 16
       
      No matter what is done, the message still needs be visible. Enhancement helps to engage viewers.
  • Texture refers to how a surface feels or is perceived to feel.
    • Denise Krefting
      Denise Krefting on 06 Mar 16
       
      This is something that I have never considered. Surface feel is an interesting concept.
  • the user should be led around the screen by the designer. I call this precedence, and it's about how much visual weight different parts of your design have.
    • Denise Krefting
      Denise Krefting on 06 Mar 16
       
      The designer is in control of what the viewer sees. This reminds me that I need to look at my work from the eyes of those viewing content and what the take aways should be. 
  • Most users search for something interesting (or useful) and clickable; as soon as some promising candidates are found, users click. If the new page doesn’t meet users’ expectations, the Back button is clicked and the search process is continued.
    • Denise Krefting
      Denise Krefting on 06 Mar 16
       
      I have found this to be true for all viewers. It used to be just kids but now adults as well. Once additional component to remember is the load speed. Resize your images before they are uploaded.
  • web-page should be obvious and self-explanatory.
    • Denise Krefting
      Denise Krefting on 06 Mar 16
       
      I would also suggest consistency so they don't need to relearn the site with each page.
    • kelly40
      kelly40 on 06 Mar 16
       
      It's important for me to remember all of these tools...moving from a face to face environment to an online setting is vastly different, and these tools are what I as a student need, so I need to be incorporating them as well. Without a good position, color that catches my eye and various design elements I've lost interest. If I've lost interest with the lack of tools, then so will my students.
  • One of the most frustrating experiences you can have on a Web site is being unable to figure out where to go or where you are
  • here you
  • One of the most frustrating experiences you can have on a Web site is being unable to figure out where to go or where you are
    • kelly40
      kelly40 on 06 Mar 16
       
      I find this very frustrating as well. I took an online class a few years ago, (not an AEA class:)), and the various links were not embedded. So, when I would click on those links, I'd be taken completely out of the course and would have to constantly log back in.  
  • To achieve precedence you have many tools at your disposal:
  • Hick’s law says that with every additional choice increases the time required to take a decision.
    • kelly40
      kelly40 on 06 Mar 16
       
      This is such an interesting statement - as I parent I know and agree with this statement, but it seems we're often encouraged to give students as many choices as possible for assessment and/or project purposes.
  • It should not be considered merely ‘blank’ space — it is an important element of design
    • kelly40
      kelly40 on 06 Mar 16
       
      This is so interesting and I've noticed the importance of this "white space" as I've been looking at Softchalk lessons. It also reminds me how we've learned that when designing our lessons, using shorter paragraphs (separated by white space) is better than traditional paragraphs given on a handout in a face to face classroom. 
  • Users don’t read, they scan.
    • kelly40
      kelly40 on 06 Mar 16
       
      I know this is true of students, but as adults we are the same way! We know what we need to read well and give our full attention and then there are other things that we scan to find what we need. This is an important skill for students to learn, so having an online lesson set up well will be beneficial.
  • Web users are impatient and insist on instant gratification.
  • Web users are impatient and insist on instant gratification.
    • kelly40
      kelly40 on 06 Mar 16
       
      This is so true as well and it's important for me to remember as I move forward with my Softchalk lesson - if they can't figure out how to move around, they will become frustrated and give up. It's not that we should not teach them to problem solve, but the training in how to move around the lesson will be important.
  • White space is an important part of your layout strategy.
    • Deborah Cleveland
      Deborah Cleveland on 08 Mar 16
       
      White space on a page can make the really important content stand out. My issue is that sometimes, I have a difficult time finding images that allow me to hit the "right" amount of white space and the text I want/need to have on the page.
  • the first thing you see is the logo
    • Deborah Cleveland
      Deborah Cleveland on 08 Mar 16
       
      When I'm looking for something, the logo or branding is so important to me. I want to know immediately if I'm in the right spot. Logos help me do this. When I see the logo I'm looking for or that I expect to see, it puts me at ease, because I know I'm in the "right" spot.
  • Buttons to travel around a site should be easy to find - towards the top of the page and easy to identify. They should look like navigation buttons and be well described. The text of a button should be pretty clear as to where it's taking you.
    • Deborah Cleveland
      Deborah Cleveland on 08 Mar 16
       
      Buttons or menus across the top of a webpage are very helpful when it comes to navigating a website. One issue I've had is that sometimes my buttons make sense to me, but to the new visitor the language I use to explain where it is taking the visitor doesn't make sense. Take for example, on our website we have something called "Instructor Center". This is the place our instructors who teach PD for us go to get information. To me this makes complete sense. That being said, I know that we consistently get questions about where to find instructor information. The label, "instructor center" doesn't resonate with the visitor. I have seen websites where there is a brief description appears on the screen when you roll over the button, but before you click. I'm not sure if these things help or if they add clutter.
  • Occam’s Razor states that the simplest solution is usually best.
    • Deborah Cleveland
      Deborah Cleveland on 08 Mar 16
       
      A rule never rang more true, but at the same time it is so hard to follow. So often I find myself getting lost in the complexity of what I'm trying to do. Add this to my love of "little bells and whistles" and I find myself creating things that lack real substance.
  • The higher is the cognitive load and the less intuitive is the navigation, the more willing are users to leave the web-site and search for alternatives.
    • Deborah Cleveland
      Deborah Cleveland on 08 Mar 16
       
      This makes me think of what I call the "learning curve". If the learning curve is to long, people just move on to find something different that doesn't have this learning curve. Take for example graphic design tools. Over the years, I've downloaded gimp and seashore, but for some reason I've never quite gotten the hang of them. Instead I use a web-based tool called pixlr. It is easy and I've met with some success. That being said, would Gimp or Seashore provide me with more options and features, probably, but the learning curve is steeper so I've chosen to use pixlr. When I think of learners, I wonder how we can scaffold things so that the learning curve isn't so steep.
  • Unity has to do with all elements on a page visually or conceptually appearing to belong together. Visual design must strike a balance between unity and variety to avoid a dull or overwhelming design.
    • khageman2
      khageman2 on 09 Mar 16
       
      There are lots of ways to achieve unity: theme, banners, fonts colors, and object placement all contribute to a unified feel.
  • Line Spacing
    • khageman2
      khageman2 on 09 Mar 16
       
      Also consider the space between chunks of information. Sometimes changing the size of a "blank" line greatly affects the overall design.
  • back and revise earlier pages to match later ones exactly
    • khageman2
      khageman2 on 09 Mar 16
       
      This final polish is an attention to detail that really makes a difference in professional looking design and audience appeal. It is worth the time and effort!
  • rank elements on your website based on your business objective
    • khageman2
      khageman2 on 09 Mar 16
       
      For educators, this would translate to "educational objective." Is the truly important educational information given prominence?
  • the more choice you give people, the easier it is to choose nothing.
    • khageman2
      khageman2 on 09 Mar 16
       
      Yes, choice within limits so as not to overwhelm to the point of inaction...
  • a maximum of 18 words or 50-80 characters per line of text.
    • khageman2
      khageman2 on 09 Mar 16
       
      Limiting the number of words per line is a design strategy that I hadn't considered before. 
  • Dominance focuses on having one element as the focal point and others being subordinate.  This is often done through scaling and contrasting based on size, color, position, shape, etc.
    • Judy Sweetman
      Judy Sweetman on 13 Mar 16
       
      I have a background in graphic design, and have taken many design courses. It always amazes me how the terms in the elements and principles of design change, depending on who is discussing them. This is the first I've heard of "dominance", as I learned this as "emphasis". Regardless, the elements and principles of design are critically important to all educators, because embedded in the Iowa Core ELA standards is the concept of visually literacy skills. I do include parts learning about the elements and principles of design in several of the online courses I teach.
  • Typography
    • lauralross
      lauralross on 24 Mar 16
       
      "Typography" -https://diigo.com/08f26r I'm curious about different typography.  I was always told to use very readable font and avoid anything fancy. 
  • People won’t use your web site if they can’t find their way around it.
    • lauralross
      lauralross on 24 Mar 16
       
      Students are even less patient than adults, so it becomes imperative that overall flow and navigation makes sense. 
  • White space is good.
  • White space is good.
    • lauralross
      lauralross on 24 Mar 16
       
      This is important to remember.  I don't have to pack every slide/page on Soft Chalk full of stuff.  It was really overwhelming to create a power point presentation and stick an image on every slide - I thought it was too repetitive, esp. based on all the examples we've seen.  
  • reduce the cognitive load
    • lauralross
      lauralross on 24 Mar 16
       
      This idea came up last week - and even in video examples that white space is ok, it is also ok to only have an idea, or a few key words on a slide/page, etc.
  • golden ratio looks like
    • lauralross
      lauralross on 24 Mar 16
       
      I'm not sure if the Fibonacci sequence is the same as the golden ratio, but it reminds of the rule of thirds in photography. 
  • Enough white space makes a website look ‘clean’. While clean design is crucial to communicating a clear message, it doesn’t just mean less content. Clean design means a design that makes the best use of the space it is in. To make a clean design, you have to know how to communicate clearly by using white space wisely.
  • Enough white space makes a website look ‘clean’. While clean design is crucial to communicating a clear message, it doesn’t just mean less content. Clean design means a design that makes the best use of the space it is in. To make a clean design, you have to know how to communicate clearly by using white space wisely.
    • lauralross
      lauralross on 24 Mar 16
       
      Great!  Less pressure to feel like we have to cram a page full of content. 
meyerlaura

Articles: Design - 2 views

moodlesw.aeapdonline.org/...view.php

shared by meyerlaura on 03 Aug 14 - No Cached
    • nettiemarie
      nettiemarie on 03 Aug 14
       
      great idea toremember
  • Use the same font set throughout your entire slide presentation
    • nettiemarie
      nettiemarie on 03 Aug 14
       
      wow this is important to remember ....makes sense
    • pattyharris123
      pattyharris123 on 11 Aug 14
       
      I've been terrible about using the same font throughout. I always went for either cutesy for attention or used something out of the ordinary for emphasis. It really does make sense to keep the font all the same.
  • ...35 more annotations...
  • consistent visual theme throughout
    • nettiemarie
      nettiemarie on 03 Aug 14
       
      Agree!
  • ). Never simply stretch a small, low-resolution photo to make it fit your layout – doing so will degrade the resolution even further.Avoid using PowerPoint Clip Art or other cartoonish
  • line art. Again, if it is included in the software, your audience has seen it a million times before. It may have been interesting in 1993, but today the inclusion of such clip art often
  • “chart junk
    • nettiemarie
      nettiemarie on 03 Aug 14
       
      love this term... keep it simple only put on the slide what is needed get rid of the "junk"
  • Unity. Slides with
  • visual unity
    • nettiemarie
      nettiemarie on 03 Aug 14
       
      Principal of design.... keep this throughout
  • convert each bullet point into a separate image
    • nettiemarie
      nettiemarie on 03 Aug 14
       
      what an interesting idea... gives the audience a visual and that will stick with them better then reading text
  • The slides themselves were never meant to be the “star of the show”
    • Chanda Hassett
      Chanda Hassett on 12 Aug 14
       
      So true but how often forgotten. If your slides can speak for themselves, why are you even there to present them? (a question I often posed to my students in hope they'd speak more off the slides than read them)
  • Background image has too much salience (text hard to see)
    • Chanda Hassett
      Chanda Hassett on 12 Aug 14
       
      This is such an easy fix. A good eye will catch this artful contrast. Creating a good PowerPoint is truly an art. Using stock themes and clip art images is cliche, as stated, and truly detracts from the message.
  • People should be able to comprehend each one in about three seconds.
    • Chanda Hassett
      Chanda Hassett on 12 Aug 14
       
      This is a good rule of thumb to try to embrace. The image should strike the emotion of the audience.
  • including a healthy amount of white space sharpens viewers’ focus by isolating elements
    • Chanda Hassett
      Chanda Hassett on 12 Aug 14
       
      Too often avoided, white space does help to focus the eye. Again, a well planned presentation would recognize this element of design.
  • there’s beauty and clarity in restraint
    • Chanda Hassett
      Chanda Hassett on 12 Aug 14
       
      It goes back to simplicity - Keep it Simple - Make your message known through the visual imagery and not the extraneous list of bulleted information.
  • If you use more than two lines anywhere, then they’re definitely leaning text heavy.
    • Chanda Hassett
      Chanda Hassett on 12 Aug 14
       
      Another good rule of thumb I tend to make my bullets just ideas and never complete sentences, but sometimes they do get a little wordy.
    • pattyharris123
      pattyharris123 on 13 Aug 14
       
      Mine are brief lines, but also way too many per slide.
  • Re-write the highlighted phrases if they are inconsistent with the other simplified bullet points.
    • Chanda Hassett
      Chanda Hassett on 12 Aug 14
       
      Great technique to pare down extra words to just what's necessary. An easy technique to share with students also.
    • pattyharris123
      pattyharris123 on 13 Aug 14
       
      Great note-taking tip!
  • This approach
    • Chanda Hassett
      Chanda Hassett on 12 Aug 14
       
      Again, another great idea to limit the text and emphasize the image
    • pattyharris123
      pattyharris123 on 13 Aug 14
       
      This is a great idea as long as you don't overload on the slides.
  • boring an audience with bullet point after bullet point is of little benefit to them
    • pattyharris123
      pattyharris123 on 13 Aug 14
       
      when we have too many bullets, the audience focuses on them and not on us
  • prepare a written document which highlights your content from the presentation and expands on that content
    • pattyharris123
      pattyharris123 on 13 Aug 14
       
      expand your verbal information while keeping the number of slides to a minimum
  • Use high-quality graphics including photographs
    • pattyharris123
      pattyharris123 on 13 Aug 14
       
      Photographs will invoke much more emotion than animations
  • Have a visual theme, but avoid using PowerPoint templates
    • pattyharris123
      pattyharris123 on 13 Aug 14
       
      Don't use templates. Come up with your own visual theme!
  • Color evokes feelings. Color is emotional. The right color can help persuade and motivate.
    • pattyharris123
      pattyharris123 on 13 Aug 14
       
      So, use color! Grab your audience!
  • Use the same font set throughout your entire slide presentation
    • pattyharris123
      pattyharris123 on 13 Aug 14
       
      Use the same font - or at least a minimum of two.
  • people comprehend better when information is presented in small chunks or segments
    • pattyharris123
      pattyharris123 on 13 Aug 14
       
      Don't overload your audience all at once. Present in smaller chunks of information.
  • so that your audience isn’t staring at a wall of text
    • pattyharris123
      pattyharris123 on 13 Aug 14
       
      When giving too much on a slide, you will shut down your audience.
  • the star, of course, is your audience)
    • apresler
      apresler on 20 Aug 14
       
      Keep audience in mind!!!! They are the reason for the presentation. 
  • The less clutter you have on your slide, the more powerful your visual message will become.
    • apresler
      apresler on 20 Aug 14
       
      Keep it simple - let the message shine through. 
  • if you plan to keep most of the lights on (which is highly advisable) then a white background with black or dark text works much better.
    • apresler
      apresler on 20 Aug 14
       
      Good for classrooms
  • By getting out of the Slide View and into the Slide Sorter view, you can see how the logical flow of your presentation is progressing.
    • apresler
      apresler on 20 Aug 14
       
      Be sure to check and see if the big idea is getting across to the audience. 
  • your audience should focus intently on what you’re saying, looking only briefly at your slides when you display them.
    • apresler
      apresler on 20 Aug 14
       
      Similar to a billboard Three second rule
  • have plenty of “white space” or “negative space.” Do not feel compelled to fill empty areas
    • meyerlaura
      meyerlaura on 21 Sep 14
       
      makes it way too 'busy'
  • Some animation is a good thing, but stick to the most subtle and professional
    • meyerlaura
      meyerlaura on 21 Sep 14
       
      back to "simplify"
  • choose fonts deliberately.
    • meyerlaura
      meyerlaura on 21 Sep 14
       
      I have to choose fonts in class that show the accents and punctuation best and clearest.  That is not Arial, even though I like Arial for most of my correspondence.  I've found that Comic Sans actually works best for me.  I know, it was 'dissed' in one of the articles, but it does work well for me!
  • pattyharris123 on 13 Aug 14
     
    Use the same font throughout
lauralross

Visual Design Basics | Usability.gov - 1 views

www.usability.gov/...visual-design.html

shared by lauralross on 06 Mar 16 - No Cached
    • jweinreich
      jweinreich on 06 Mar 16
       
      I'm liking this - except for typography, these are all things I teach my Drama II students when they have to design a set, so it's good to know I'm not going to be starting from scratch.
  • Principles for Creating a Visual Design
    • jweinreich
      jweinreich on 06 Mar 16
       
      Ditto for this - except gestalt - that's definitely a new concept.
  • ...4 more annotations...
    • jweinreich
      jweinreich on 06 Mar 16
       
      Although I feel like I have a good grasp of this, I love how this image literally pulls it all together.
    • lauralross
      lauralross on 09 Mar 16
       
      I agree, having all these elements pointed out on a concrete visual "page" makes a lot of sense. 
  • Lines connect two points and can be used to help define shapes, make divisions, and create textures.  All lines, if they’re straight, have a length, width, and direction. Shapes are self-contained areas.  To define the area, the graphic artist uses lines, differences in value, color, and/or texture.  Every object is composed of shapes.
    • jweinreich
      jweinreich on 06 Mar 16
       
      Although this section is a bit different (and is clarified with the graphic below) - I'm used to lines and shapes to define stage areas and force audience focus. I suppose this isn't much different - it will just look different as it's 2D instead of 3D
  • Typography
    • lauralross
      lauralross on 09 Mar 16
       
      I"m curious to learn about different typography - I was always told to use a very readable font and avoid anything too fancy.  
  • jweinreich on 06 Mar 16
     
    Visual design focuses on the aesthetics of a site and its related materials by strategically implementing images, colors, fonts, and other elements.
  • ...2 more comments...
  • jweinreich on 06 Mar 16
     
    Visual design focuses on the aesthetics of a site and its related materials by strategically implementing images, colors, fonts, and other elements.
  • jweinreich on 06 Mar 16
     
    Visual design focuses on the aesthetics of a site and its related materials by strategically implementing images, colors, fonts, and other elements.
  • jweinreich on 06 Mar 16
     
    Visual design focuses on the aesthetics of a site and its related materials by strategically implementing images, colors, fonts, and other elements.
  • jweinreich on 06 Mar 16
     
    Visual design focuses on the aesthetics of a site and its related materials by strategically implementing images, colors, fonts, and other elements.
amytlach

Articles: Presentation "Awakening" - 1 views

moodlesw.aeapdonline.org/...view.php

shared by amytlach on 16 May 15 - No Cached
    • Wendy Arch
      Wendy Arch on 16 May 15
       
      Wendy here -   This will probably be my biggest hurdle.  We always feel like our content is the most important, so limiting it to just 6 words will be tough.
  • Put it in terms people can visualize
    • Wendy Arch
      Wendy Arch on 16 May 15
       
      This makes sense.  It's one of the Active reading strategies for a reason.
  • ...31 more annotations...
  • The use of the PowerPoint presentation has been a disaster. It should be ditched."
    • Wendy Arch
      Wendy Arch on 16 May 15
       
      My AP English seniors do a presentation before community members every spring.  One of the things that several community members emphasized this year was the students' horrible use of PowerPoint.  Even worse was their use of Prezi.  So this makes a lot of sense given that earlier live feedback.
    • Karen Stern
      Karen Stern on 17 May 15
       
      Wendy, I am curious about the specifics in that feedback. What was horrible about their use of PP or Prezi? Would it have benefitted their presentation to have NO visual prompts?
    • Wendy Arch
      Wendy Arch on 18 May 15
       
      One specific panel member was adamant that PPT was too "old fashioned" and clunky and interrupted the communication between two individual.  His biggest argument was essentially what the Presentation Zen philosophy is advocating -- tell a story and be real.  He felt that PPT encouraged reading - not communicating.
  • Unexpectedness
    • kliston
      kliston on 17 May 15
       
      Trying to surprise or illustrate the holes people have in their knowledge is something that I would like to try. This tactic is something that will keep my staff engaged and motivated.
    • kmcastaneda
      kmcastaneda on 18 May 15
       
      I see so many experts and successful public people experience so much success with this tactic of Unexpectedness.  It's truly where one can shine by accessing his/her creativity, intuition, and risk-taking courage.  I'm a big, big fan of this one.  
  • Stories get our attention and are easier to remember than lists of rules.
    • kliston
      kliston on 17 May 15
       
      Storytelling is a very powerful way to get a message across. One thing I struggle with is finding stories that illustrate the points I am trying to make. I hope that this is something that we will continue to learn more about.
    • kmcastaneda
      kmcastaneda on 18 May 15
       
      Exactly!  My favorite part about listening to speakers is when they communicate personal stories to illustrate a point they're making.  "You get to their heart first and then you get to their minds."  - Dr. Raymond E. Morley
  • When you show up to give a presentation, people want to use both parts of their brain.
    • kliston
      kliston on 17 May 15
       
      I had never thought about the two sides of the brain and how they both need to be activated in order for participants to retain their focus.
    • kmcastaneda
      kmcastaneda on 18 May 15
       
      When I give presentations I lead the group first in a somatic exercise - alternate nostril breathing.  Not kidding!  I share how it helps marry both hemispheres and activates their motor skills, attention, and sense of calm.  It primes them for learning, and, is an odd but goofy fun way to sort of 'break the ice' at the very beginning of a presentation. 
  • Second, make slides that reinforce your words, not repeat them. Create slides that demonstrate, with emotional proof, that what you’re saying is true not just accurate.
    • kliston
      kliston on 17 May 15
       
      Creating emotional slides that demonstrate the content not just highlighting key words is something I would really like to focus on. When there is emotion, there is action!
    • kmcastaneda
      kmcastaneda on 18 May 15
       
      Big take-away here is Seth's use of the word 'proof'.  What a great way to frame my thinking around this.  Also, the word 'reinforce' as opposed to repeating.  Really helpful.  
    • amytlach
      amytlach on 18 May 15
       
      Reinforce, NOT repeat is a great take away. Emotional connects will make things last in the memory bank when they are long past and another image that is seen evokes that same feeling. 
    • amytlach
      amytlach on 18 May 15
       
      Reinforce, NOT repeat is a great take away. Emotional connects will make things last in the memory bank when they are long past and another image that is seen evokes that same feeling. 
  • create a written document. A leave-behind.
    • kliston
      kliston on 17 May 15
       
      Leaving the information that I typically would have put in the PowerPoint in "leave behind" handout is a great idea. This way people leave with a document that they can reference when they go back and try things in their classroom.
    • Karen Stern
      Karen Stern on 17 May 15
       
      Great idea (although more work!) This answers my question from the "Time to Ditch PowerPoint?" article.
  • putting the same information on a slide that is coming out of our mouths usually does not help
    • Karen Stern
      Karen Stern on 17 May 15
       
      This is a challenging thought for me. I have studied quite a bit about Gardner's Multiple Intelligence theory and student learning styles. How do we (as presenters) address the issue of audience members who have differing learning styles? For example, I KNOW that I am a visual learner. It helps me to read something in print rather than just hear someone else read it aloud.
  • if your presentation visuals taken in the aggregate (e.g., your “PowerPoint deck”) can be perfectly and completely understood without your narration, then it begs the question: why are you there?
    • Karen Stern
      Karen Stern on 17 May 15
       
      Ouch! That hits home! So what should be done when an administrator wants to see a presentation that can be shared later with any peers who could not attend the presentation? This article is leading me to think that I may need two presentations: one for those who are present and one for those who are not.
    • amytlach
      amytlach on 18 May 15
       
      This is the home run for me....With out the need for a person to make a presentation, my job isn't needed.  I'm there to build relationships and educate, with the help of a presentation, not vice versa.
  • No dissolves, spins or other transitions.
    • Karen Stern
      Karen Stern on 17 May 15
       
      I am glad that this is being addressed! Those transitions always seem like time-wasters to me.
  • “Curse of Knowledge.”
    • Karen Stern
      Karen Stern on 18 May 15
       
      This is so true. It is often tempting to give too much information during a presentation. What has taken me months or years to study, I feel the need to throw out to the audience all at once.
    • Wendy Arch
      Wendy Arch on 18 May 15
       
      I'm always afraid that if I don't address it, then they won't know it, and won't be able to apply it in class.  I realize that I'm adapting a presentation to a context that it really isn't meant for (teaching new ideas), but I think it still works.
  • Stories.
    • Karen Stern
      Karen Stern on 18 May 15
       
      Stories will be a good way to share professional development ideas for classroom strategies.
  • Put them in your hand.
    • Karen Stern
      Karen Stern on 18 May 15
       
      This is a great idea. What is on the slides should not dictate what I am saying as a presenter. Having cue cards in hand will keep the speaking on track.
  • Simplicity. If everything is important, then nothing is important. If everything is a priority, then nothing is a priority. You must be ruthless in your efforts to simplify—not dumb down—your message to its absolute core.
    • kmcastaneda
      kmcastaneda on 18 May 15
       
      Ahhh! The tendency to want to include every single related thing...This has been a pattern not only in presentations, but also in everything I do in my life. I have a hard time knowing how much is enough, because I want to include absolutely everything. This is no doubt the toughest part for me. I know for the audience, they don't know what's in my head, so they don't know if I'm leaving anything out (according to me). Got to remember this!
  • will hit people at a more visceral level. “So that’s what 100 grams of fat looks like!”
    • kmcastaneda
      kmcastaneda on 18 May 15
       
      This is great - 'visceral level'.  You know you've hooked someone when they can really FEEL it in their gut.  Key.  
  • It’s how humans have always communicated.
    • kmcastaneda
      kmcastaneda on 18 May 15
       
      I hold a series of workshops and give presentations in my health coaching work that are all about the stories we tell ourselves.  Here are a few of my favorite related quotes: 1) "A person without a story does not exist.  I tell a story, therefore, I exist.  We tell our stories to define our existence.  If we do not tell a story, we do not exist."   - Shekhar Kapur 2) "There is no agony like bearing an untold story inside of you." - Maya Angelou 3) "If stories come to you, care for them. And learn to give them away where they are needed. Sometimes a person needs a story more than food to stay alive." - Barry Lopez, in Crow and Weasel
  • redundant and can actually hurt understanding. This may seem counterintuitive and it certainly runs counter to many of the ways presentations are made in business or lesson taught in schools.
    • kmcastaneda
      kmcastaneda on 18 May 15
       
      I really have mixed feelings about this.  I know too many words on a slide is ineffective and actually hurts learning.  However, I benefit from reading the text, too.  Seeing the words in a format (I really pay attention to design elements, composition, hierarchy of text in size and font variation, margin alignment, compartmentalization, etc. when I do include words on a slide) helps burn that idea into my brain, and when I recall that information, I can see it again in my mind (if it's done in an artful and design-conscious way).  I'm incredibly visual.  And I learn equally as well by audio. When I recall information in the future, the sound of the initial arrator's voice will continue to accompany the words I've read if I'm, say, following along in a book while listening to the audio version.  
    • kmcastaneda
      kmcastaneda on 18 May 15
       
      Also, as an English (and art) teacher at an alternative school where we don't have grades and students are mixed with all kinds of academic skills and experiences (I could have a 14 year old and a 21 year old in my class at once), so reading books in class while following along (active listening, lots of discussion and supplemental activities during) to the audio has been incredibly successful for all students.  
  • Now, you can use the cue cards you made to make sure you’re saying what you came to say.
    • amytlach
      amytlach on 18 May 15
       
      Back to basics for me with this.  Memory doesn't always work like it used to and this is a quick and simple fix. 
  • reinforce your words, not repeat
  • reinforce your words, not repeat
  • reinforce your words, not repeat
  • reinforce your words, not repeat them
  • reinforce your words, not repeat them
  • reinforce your words, not repeat them
  • Don’t hand out the written stuff at the beginning
    • amytlach
      amytlach on 18 May 15
       
      Very simple, but many times forgotten.  Sometimes I make presentations where things are on the table at the start of the event.  It is much harder to capture attention and get a good start when this is the case. 
  • No more than six words on a slide. EVER. There is no presentation so complex that this rule needs to be broken.
    • amytlach
      amytlach on 18 May 15
       
      This will be a challenge for me, but worth working towards. 
  • Champions must sell
    • amytlach
      amytlach on 18 May 15
       
      Selling is a concept that seems funny to use as a descriptor, but it truly what we are doing when we are teaching or presenting new ideas in front of an audience.
  • everyone else is busy defending the status quo (which is easy) and you’re busy championing brave new innovations, which is difficult.
    • amytlach
      amytlach on 18 May 15
       
      This will sometimes challenge me, but the end result will be worth it! 
  • hand out print-outs of your slid
    • amytlach
      amytlach on 18 May 15
       
      Is it beneficial to hand out something for note taking purposes as presentations change in to more visual and fewer words?? As a learner, I could see some time that I would like to have the image to take with me with some notes that would jog my memory. 
  • put your ideas in human terms
    • amytlach
      amytlach on 18 May 15
       
      This is something that I try to do every time that I present with images that jog memories or will create curiosity as mentioned above. Are there other ways to do this besides images...maybe with sounds? Dont want to get in to cheesy transitions sound effects from Power Point, but maybe recorded sounds from on a farm or even music? May sound a little far out, but with some of the younger students that I work with, it might work. 
  • real examples
    • amytlach
      amytlach on 18 May 15
       
      Sometimes the real examples in my job become controversial.  The best way to handle conversations and keep the presentation moving comes to mind here for me. 
Evan Abbey

Lesson: Articles on Visual Design - 4 views

moodlesw.aeapdonline.org/...view.php

shared by Evan Abbey on 27 Jun 14 - No Cached
  • Depending on how a texture is applied, it may be used strategically to attract or deter attention.
    • rmfredrickson
      rmfredrickson on 27 Jun 14
       
      I never thought about "texture" online; what would be an example of a repeated element? A simple picture, or maybe a repeated diagram?
    • darinjohnson
      darinjohnson on 27 Jun 14
       
      Texture is an interesting element that I generally disregard. However, I remember a literature professor open poetry discussions with questions about texture and taste. He would use such responses to get to the tone of the work. What taste/texture/tone does this course have?
    • Linda Hoobin
      Linda Hoobin on 29 Jun 14
       
      Texture...not something I ever pay attention to or maybe even knew about.
  • Spacing makes things clearer.
    • rmfredrickson
      rmfredrickson on 27 Jun 14
       
      I have found this to be true since starting this class; less is more; and the idea of also adding an element of some kind to every page makes a lot of sense to me too. I think about this now as I create ANY kind of presentation page.
    • denise carlson
      denise carlson on 28 Jun 14
       
      "Less is more." That sums up nicely what we've been learning.  I know that I have a tendency to be too wordy and thus the page seems way too cluttered. I need to make a concerted effort to utilize the Less is More rule of thumb. 
  • In the last year or so, I've switched to using CSS to make my buttons and have never looked back. Sure, it means my buttons don't always have the flexibility I might wish for, but the savings in build time from not having to make dozens of little button images are huge.
    • rmfredrickson
      rmfredrickson on 27 Jun 14
       
      What does this mean? That in CSS (which I think I missed what that means...) you don't need to give a direction to click on a button to do whatever it is you are wanting it to do? Rather, it is automatically an apparent clickable button?
    • denise carlson
      denise carlson on 28 Jun 14
       
      Good question! What is CSS?  I think this is another rule of thumb we might want to add to our web-design rules: Don't assume the reader knows what the abbreviations or acronyms mean. Spell them out and define them so everyone is clear. 
  • ...49 more annotations...
  • Everything should be themed to make your design coherent between pages and on the same page.
    • darinjohnson
      darinjohnson on 27 Jun 14
       
      Here's one element that we can control and that we should control; however, it is also an element that I sometimes have trouble with. Sometimes it takes me awhile to find my style.
  • Font Choices
    • darinjohnson
      darinjohnson on 27 Jun 14
       
      What font should we be using? My journalism minor is quite dusty, but I was taught that body copy should be a serif typeface (e.g. Times New Roman, Georgia) and headlines should be a sans-serif typeface (e.g. Arial, Helvetica). Your choice of type might also give you a better grade: http://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/19604/does-size-12-times-new-roman-font-receive-better-grades-in-school S
  • Squeaky wheels get the grease and prominent visuals get the attention. 
    • darinjohnson
      darinjohnson on 27 Jun 14
       
      This is a potent quotable.
  • Pantheon
    • darinjohnson
      darinjohnson on 27 Jun 14
       
      This is off topic, but I can't let it go. This is an image of the Parthenon. The Pantheon is in Rome.
  • it’s a good practice to never open links in new browser windows.
    • darinjohnson
      darinjohnson on 27 Jun 14
       
      I'm going to give this some thought because this suggestion is opposite of what I generally try to do. I've always thought it was better for readers to close the new linked area. 
    • denise carlson
      denise carlson on 28 Jun 14
       
      My too. I like new windows for new material. This seems contrary to my preferences. 
    • Linda Hoobin
      Linda Hoobin on 29 Jun 14
       
      It is not the way I think either. I tend to want to separate things so I am not distracted. New windows keep me focused.
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 01 Jul 14
       
      Same here. Especially with Moodle, I try to have it open in a different window so that they don't lose the original course.
  • A typical example from usability sessions is to translate the page in Japanese (assuming your web users don’t know Japanese, e.g. with Babelfish) and provide your usability testers with a task to find something in the page of different language. If conventions are well-applied, users will be able to achieve a not-too-specific objective, even if they can’t understand a word of it.
    • darinjohnson
      darinjohnson on 27 Jun 14
       
      I saw a Tweet recently suggesting to do something similar: Turn on speech to see if you can navigate on your site without vision. Is the site usable for all?
  • The basic elements that combine to create visual designs include the following:
    • denise carlson
      denise carlson on 28 Jun 14
       
      All of this is what is missing from the powerpoint I created for Mollie 3 in the week 2 lab section. 
    • Linda Hoobin
      Linda Hoobin on 29 Jun 14
       
      This could/should be my checklist for design!
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 01 Jul 14
       
      To be clear, these elements are always present, even in their absence. That is, even when one has the ugliest colors imagineable, they still are using a color palette. If you are Picasso, you get paid a lot of money for having the absence of these basic elements.
  • and that the medium changes as frequently as the underlying technology does.
    • denise carlson
      denise carlson on 28 Jun 14
       
      Oh no, so what I'm learning now will be different in 6 months or one year. I need a suggestion of a good blog or online resource I can use to keep up-do-date with all of the online design developments.
  • To achieve precedence you have many tools at your disposal:
  • To achieve precedence you have many tools at your disposal:
    • denise carlson
      denise carlson on 28 Jun 14
       
      These make perfect sense to me. I'm thinking that if I can remember and use these 5 chunks of precedence I would be taken a giant step toward fine-tuning the online lessons I create. 
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 01 Jul 14
       
      One slight difference between the online lesson and the "webpage" this designer is talking about is that there is going to be more stuff on the webpage. An online lesson doesn't have as many elements vying for attention.
  • some pretty bad examples out there.
    • denise carlson
      denise carlson on 28 Jun 14
       
      The DE website is a "pretty bad example" if you ask me. (Although there have been improvements made over time.)  There is just SO much there that is difficult for me to find what I want and need. I guess I could use that website as a non-example of effective navigation. 
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 01 Jul 14
       
      True. Of course, Heartland's old website was bad too. That is one of the occupational hazards of people like us who have our fingers in everything.
  • Adhering to Standards
    • denise carlson
      denise carlson on 28 Jun 14
       
      So what are some other things people expect? Where might we learn more about these ideas? The one example here is a good one, but now I'm curious about other expectations that I should be aware of. 
  • good set of CSS stylesheets
    • denise carlson
      denise carlson on 28 Jun 14
       
      Hmm. . . .what is a CSS style sheet?  So much unfamiliar content specific vocabulary in this article makes me wonder if I'm actually understanding what is being said. 
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 03 Jul 14
       
      A CSS style sheet is a set of rules (in the shape of a bunch of code) that govern a website. It would look like this: All headlines are in Maroon, 24 point, centered All sidebars have a box that is 100 pixels by 80 pixels. Except... in a language we can't understand.
  • Here’s what the golden ratio looks like:
    • denise carlson
      denise carlson on 28 Jun 14
       
      But, didn't we read somewhere earlier in the class to place pictures/photos on the left-hand side of  slide? Do these 2 ideas contradict each other? Someone please clarify for me. 
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 03 Jul 14
       
      Well... in our lessons, we advocated for putting them on the right side, as it helps with wrapping of text. Though putting them on the left is not a design faux pas. The "golden ratio" layout is more beneficial for designing a website, where you have grids to place content.
  • This is similar to Paradox of Choice – the more choice you give people, the easier it is to choose nothing.
    • denise carlson
      denise carlson on 28 Jun 14
       
      OK, i can see how too many choices is confusing in web design. But as an educator, I want to assure that my students have the freedom to make some choices regarding assignments and activities I ask them to complete in order to show their understanding. How will I balance these 2 ideas when creating online lessons/courses? 
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 03 Jul 14
       
      I think you already answered your question. Design is different than learning choice. It's like the new textbooks that have so much sidebar information that students aren't reading the main text. Too much design choice. In a lesson, you can present students with different learning options (enrichment, accomodated assignments, etc), but keep the webpage consistent.
  • the right is more interesting?
    • denise carlson
      denise carlson on 28 Jun 14
       
      I don't think the image on the right is more interesting? What am I missing? 
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 03 Jul 14
       
      "Interesting" is of course subjective. Typically, the rule of thirds means if you move the subject over to the 3rd-line of the picture, the picture shows more dynamics. Instead of "here's this rock formation", it's "Here's the rock formation, in its habitat, and now your eyes are moving over to this side of the photo to examine what is around it"
  • provide an email address if they were asked for it after they’d seen the feature work, so they had some idea of what they were going to get in return.
    • denise carlson
      denise carlson on 28 Jun 14
       
      I so agree. If I'm asked for email or other info to enter a site, I just close out. I want some hint of what the site has to offer me before I give them all my info.  Great tip!
    • Linda Hoobin
      Linda Hoobin on 29 Jun 14
       
      I steer away if I am asked for identifying information before I can explore the site's information.
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 03 Jul 14
       
      I hate it too. I have an email site dedicated to these throwaway signups that I never check (unless I need to confirm an account). I grumble every time.
  • he more options a user has when using your website, the more difficult it will be to use (or won’t be used at all).
    • rmfredrickson
      rmfredrickson on 29 Jun 14
       
      I agree with this Paradox of Choice; a few good options is better than a lot of medicore ones.
  • The best images follow the rule of thirds: an i
    • rmfredrickson
      rmfredrickson on 29 Jun 14
       
      I have never given this thought before, or had any idea how layout (in thirds) affects someone's perception of a page; fascinating, yet useful!!
  • Users don’t read, they scan. Analyzing a web-page, users search for some fixed points or anchors which would guide them through the content of the page.
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 01 Jul 14
       
      I admit, I was visualizing the scene from Clockwork Orange when thinking about this activity.
  • Unity has to do with all elements on a page visually or conceptually appearing to belong together. Visual design must strike a balance between unity and variety to avoid a dull or overwhelming design.
  • White space is used around text and between sections to allow the page to breath
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 01 Jul 14
       
      I think white space is probably the most critical attribute for a teacher-designer to master. The simple adding of white space makes the whole thing breathe and makes it look a lot better.
  • Similarity refers to creating continuity throughout a design without direct duplication. Similarity is used to make pieces work together over an interface and help users learn the interface quicker.
  • 9 Essential Principles for Good Web Design
  • Good Web design, perhaps even more than other type of design, is about information.
  • Padding is the space between elements and text. The simple rule here is that you should always have space there.
  • Navigation — Where can you go?
  • Think about user tasks
  • Think about user tasks
  • At the end of the day, your Web design is a tool for people to use, and people don't like using annoying tools!
  • The simplest way to maintain consistency is to make early decisions and stick to them.
  • 8 Effective Web Design Principles You Should Know
  • Design is not just something designers do. Design is marketing. Design is your product and how it works. The more I’ve learned about design, the better results I’ve gotten.
  • So, if your layout width is 960px, divide it by 1.618 (=593px). Now you know that the content area should be 593px and sidebar 367px. If the website height is 760px tall, you can split it into 470px and 290px chunks (760/1.618=~470).
  • With effective web design, you need to make sure things that do NOT go together, are not perceived as one. Similarly, you want to group certain design elements together (navigation menu, footer etc) to communicate that they form a whole.
  • White space is all about the use of hierarchy. The hierarchy of information, be it type, colour or images.
  • Effective web design and art are not the same.
  • Web users are impatient and insist on instant gratification.
  • the web-page should be obvious and self-explanatory.
  • Avoid cute or clever names, marketing-induced names, company-specific names, and unfamiliar technical names.
  • The “keep it simple”-principle (KIS) should be the primary goal of site design.
  • testing one user is 100% better than testing none
  • if you want a great site, you’ve got to test.
  • Incorporating space into a design helps reduce noise, increase readability, and/or create illusion. White space is an important part of your layout strategy.
    • lwymore
      lwymore on 29 Jun 14
       
      The use of space can be often overlooked or just not something that we always pay attention to.
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 01 Jul 14
       
      Lisa, I agree. In fact, my opinion is its the best place to start, since it is one of the easier elements to understand (not sure I can identify what "good Gestalt" is) and one of the easiest to actually do.
  • White space is used to give balance, proportion and contrast to a page.
  • White space is used to give balance, proportion and contrast to a page.
    • lwymore
      lwymore on 29 Jun 14
       
      Using "white space" as a tool to balance, proportion and contrast on a page; also helps with readability; something to keep in mind when editing and trying to avoid text-heavy pages. Consider how can one use white space to prevent the text from looking too overwhelming.
  • You should direct the user’s eyes through a sequence
    • lwymore
      lwymore on 29 Jun 14
       
      This is the same thing we want to do with self-paced lessons.
  • Aligning makes your design more ordered and digestible, as well as making it seem more polished.
  • Simple, minimal design does not automatically mean the design works, or is effective. But in my experience simple is always better than the opposite
    • lwymore
      lwymore on 29 Jun 14
       
      Clean and simple design can help maintain the balance and consistency needed for effective lessons
julievanmanen

Articles: Design - 1 views

moodlesw.aeapdonline.org/...view.php

shared by julievanmanen on 13 Nov 14 - No Cached
    • sraymond21
      sraymond21 on 13 Nov 14
       
      KISS...Keep it simple, um...silly.
  • Your presentation is for the benefit of the audience. But boring an audience with bullet point after bullet point is of little benefit to them.
    • sraymond21
      sraymond21 on 13 Nov 14
       
      I am guilty of this...trying to figure out how I can honor this and make notes more meaningful.
  • ...36 more annotations...
  • People should be able to comprehend each one in about three seconds.
    • debraschindler
      debraschindler on 17 Nov 14
       
      Another great rule of thumb!
    • kimkaz
      kimkaz on 18 Nov 14
       
      I would have selected this text also.  It's powerful to think that an image can promote discussion with limited time and attention.
    • sraymond21
      sraymond21 on 13 Nov 14
       
      This is a helpful takeaway!
  • use contrast to focus attention
    • sraymond21
      sraymond21 on 13 Nov 14
       
      I would like to get better at using this idea...
  • Highlight key points within bullet points
    • sraymond21
      sraymond21 on 13 Nov 14
       
      Maybe this will help pme fix my "notes" slides.
    • stephhallberg
      stephhallberg on 15 Nov 14
       
      I think, too, the white background with the blue contrasting text is visually appealing.
  • Slides with visual unity look as though the same person created them and make your message feel cohesive.
    • stephhallberg
      stephhallberg on 15 Nov 14
       
      This is something else that I need to consider when developing my two slides for this week.
  • Pretend as though you are an audience member for your upcoming presentation. Do any slides feel text heavy?
    • stephhallberg
      stephhallberg on 15 Nov 14
       
      This is where spending time in the slide sorter would help to see the slides from the audience's point of view.
  • Think of it as an approach to rehearsing your slides.
    • stephhallberg
      stephhallberg on 15 Nov 14
       
      The key words can also let the audience know the main topic while not being bored with too much text.  
  • Don’t submit to the urge to add unrelated “decorations” to the slide.
    • stephhallberg
      stephhallberg on 15 Nov 14
       
      Reynolds also says these "decorations" will help you lose credibility, too.
  • ever turn your back on the audience and read text from the slide word for word.
    • debraschindler
      debraschindler on 17 Nov 14
       
      This always drives me nuts when I see presenters do this
  • And this is even better…
    • debraschindler
      debraschindler on 17 Nov 14
       
      I would have never thought to do this but it does create a last image in your mind and as a presenter you know what its referring to so there wouldn't be the 'reading from the slide' effect
  • Unity
    • debraschindler
      debraschindler on 17 Nov 14
       
      I have actually seen the presentation below and as a viewer thought of how well-done it was.
  • Highlight the key phrases that you will help you rehearse for your presentation
    • debraschindler
      debraschindler on 17 Nov 14
       
      The bolding/highlighting key text really does improve the quality of the slide
    • kimkaz
      kimkaz on 18 Nov 14
       
      It's like advertising.  Simple, clear, powerful choices of text features and structures to draw attention to the content.
  • Depending on your content, you may be able to convert each bullet point into a separate image
    • debraschindler
      debraschindler on 17 Nov 14
       
      This is really interesting approach and I'm wanting to try it out in the near future. It easily keeps the audience engaged as they see images but are waiting to hear the connection/content
  • Your slides should have plenty of “white space” or “negative space.” Do not feel compelled to fill empty areas on your slide with your logo or other unnecessary graphics or text boxes that do not contribute to better understanding. The less clutter you have on your slide, the more powerful your visual message will become.
    • tamela hatcher
      tamela hatcher on 18 Nov 14
       
      I like the idea of having contrast and white space.
  • This slide is not unusual, but it is not a visual aid,it is more like an “eye chart.”
    • tamela hatcher
      tamela hatcher on 18 Nov 14
       
      My draft looked very much like this "eye chart".
  • Sans-Serif
    • tamela hatcher
      tamela hatcher on 18 Nov 14
       
      I could not find this option on my document to use.  Is there a trick to it?  It is not under my S drop down menu.
  • Use video and audio when appropriate.
    • tamela hatcher
      tamela hatcher on 18 Nov 14
       
      I still need to figure out how to download the video links so I am not dependent on the internet and jumping in and out of the presentation with links as I find this distracting.
  • logical flow
    • tamela hatcher
      tamela hatcher on 18 Nov 14
       
      I love the sorter method.  It really helps you see the flow.
  • The best slides may have no text at all.
    • kimkaz
      kimkaz on 18 Nov 14
       
      I feel that this is one of the most powerful sentences in this article.  "A picture tells a thousand words."  Photos and graphics can promote conversation!
  • Object builds (also called animations), such as bullet points, should not be animated on every slide. Some animation is a good thing, but stick to the most subtle and professional (similar to what you might see on the evening TV news broadcast).
    • kimkaz
      kimkaz on 18 Nov 14
       
      Animation can be incredible annoying.  I think the one that is most grating to me is the typwriter one.  It would be cool to use it for emphasis like for acronym. I totally agree limit transitions.
  • However, tables can lack impact on a visceral level.
    • kimkaz
      kimkaz on 18 Nov 14
       
      Data is easily skewed if the x or y access isn't labeled properly or scaled with proper perspective.
  • Just because the software lets you
    • kimkaz
      kimkaz on 18 Nov 14
       
      ...   Just because the software lets you do something it doesn't mean you should.  This caught my eye because I've fallen in the trap of bells and whistles.  I'm sure audiences have found my presentations to be extremely annoying at times when I 'tried out" capabilities of software.
  • learn more effectively from multimedia messages when they’re stripped of extraneous words, graphics, animation, and sounds.
    • kimkaz
      kimkaz on 18 Nov 14
       
      I like to use video in my presentations.  I think it's a great way to have an expert from the field punctuate my message.  It's also a good way to engage the audience in your theme.  I do believe they should be short, however, no more than 2 minutes.
  • You’ll reinforce your message and make it easier for people to get what you’re saying. Here’s an “after” slide to illustrate:
    • kimkaz
      kimkaz on 18 Nov 14
       
      Love this graphic.  It's clear and goes with the theme of the concept.  
  • But there’s beauty and clarity in restraint.
    • kimkaz
      kimkaz on 18 Nov 14
       
      Indeed, less is more.  Don't bring in an elephant to teach the color grey.
  • If they fall below 24 pt then you might be on to something.
    • kimkaz
      kimkaz on 18 Nov 14
       
      If you have to reduce the font size below 24 to get all of the text on the slide then it may be too text heavy.
  • Replace bullet points with images
    • kimkaz
      kimkaz on 18 Nov 14
       
      Love this idea.  I will definitely use it in my next presentation!
  • Don’t let your message and your ability to tell a story get derailed by slides that are unnecessarily complicated, busy, or full of what Edward Tufte calls “chart junk.”
    • julievanmanen
      julievanmanen on 21 Nov 14
       
      Too much information can become a distraction and will take away from the point you are trying to "sell" the audience.
  • Use high-quality graphics including photographs.
    • julievanmanen
      julievanmanen on 21 Nov 14
       
      Using high-quality graphics shows you have an interest in your topic besides looking professional.
  • Used to show percentages. Limit the slices to 4-6 and contrast the most important slice either with color or by exploding the slice
    • julievanmanen
      julievanmanen on 21 Nov 14
       
      Again - it goes back to keeping it simple!
  • Color evokes feelings. Color is emotional. The right color can help persuade and motivate. Studies show that color usage can increase interest and improve learning comprehension
    • julievanmanen
      julievanmanen on 21 Nov 14
       
      This is a little off the subject, but this is why I believe that colorful classrooms are important in the middle school and high school levels as well!
  • and retention
  • Remember, the slides are meant to support the narration of the speaker, not make the speaker superfluous
    • julievanmanen
      julievanmanen on 21 Nov 14
       
      This is true in any type of presentation. Visuals should be an asset to the presentation, but not take over the message.
aneppl

Articles: Preparation - 0 views

moodlesw.aeapdonline.org/...view.php

shared by aneppl on 13 Feb 15 - No Cached
  • If your audience could remember only three things about your presentation,what would you want it to be?
    • stac34
      stac34 on 13 Feb 15
       
      I think this is a great question to ask yourself when planning a presenation. To make it purposeful, you want to think about what others will gain from the presentation.
    • jsoland
      jsoland on 16 Feb 15
       
      I love this as well. I think it will really help me to focus on what truly is important and help me to limit all the other content that I may have thought was needed, but would just take away from the presentation.
    • KIM BYRD
      KIM BYRD on 16 Feb 15
       
      This is a very good way to think about your presentation. This will help us make sure it is not too long.
  • he analog approach (paper or whiteboard) to sketch out my ideas and create a rough storyboard really helps solidify and simplify my message in my own head.
    • stac34
      stac34 on 13 Feb 15
       
      I like the idea of this, but realistically so much of what i do is digital, I plan so much on Google Docs so I can access my thoughts from any of my devices. Maybe I should try going analog to see if mind mapping like that is beneficial for me.
  • We do not tell a story from memory alone; we do not need to memorize a story that has meaning to us. If it is real, then it is in us.
    • stac34
      stac34 on 13 Feb 15
       
      Yes. This. I have sat through presenatations where others are just sharing information and I have presented when I have been assigned a slide or two to present. I have received excellent feedback when I have been able to present about a topic that I am passionate about and connected to. When I can share why it is important to me the message is so much easier to get across. I'm trying to think about how traditional required PD can be reformatted to include more story telling.
  • ...44 more annotations...
  • en is the optimal number of slides in
    • stac34
      stac34 on 13 Feb 15
       
      I kinda shudder when I think about how many presentations I have given that are 30, 40 even 50 slides long (in a day long class) and how overwhelmed people must be. I like that it lays out what the ten topics are, but I would be interested to know what this would look like with education topics.
    • sarahjmoore
      sarahjmoore on 16 Feb 15
       
      I agree that it would be very interesting to see what this list would be in education topics. I wonder if you would need a broader scope too because of the different audiences. I also wonder about our students and how they are handling even 10 slides perhaps 8 times a day depending on their workload! 
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 17 Feb 15
       
      This is a good point. We consider just our audience for our presentation, but what if they are absorbing presentations all day long?
    • brendahack
      brendahack on 17 Feb 15
       
      When I wrote the list of 10 down, I wondered what the translation from business model to education might look like. Anyone give it a shot?
  • meeting
  • a PowerPoint presentation because a normal human being cannot comprehend more than ten concepts in a
  • Documentaries do not simply tell facts; rather, they engage us with the story of war, scientific discovery, a dramatic sea rescue, climate change, and so on
    • stac34
      stac34 on 13 Feb 15
       
      This is good to realize that it can be a heavy subject or a non fiction topic and still be covered through the format of storytelling. If our brains naturally gravitate towards stories, then the audience is automatically at a higher level of engagement.
  • Do not fall into the trap of thinking that in order for your audience to understand anything, you must tell them everything.
    • jsoland
      jsoland on 16 Feb 15
       
      I am guilty of this. In previous articles, it also highlighted the importance of restraint in information, but I struggle to identify what is and isn't important to someone else.
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 17 Feb 15
       
      Me too. It is hard to say "this is important, but not something I need to tell them."
  • No software to get in my way and I can easily see how the flow will go. I draw sample images that I can use to support a particular point, say, a pie chart here, a photo there, perhaps a line graph in this section and so on.
    • jsoland
      jsoland on 16 Feb 15
       
      This resonates with me because I have always found myself scrambling to find images in the past to fit a slide without really purposely planning what the image should be. My focus was the reverse of what it should have been. I should be focusing on what image to use to illustrate the content.
  • “Statistics are used to tell lies...while accounting reports are often BS in a ball gown.”
    • jsoland
      jsoland on 16 Feb 15
       
      I find this quote funny as we used to joke all the time in graduate school that you could make stats say anything you wanted. I think people look at numbers and just take them to be the truth without realizing that number can be manipulated as well.
  • Use visuals in an active way, not a decorative one.
    • jsoland
      jsoland on 16 Feb 15
       
      This is a theme that I'm seeing throughout the course and probably one of my biggest take aways as I have always thought of visuals as a compliment to the text on the screen rather than being the primary focus.
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 17 Feb 15
       
      This takes practice. I'm better at this, but even when I pick really stunning visuals and use them full-slide like we'll look at in our next section, that doesn't mean that they reinforce the message I'm trying to send.
  • You should give your ten slides in twenty minutes.
    • KIM BYRD
      KIM BYRD on 16 Feb 15
       
      I need to try to remember this in my next presentation. Sometimes I have so much to say, i need to make sure I cut down the information.
  • The best presenters illustrate their points with the use of stories, most often personal ones
    • KIM BYRD
      KIM BYRD on 16 Feb 15
       
      I thought i was interesting reading that you should include your personal life, like you kids and family. All within ten slides! Yikes!
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 17 Feb 15
       
      True, but I wouldn't make slides for my personal anecdotes. They would simply weave into the overall story that I'm making with my presentation.
    • brendahack
      brendahack on 17 Feb 15
       
      I was surprised by the inclusion of persoanl life, but it does create a connection with your audience.
    • candace berkley
      candace berkley on 19 Feb 15
       
      Yes, again, like writing compositions, personal anecdotes are a great way to support claims.
  • A good story is not the beginning-to-end tale of how results meet expectations
    • KIM BYRD
      KIM BYRD on 16 Feb 15
       
      We must remember to add SUSPENSE! :)
  • Visuals should be big, bold, clear, and easy to see.
    • KIM BYRD
      KIM BYRD on 16 Feb 15
       
      The articles stated that less is more. Ten slides, twenty minutes, and thirty point font.
  • I suggest you start your planning in “analog mode.”
    • KIM BYRD
      KIM BYRD on 16 Feb 15
       
      I liked the idea of using post-its before you start building your presentation. This helps to simplfy and organize your ideas.
  • Thirty-point font.
    • sarahjmoore
      sarahjmoore on 16 Feb 15
       
      This is hard in a classroom. Especially if the powerpoint is being used to give concepts or information. I completely understand the concept from a true presentation standpoint, but I wonder about what it looks like as an educational tool for students.
  • The brain cares about story.
    • sarahjmoore
      sarahjmoore on 16 Feb 15
       
      I have found that this also works when you are trying to explain a concept to a struggling student. If you can give them a story they can understand (be it true or not) the brain can catch on to it faster and make sense of the concept. Truly powerful!
  • do not simply tell facts;
  • “tell the story” o
    • sarahjmoore
      sarahjmoore on 16 Feb 15
       
      My department has added in a unit on documentary and bias to get to this very point. The idea is that they are telling the story they want to tell. They have little-to-no obligation to tell us the truth. Stories are used to make us think and decided what we think is right or wrong. They are a conversation starter, not a conclusion. Thus, if we were to end out presentation with a story, we perhaps would begin the conversation for them to have after the presentation is over. It could be very powerful. 
  • “data dump.” A data dump — all too common unfortunately
    • sarahjmoore
      sarahjmoore on 16 Feb 15
       
      I wonder if this is why the presentations in the educational world struggle so much. For the most part, they are used to give information or data. Then the discussion comes based off of that. I sat through 3 presentations today that did just that. I find myself struggling with the two concepts of zen and content. What is the balance that is truly needed?
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 17 Feb 15
       
      The weird thing is, we don't teach like that in our classes, do we? I mean, yeah, we all know of that boring lecturer, but that's more of a college professor thing than a common high school teacher thing. You would think education presentations would be more "fluffy touchy feely" without any tangible data/information than the other way around, but you'd be wrong.
  • Introduce the problem you have (or did have) and how you will solve it (or did solve it). Give examples that are meaningful and relevant to your audience. Remember, story is sequential: “This happened, and then this happened, and therefore this happened, and so on.” Take people on a journey that introduces conflict and then resolves that conflict. If you can do this, you will be miles ahead of most presenters who simply recall talking points and broadcast lists of information
    • brendahack
      brendahack on 17 Feb 15
       
      If I can get to this point, I will feel successful. I have been reflecting on the presentation that I am working on, and realized when I am teaching students I have done this, but not intentionally. I plan to use a personal story that demonstrates the power of the information I will be presenting. What I am finding challenging is selecting the "right" image to show the emotion I want to invoke. Since this is content that I am very familar with, I am not concerned about bullets, or list of info, but I feel the challenge of getting it all flowing.
  • I am evangelizing the 10/20/30 Rule of PowerPoint. It’s quite simple: a PowerPoint presentation should have ten slides, last no more than twenty minutes, and contain no font smaller than thirty points.
    • brendahack
      brendahack on 17 Feb 15
       
      So much power in so few words! Pass the elevator test? yep. 10 slides, a bit scary, but do-able, 20 minutes about what I can expect from students, but when presenting to peers, it is generally much more. However that can be broken up with activities and group work, individual work and check for understanding, in addition to just the power point. I like that font syle and size are being addressed. I play around with that too much, not sure if I have it right, so now I have a tool to guide me. Thanks.
    • aneppl
      aneppl on 22 Feb 15
       
      This makes me think about the importance of a "mini-lesson" in whole group. The term mini-lesson for some has not aligned for the length of their lesson. 10-20 minutes for a whole group lesson on inferencing should be the target
  • Force yourself to use no font smaller than thirty points. I guarantee it will make your presentations better because it requires you to find the most salient points and to know how to explain them well. If “thirty points,” is too dogmatic, the I offer you an algorithm: find out the age of the oldest person in your audience and divide it by two. That’s your optimal font size.
    • brendahack
      brendahack on 17 Feb 15
       
      I love it! I am going to play this game in class, how old are you, wait a minute, slides adjusted to "correct" font. Seriously, in adult education this is a big issue. No one wants to admit that they can't read the slides because the font is too small. Ego?
    • candace berkley
      candace berkley on 19 Feb 15
       
      This reminds me of learning targets: What do we want students to know/do? How will we get them there? How will we know when they get there? (This is the second time I have tried to post this comment. The first one was much better composed! Learning curve...)
  • if your presentation is not based on solid content, you can not succeed.
    • candace berkley
      candace berkley on 19 Feb 15
       
      Occasionally, I need to remind myself of the purpose for using technology in my classroom: To enhance student learning, not to entertain students (or myself) or just simply to accomplish a task in a different way. I would like to use technology to push kids to a higher level of learning.
    • candace berkley
      candace berkley on 19 Feb 15
       
      I don't know why I never considered pre-writing and making a rough draft for a presentation. When I write anything else, I always follow an "analog mode," but with presentations I just jump right in.
    • candace berkley
      candace berkley on 19 Feb 15
       
      I tell my AP Composition students that when they write, they should always be able to answer the big "So what?" Why is this issue serious? Why should it be taken seriously? What makes it relevant? I am now seeing that composing a presentation is not so different from a rhetorical composition. Interesting.
  • If we know our material well and have rehearsed the flow, know what slide is next in the deck, and have anticipated questions, then we have eliminated much (but not all) of the unknown.
    • candace berkley
      candace berkley on 19 Feb 15
       
      Nothing worse than a slide that is out of place, a visual that pops up at the wrong moment, or when what you are saying is totally incongruous to what is on the slide. Practice in front of your family, colleagues, friends and have them give a little input to help the presentation go smoothly.
    • candace berkley
      candace berkley on 19 Feb 15
       
      Nothing worse than being surprised when a slide is out of sequence, the wrong visual appears, or what you are talking about is incongruous to what the slide shows. Practice with your family at home, your dog, imaginary audience.
  • “people are not inspired to act on reason alone.”
    • candace berkley
      candace berkley on 19 Feb 15
       
      Yes: logos, ethos, pathos.
  • ven R2D2 and C3PO are engaging characters, in large part because of their strikingly different personalities.
  • n your own presentations, look for contrasts such as before/after, past/future, now/then, problem/solution, strife/peace, growth/decline, pessimism/optimism, and so on. Highlighting contrasts is a natural way to bring the audience into your story and make your message more memorable.
    • candace berkley
      candace berkley on 19 Feb 15
       
      Something very basic (and simple!) to remember when it is time to work on the presentation. I like these kinds of very clear statements as I can visualize what the examples might look like in a presentation.
  • Make your presentation—visuals and narration—participatory.
    • candace berkley
      candace berkley on 20 Feb 15
       
      This entire section was really interesting. I never thought of a presentation as a kind of narrative performance, story telling. And participatory. Very cool to think of presentations using these ideas. I also like the conciseness of these 5 points.
  • ou believe in y
    • candace berkley
      candace berkley on 20 Feb 15
       
      Authenticity is vital to establish a connection with the audience.
  • t reads ahead of you because it can read faster than you can speak. The result is that you and the audience are out of synch.
    • candace berkley
      candace berkley on 20 Feb 15
       
      So true. Students will quickly read what is put before them and not pay attention to anything else that is happening, and then they wait for the next thing to read
  • (or from a scheduled one hour to 30 minutes)
    • aneppl
      aneppl on 22 Feb 15
       
      On Monday we had a professional development day. We had over planned for content, but when we scrambled (in front of our staff) on what to cut out so we could still send the teachers off to lunch when we promised we unintentionally cut out the section titled "the importance of a wrap-up or closure" within their literacy workshop model. In other words we actually practiced the opposite of what one of our most important points was to be for the presentation....ugh!
  • examples to support your major points
    • aneppl
      aneppl on 22 Feb 15
       
      I have often told stories, sometimes personal and sometimes passionate. What I often miss is making the link or connection to our focus. I need to be more purposeful with making that connection.
  • “and the key to their hearts is story.”
    • aneppl
      aneppl on 22 Feb 15
       
      This year this has been more challenging as I am with an entirely new staff that has come together in new building. In my previous position, my stories or sharing of personal challenges lead to a level of trust with staff. They were used to my personal approach, and I get the feeling the new staff I work with are not used to the principal showing emotion, sharing personal information or challenges.
  • Allow graphic elements to fill the frame and bleed off the edges.
    • aneppl
      aneppl on 22 Feb 15
       
      I just did this on a slide for a presentation on Monday. Instead of the graphic/picture just being to the right of the text, I made the picture the entire background an ended up with just a few words.
  • What is the purpose of the event?
    • aneppl
      aneppl on 22 Feb 15
       
      So critical - I truly believe teachers need to know the purpose and how the learning or new information will impact them or their students. For me, the purpose is almost related to improved student learning - making the clear connection is the challenge...
  • legal pad and pen
cherylfletcher

Articles: Preparation - 1 views

moodlesw.aeapdonline.org/...view.php

shared by cherylfletcher on 16 Jun 15 - No Cached
  • I usually do not even have to look at the whiteboard or legal pad when I am in PowerPoint, because the analog process alone gave a clear visual image of how I want the content to flow. I glance at my notes to remind me of what visuals I thought of using at certain points and then go to iStockphoto.com or to my own extensive library of high-quality stock images to find the perfect image.
    • leahjmiller
      leahjmiller on 16 Jun 15
       
      I wonder how long it took him to reach the point in which he didn't have to refer back to them due to the planning analog?  Or does it come so naturally it happens the first time?
  • If you want your audience to remember your content, then find a way to make it more relevant and memorable by strengthening your core message with good, short, stories or examples.
    • leahjmiller
      leahjmiller on 16 Jun 15
       
      When I think about presentations that have stuck with me, I was able to empathize with that specific presenter because their content was told in this story format!
    • dahrens20
      dahrens20 on 19 Jun 15
       
      I would agree. Sometimes I think people when presenting may make it too hard on themselves trying to involve a story so that the audience can relate. It's got to be your story that is normal to your life. You don't have to make the Oscar's with your first presentation. Now after saying that, I still struggle doing this part sometimes. 
  • The best kamishibai presenters did not read the story, but instead kept their eyes on the audience and occasionally on the current card in the frame.
    • leahjmiller
      leahjmiller on 16 Jun 15
       
      Through the readings thus far, this is a common theme.  Know your content and share the story to make those connections with your audience.
    • dahrens20
      dahrens20 on 19 Jun 15
       
      Back to the preparation and knowing your content. I would categorize myself as one that dreads giving presentations but actually really enjoy it once a successful presentation has been given and the successful ones come back to preparation and knowledge.
  • ...32 more annotations...
  • 10/20/30 Rule of PowerPoint. It’s quite simple: a PowerPoint presentation should have ten slides, last no more than twenty minutes, and contain no font smaller than thirty points.
    • leahjmiller
      leahjmiller on 16 Jun 15
       
      I think that being mindful of this rule when planning will make a big difference in my presentations.  In another class I will be creating a Pecha Kucha presentation and that format also has a strict rule of 20 slides, 20 seconds each!
    • dahrens20
      dahrens20 on 19 Jun 15
       
      I've always taught in the classroom about avoiding too much text/info but setting a standard such as 10/20/30 where the font is 30 makes it more standard.
    • cherylfletcher
      cherylfletcher on 30 Jun 15
       
      This sounds like an excellent approach, 10/20/30 Going to try this and see what kind of effect is has.
  • This exercise forces you to “sell” your message in 30-45 seconds
    • leahjmiller
      leahjmiller on 16 Jun 15
       
      It also makes you have a clear purpose/vison for the presentation.
    • dahrens20
      dahrens20 on 19 Jun 15
       
      The elevator test has really stuck with me since reading about it in the first lesson. I like this and plan to use this in my classroom as well.
  • Keep it simple
    • dahrens20
      dahrens20 on 19 Jun 15
       
      It's so easy to say this to ourself and especially our students but as simple as it is to say it, ha, it's so hard sometimes to narrow things down in regards to presentations. The 3 things to remember will be a great aide for me to use.
    • cherylfletcher
      cherylfletcher on 30 Jun 15
       
      My tech department usually says KISS. Keep it simple - stupid. We are referring to ourselves as stupid. Don't put too much into something - keep it simple for the audience.
  • caffeine
    • dahrens20
      dahrens20 on 19 Jun 15
       
      Coke please : )
  • Use visuals in an active way, not a decorative one.
    • dahrens20
      dahrens20 on 19 Jun 15
       
      It's been nice seeing all the visuals and pics and how they all can tell a story. It's really a simple process and a reminder that I need to include more into mine instead of the usual PPT clipart/objects/etc. Much more telling and relating to the audience.
    • gsmutz
      gsmutz on 27 Jun 15
       
      I would agree with the first comment.  If and when I do put a picture on a powerpoint, often times I am looking for a picture that might match the content.  Really, the picture should embody the content.
    • pfineran
      pfineran on 23 Jun 15
       
      Knowing your audience well should seem intuitive to educators as we always think about the various learners in the classroom, but I know that as I have transitioned to working with adult learners, this is a bit more complicated!
    • pfineran
      pfineran on 23 Jun 15
       
      Wow! To pare it down to three main things would REALLY take some thought!
    • pfineran
      pfineran on 23 Jun 15
       
      I feel as though I have a long way to go to get to this point!
    • pfineran
      pfineran on 23 Jun 15
       
      I need to remember to have my audience somehow engage with the content or they won't be able to answer this question. Then I have wasted their time.
    • pfineran
      pfineran on 23 Jun 15
       
      Story telling is such a great way to grab and keep your audience's attention. People are more apt to listen when they can relate to what is being talked about. Stories are a great way to invite your audience to get involved.
    • berlandson
      berlandson on 27 Jun 15
       
      I especially enjoy when students share their stories!  I always tell them they have just made my next presentation better as I have a new story to add :) 
  • Remember, even if you’ve been asked to share information, rarely is the mere transfer of information a satisfactory objective from the point of view of the audience.
    • kluttenegger
      kluttenegger on 25 Jun 15
       
      Such an important point considering how often presentations are used to transfer simple bits of information.  We've all experienced innumerable meetings that transferred information better suited for a handout or quick email.
  • Great content is a necessary condition, but not a sufficient one
    • kluttenegger
      kluttenegger on 25 Jun 15
       
      A great point here because we've spent so much time considering many of the surface aspects of presentations, but at its core has to be relevant and engaging content. Presentations that lack good content are like blockbuster movies that lack good writing: all style and no substance.
  • Can you crystallize the essence of your presentation content and write it on the back of a business card?
    • kluttenegger
      kluttenegger on 25 Jun 15
       
      Being able to pass the elevator test is a must for good presentations, but I think the Belasco test is better for the early stages of preparation.  If you can't pare the essence of the presentation down to one sentence, then your initial purpose is too complex to convey to the audience. Such a simple step could save hours of time and effort in the long run.
  • Documentaries do not simply tell facts; rather, they engage us with the story
    • kluttenegger
      kluttenegger on 25 Jun 15
       
      At least GOOD documentaries do this
  • while we are making our case others are arguing with us in their heads using their own statistics and sources. Even if you do persuade through argument, says McKee, this is not good enough because “people are not inspired to act on reason alone.”
    • kluttenegger
      kluttenegger on 25 Jun 15
       
      Even the best stats available don't alone make a good presentation.  I can totally relate to watching a presenter unveil his or her argument as I sit and try to take down that argument point by point.  Good stories can't really be argued, which is why they are more powerful than reason alone.
  • Make your presentation—visuals and narration—participatory.
    • kluttenegger
      kluttenegger on 25 Jun 15
       
      In my new role as a PD facilitator, this is something I need to grow in.  Easier said than done, but when the audience has a role in the presentation it is exponentially more effective in delivering its message.  I've sat through enough passive and mindless PD sessions that I owe it to my colleagues to at least encourage their participation.
  • I guarantee it will make your presentations better because it requires you to find the most salient points and to know how to explain them well.
    • kluttenegger
      kluttenegger on 25 Jun 15
       
      I find this to be the most convincing part of the 10/20/30 rule.  Depending on the level of audience participation and how the presentation fits in with the rest of the lesson or activity, 20 min. won't always be feasible.  However, torturing the audience with countless bullets and tiny text should be avoided (And yes, I'm a hypocrite because I'm as guilty of this as anyone).
    • gsmutz
      gsmutz on 27 Jun 15
       
      I like this idea.  Think of the three most important points of your presentation, and make sure you emphasize them. 
  • I find the analog approach stimulates my creativity a bit more as I said. No software to get in my way and I can easily see how the flow will go.
    • gsmutz
      gsmutz on 27 Jun 15
       
      I can see how a powerpoint would be prepared more successfully on pencil and paper rather than on a computer.  First of all, doing the presentation with a pencil and paper would offer fewer distractions (you wouldn't flip from window to window).  I also believe you would be able to be more creative without a program that already sets the background format up for you.  You would have a blank page to start with and could brainstorm the design of your slides.
  • EXERCISE If your audience could remember only three things about your presentation,what would you want it to be? (1)__________ (2)__________ (3)__________
    • gsmutz
      gsmutz on 27 Jun 15
       
      I like this idea.  Think of the three most important points of your presentation, and make sure you emphasize them.
    • berlandson
      berlandson on 27 Jun 15
       
      I agree, excellent idea.  Trying to decide if it would be three ideas per day or per unit?  I think I could start with three "big ideas" per day.  Good challenge!
  • 9. The art of story telling
  • 9. The art of story telling
  • 9. The art of story telling
    • gsmutz
      gsmutz on 27 Jun 15
       
      I can think of some of the best presentations I have been to and they all have storytelling involved.  Many might be about former students or teaching experiences.  Some might be jokes or inspirational stories, but they all have stories.  This is definitely something I want to work on!
  • In your own presentations, look for contrasts such as before/after, past/future, now/then, problem/solution, strife/peace, growth/decline, pessimism/optimism, and so on. Highlighting contrasts is a natural way to bring the audience into your story and make your message more memorable.
    • gsmutz
      gsmutz on 27 Jun 15
       
      This seems like a great way to tell a story and attainable for any content area.  In math, I could connect our current content to previous content with a story.  I could talk about problems that my students in the past have had with the current lesson and how they overcame it.  I feel like this could be a starting point to a story, if you don't have one.
  • 10/20/30 Rule of PowerPoint
  • Who is the audience?
    • berlandson
      berlandson on 27 Jun 15
       
      I think in class it is important to get to know your students.  Building the relationship with the students and understanding their background definitely helps the teacher to design a lesson/presentation that will reach the students.
  • The best presenters illustrate their points with the use of stories, most often personal ones.
    • berlandson
      berlandson on 27 Jun 15
       
      It is often hard for students to give an interesting presentation and I think it is because many of them lack the "history" to have stories to share.  I co-coach our Academic Decathlon team and as they work on their prepared speeches we often tell them the best speeches are tied to "real life" not a researched topic.  Now I know why....they have stories to share!
  • We do not tell a story from memory alone; we do not need to memorize a story that has meaning to us. If it is real, then it is in us. Based on our research, knowledge, and experience, we can tell it from our gut. Internalize your story, but do not memorize it line by line. You can’t fake it.
    • berlandson
      berlandson on 27 Jun 15
       
      I think this is what makes good teachers!  When the teacher teaches what they love, they just naturally have stories; they do not have to read from a slide as they are telling about something they really know, love and want to share!
  • What is the purpose of the event?
    • cherylfletcher
      cherylfletcher on 30 Jun 15
       
      My presentation will be to the younger students and their parents about our 1 to 1. The students want to get the info quickly and get their new chromebook. The parents want this over so they can go home!
  • A data dump — all too common unfortunately — is when a presenter crams too much information into the talk without making the effort to make the information or data applicable to the members of the audience. A data dump also occurs when data and information do not seem to build on the information that came earlier in the presentation.
    • cherylfletcher
      cherylfletcher on 30 Jun 15
       
      Did a data dump the last time I presented. Had so much information in too short a time. Learning to be a better presentor.
  • Really ask yourself the tough questions throughout the planning process. For example, is your point relevant?
    • cherylfletcher
      cherylfletcher on 30 Jun 15
       
      So What? I never really thought about that before. I definitely do not put myselves in their shoes enough to say - what is the point of all of this. Need to follow this!
  • Good stories have interesting, clear beginnings; provocative, engaging content in the middle; and a clear conclusion.
    • cherylfletcher
      cherylfletcher on 30 Jun 15
       
      Sounds like my English teacher. Introduction, middle and conclusion. Guess I had forgotten about that.
emoses

Articles: Presentation "Awakening" - 0 views

moodlesw.aeapdonline.org/...view.php

shared by emoses on 09 Sep 15 - No Cached
  • The use of the PowerPoint presentation has been a disaster. It should be ditched.
    • scott fillner
      scott fillner on 09 Sep 15
       
      I would agree with this quote if it is the only means by which we engage learners.  We should consider audience and modalities when designing a presentation.
  • PowerPoint is a medium that can be used effectively — that is, with effective design methods — or ineffectively, that is with ineffective design methods. We would not necessarily say that books are rarely a good method, because books can be designed using effective or ineffective methods."
    • scott fillner
      scott fillner on 09 Sep 15
       
      It is a medium that is endangered due to the collaborative possibilities of Google.  I cannot remember the last time I utilized PPT for a presentation.
    • francysmaureen
      francysmaureen on 13 Sep 15
       
      A ppt can also be shared via email. I use google slides in my classes, it's easier to share anything from my Google drive though
    • carolborchard
      carolborchard on 14 Sep 15
       
      It is like anything. It can be helpful or not depending upon how it is used.
  • Communication is the transfer of emotion.
    • scott fillner
      scott fillner on 09 Sep 15
       
      I enjoy the way the subtitle is written here. It is akin to asking who the audience will be before authoring a piece of writing. The key word that sticks with me is transfer.
    • carolborchard
      carolborchard on 14 Sep 15
       
      Interesting definition.
    • emoses
      emoses on 28 Sep 15
       
      Sadly, this is what I have replaced for presentations - I just give them a PowerPoint of information and expect them to get the information. Rather than be a drain on their day (and waste class time reading slides), I just give them the information so we can do more interactive things in class.
  • ...27 more annotations...
  • reinforce
    • scott fillner
      scott fillner on 09 Sep 15
       
      Reinforcing is a powerful word choice that is spot on when thinking about presentations and communication.
  • feedback cycle
    • scott fillner
      scott fillner on 09 Sep 15
       
      A must for all presentations. If you want to grow, serve your audience and be effective, feedback loops are critical.
  • Curse of Knowledge
    • scott fillner
      scott fillner on 09 Sep 15
       
      So true, whether it be presenting or teaching.  Unless you plan for feedback, interaction, and checks for understanding, it is truly hard to stay in that moment and perspective of your audience.
    • francysmaureen
      francysmaureen on 13 Sep 15
       
      It is hard to act "casual" when you are trying to be professional and want to be taken seriously.
  • "It is effective to speak to a diagram, because it presents information in a different form. But it is not effective to speak the same words that are written, because it is putting too much load on the mind and decreases your ability to understand what is being presented."
  • Suggesting we abandon PowerPoint because it's often (usually?) misused and abused to produce awful presentation visuals is like saying we should dump the idea of 24-hour cable news because so much of it is vacuous rubbish. But whether we’re talking about bad TV or boring presentations
    • francysmaureen
      francysmaureen on 13 Sep 15
       
      Being able to read and listen to a presentation - a couple of lines on the slide - is handy for people who's not familiar with the presenter's accent (foreign or regional)
    • alberhasky
      alberhasky on 14 Sep 15
       
      I agree that phrases are helpful for focus, for me. Wall to wall text is certainly poor use of PowerPoint and reading off the slides is redundant.
  • make yourself cue cards. Don’t put them on the screen.
    • francysmaureen
      francysmaureen on 13 Sep 15
       
      I remember the sticky notes for presentations then, we were supposed to use powerpoint in order to be updated and using technology. So, now we have to go back?
    • alberhasky
      alberhasky on 14 Sep 15
       
      I think this works for a presentation, but what about a lecture? Same deal or apples and oranges?
  • it is important to keep in mind what makes your ideas resonate with people.
    • francysmaureen
      francysmaureen on 13 Sep 15
       
      When presenting, we should always remember we need to be appealing to our public.
  • Suggesting we abandon PowerPoint because it's often (usually?) misused and abused to produce awful presentation visuals is like saying we should dump the idea of 24-hour cable news because so much of it is vacuous rubbish. But whether we’re talking about bad TV or boring presentations
    • francysmaureen
      francysmaureen on 13 Sep 15
       
      A presentation that lacks of content or good backup information, will be bad no matter what media we use to transmit it..
  • he never forgets the lesson
    • francysmaureen
      francysmaureen on 13 Sep 15
       
      This happens with older people, I mean, a reaction. When you tell a cultural story to younger people, they tend to criticize the details.
  • it’s long past time that we realized that putting the same information on a slide that is coming out of our mouths usually does not help — in fact usually hurts our message.
    • carolborchard
      carolborchard on 14 Sep 15
       
      I have a hard time remembering a presentation where the speaker didn't read from the powerpoint. I remember thinking each time, "I can read this myself. This is a waste of my time."
    • micintosh
      micintosh on 14 Sep 15
       
      I totally agree with you.  The presenter feels like we can't read it ourselves and in turn disengages the audience.
  • If everyone in the room agreed with you, you wouldn’t need to do a presentation, would you?
    • carolborchard
      carolborchard on 14 Sep 15
       
      Haha! That makes me laugh!
    • emoses
      emoses on 28 Sep 15
       
      Well, that's the truth! I think more like, if everyone in the room could get the information, I wouldn't be doing the presentation. The funny thing is, they actually could get the information - they all have the Internet at their fingertips in class. They should be teaching each other, not me regurgitating information.
  • Bullets Are For the NRA
    • carolborchard
      carolborchard on 14 Sep 15
       
      I enjoy how the author writes. It's effective for me.
  • five rules you need to remember to create amazing Powerpoint presentations:
    • carolborchard
      carolborchard on 14 Sep 15
       
      "five rules" but lists six. Good points to remember, though.
  • “sticky” ideas have six key principles in common: simplicity, unexpectedness, concreteness, credibility, emotions, and stories. And yes, these six compress nicely into the acronym SUCCESs.
    • carolborchard
      carolborchard on 14 Sep 15
       
      Nice acronym.
  • it is more effective to target both the visual and auditory processors of working memory.
    • micintosh
      micintosh on 14 Sep 15
       
      This would also be true for trying to reach people with different learning styles.
    • emoses
      emoses on 28 Sep 15
       
      I do believe this is very true. I know there are so many visual learners out there, and I feel like presenting to them the information (with visuals and different colors) will reach them a lot better. However, if it's not the right visual, it's going to lose the audience very quickly. 
  • No more than six words on a slide. EVER. There is no presentation so complex that this rule needs to be broken
    • micintosh
      micintosh on 14 Sep 15
       
      I don't agree with limiting yourself to only 6 words to a slide.  What if you have a great quote like "If opportunity doesn't knock, build a... " A what?  I WANT to know WHAT to build??  If I limit myself to 6 words my audience will never gain the insight of the author.  Or on a second thought maybe I should leave them on a cliff hanger.
    • alberhasky
      alberhasky on 14 Sep 15
       
      I agree that seems a bit arbitrary and can't possibly work in all cases. But "less is more" is a good rule to abide by.
  • One of the components for creating sticking messages is story.
    • micintosh
      micintosh on 14 Sep 15
       
      I agree that stories can be very useful as I became more engaged with this class when reading the instructors stories that made me laugh and relate to them better.
    • alberhasky
      alberhasky on 14 Sep 15
       
      Yes, very true, but also can be difficult to tell the right story that gets the point across without distracting from the point. Also I remember teachers who could string together great anecdotes, but they led us away from the course content.
    • emoses
      emoses on 28 Sep 15
       
      Stories can be a great way to attract your audience. I have the opportunity in many of my presentation to bring my real life into it, but shy away from this idea because I might not want them knowing too much about it. It's debilitating to cut your audience off from seeing the message through the eyes of the presenter. It's more real for them if you open up.
  • When possible, put your ideas in human terms.
  • When possible, put your ideas in human terms.
  • When possible, put your ideas in human terms.
    • micintosh
      micintosh on 14 Sep 15
       
      This statement and the example make sense to me.  100 grams of fat doesn't mean much, but when you talk about what it looks like, then I get it. 
  • MPORTANT: Don’t hand out the written stuff at the beginning! If you do, people will read the memo while you’re talking and ignore you
  • No dissolves, spins or other transitions.
  • “Our mission is to become the international leader in the space industry through maximum team-centered innovation and strategically targeted aerospace initiatives.” Or “...put a man on the moon and return him safely by the end of the decade.”
  • The home run is easy to describe: You put up a slide. It triggers an emotional reaction in the audience. They sit up and want to know what you’re going to say that fits in with that image. Then, if you do it right, every time they think of what you said, they’ll see the image (and vice versa).
    • emoses
      emoses on 28 Sep 15
       
      This makes a lot of sense. Simplicity is key, and if you can make them remember whatever it is you're talking about by having one image, one quote, one something that's so profound, they won't be able to forget it, that's a home run.
candace berkley

Articles: Delivery - 2 views

moodlesw.aeapdonline.org/...view.php

shared by candace berkley on 16 Feb 15 - No Cached
  • Get closer to your audience by moving away from or in front of the podium
    • KIM BYRD
      KIM BYRD on 16 Feb 15
       
      This is something I am very uncomforable doing, even in my own classroom. I need to work on this.
    • brendahack
      brendahack on 26 Feb 15
       
      It is pretty freeing to move away from the front of the room and get a students prespective. It lets you see your slides from the back of the room, or notice what Johnny is writing or not writing on. You may find you actual enjoy it.
  • The audience should be looking at you more than the screen
    • KIM BYRD
      KIM BYRD on 16 Feb 15
       
      Most presentations I have been in at least turn off half of the lighting in the room. I will have to make sure my promethean board is able to be read with all lights on.
  • Most people listening to presentations tend to tune out after about 10 minutes
    • KIM BYRD
      KIM BYRD on 16 Feb 15
       
      Agreed. I am ready to listen to presentations, but after a while I am day-dreaming, thinking about lunch, or wondering what needs to be done in the classroom. I must be engaged or I lose interest.
  • ...36 more annotations...
  • Too many presenters stick to the PowerPoint template
    • KIM BYRD
      KIM BYRD on 16 Feb 15
       
      I sure used to stick with the templates. I thought they were a good thing. I am slowly learning that this is NOT the case.
  • Most presenters who are just considered average or mediocre are usually caught reading the text on their slides
    • KIM BYRD
      KIM BYRD on 16 Feb 15
       
      I will work on this. Usually when I am doing a presentation I am nervous, and therefore read from the slides.
  • deep, heartfelt belief in your topic.
    • stac34
      stac34 on 21 Feb 15
       
      This is a key element in a successful presentation...planning, preparing, and delivering a presentation that involves a topic I am passionate about makes it seem like a lot less work. 
    • brendahack
      brendahack on 26 Feb 15
       
      So true. I have been presenting on a topic that is quiet new to me, and it has taken so much more effort to plan. Working on my Zen presentation has been so much easier as it is a topic I feel I have depth of knowledge in, and see direct outcomes from. I get excited and I hope my audience gets excited too.
  • “B” key while your PowerPoint or Keynote slide is showing, the screen will go blank.
    • stac34
      stac34 on 21 Feb 15
       
      I just learned this last year! How did I go so many years without knowing this?  Also if you push "W" your screen will go white 
    • jsoland
      jsoland on 27 Feb 15
       
      Last year!?! I just learned this now! Can't wait to use it!
    • aneppl
      aneppl on 02 Mar 15
       
      Yes, I can totally see how this would be good to use. I wasn't aware of it....
  • Familiarize yourself with alternate lines of reasoning by digging up articles, blog posts, and reports that challenge your stance
    • stac34
      stac34 on 21 Feb 15
       
      This is a great idea to actually look into resources that challenge the topic/perspective. Rather than just having my opinion about something, I could spend some time looking into those alternative stances
  • At every 10 minutes or so, try to reengage the audience with something different
    • stac34
      stac34 on 21 Feb 15
       
      This is a good reminder to break longer presentations into smaller pieces. I try to integrate playtime into some presentations, but now I am thinking that I need to make them shorter and occur more often. 
    • brendahack
      brendahack on 26 Feb 15
       
      Agre! When co presenting it is much easier as you can hand off the presentation and change it up just by who is speaking. When going solo this seems even more important.
  • Only about 7 percent of the actual words or content is important
    • stac34
      stac34 on 21 Feb 15
       
      This is hard to believe the content impact is so small. It definitely makes e think that i need to pay attention to my delivery style. I really dislike watching myself on video, but the hint to tape myself and reflect is probably a good one. 
    • aneppl
      aneppl on 02 Mar 15
       
      Wow this is scary. I agree with it, but amazing to think about. It make me think about our recent round of teacher interviews. Our teachers are really particular about what the candidates wear. They would tell you, that if a women is not in a suit, they are literally tuned out the rest of the interview. 
  • audience will help you build rapport and make a connection.
    • sarahjmoore
      sarahjmoore on 22 Feb 15
       
      I love doing this in my classroom. I feel it gives me better classroom behavior. They never know where I am going to be. I also love that it allows me to hear some of the students who like to dwell in the back row and mumble their thoughts. I can now ask them to share that amazing thought louder.  
  • ol device
    • sarahjmoore
      sarahjmoore on 22 Feb 15
       
      Just make sure that the remote you have isn't the same one as someone next door. I have had a couple of presentations to students and my neighboring teacher was also presenting. This created a very interesting back and forth. 
  • Practice 10 hours for every one hour of the presentation
    • sarahjmoore
      sarahjmoore on 22 Feb 15
       
      I wish my students would do this too. I tell them to practice, but at the end of the day it seems we all practice a couple of times and call it good. If we really wanted to do well, we would do the 10:1 ratio. 
    • jsoland
      jsoland on 27 Feb 15
       
      I just can't imagince having the time to do this and I would hate to make it an expectation of someone else if I couldn't do it myself.
    • candace berkley
      candace berkley on 01 Mar 15
       
      Sounds like a lot of time, but I know from presenting that it makes good sense. Don't know how student would react to this!
  • naturally you want to read from them, so you turn your back to audience and you read from slides on the display."
    • sarahjmoore
      sarahjmoore on 22 Feb 15
       
      I would almost prefer there was no text on the slide. I see a lot of presenters putting quotes on the slides. They turn around to read them and I feel like I am completely disconnected. Or if they are on the slide and aren't ever mentioned, I am confused why they had it there if they aren't going to address it. I have to disengage with the presentation to read it. In reality, there are times for text, but it seems that it needs to be connected and present in the presentation.
  • ne hundred things on your own that are annoying or maybe are some bad habits that you never knew you did."
    • sarahjmoore
      sarahjmoore on 22 Feb 15
       
      I have done this several times and I hated it! I found so much about myself that I was annoyed with. I couldn't believe how irritated I was with myself. I felt like I should apologize to my students for putting up with me everyday. It was horrible, but good. There were some behaviors, as Gallo notes, that I didn't know I had. I was then more thoughtful about them and have since strived to fix them. Although it is awkward, I would highly suggest it. You can't argue with a camera.  
  • world class ones is the ability to connect with an audience in an honest and exciting way.
    • brendahack
      brendahack on 26 Feb 15
       
      The more passionate you are about your topic, the more engaging you become. You have stories and experiences that you can share with the audience and help them feel a need to know more. I agree that it builds your confidence as a presenter as well. If you are not captivated by your topic, it is extremely difficult to capture someone else's.
  • So, if you have 30 minutes for your talk, finish in 25 minutes. It is better to have the audience wanting more (of you) than to feel that they have had more than enough
    • brendahack
      brendahack on 26 Feb 15
       
      I am ever appreciative of this when I am attending and not presenting. I generally find that I will take the "extra" time allowed to thank the speaker, or ask a question one to one rather than in the whole group when I feel it is specific to my needs and not a group topic.
  • By having the slide blank, all the attention can now be placed back on you. When you are ready to move on, just press the “B” key again and the image reappea
    • brendahack
      brendahack on 26 Feb 15
       
      Not only does it change the focus, but it gets the light out of your eyes. It is uncomfortable to have a dialog with a audience member when you are squinting to see them.
  • You’re presenting because you need them to change their beliefs or behavior in some way, and people find it hard to change. So expect them to resist
    • brendahack
      brendahack on 26 Feb 15
       
      This is a hard one, but true. You are trying to affect change. There will be those who want to prove you wrong, or challenge what you are saying. If you can use thier examples as a way to "prove" what you are saying all the better.
  • Does your audience hold fast to a bias, dogma, or moral code
    • brendahack
      brendahack on 26 Feb 15
       
      My presentation that I am working on is a test taking strategy that allows the test taker to NOT read the whole reading passage when doing a reading test. As educators this is a real challenge to what we as learners did and as teachers teach. Yet it has been so effective that I am willing to meet their challenge, and provide them the opportunity to prove it to themselves.
  • Always remember that the people in your audience get to determine whether your idea spreads or dies. You need them more than they need you. So be humble in your approach. Their desires and goals — and their frustrations and anxieties — should shape everything you present
    • brendahack
      brendahack on 26 Feb 15
       
      Powerful statement.
    • candace berkley
      candace berkley on 04 Mar 15
       
      On the forum I wrote about presenting to hostile groups of teachers, and I received a good bit of advice: Talk to the principal before the presentation to get a feel for what kind of support or resistance you might encounter. Ask for the principal to assist in lessening some resistance before the date of the presentation and ask who the most supportive members of the audience might be.
  • use a small, handheld remote
    • jsoland
      jsoland on 27 Feb 15
       
      This has completely changed how I present and I love how it helps me to circulate around the audience.
  • Remember, it is your reputation, so always remain gracious even with the most challenging of audiences.
    • jsoland
      jsoland on 27 Feb 15
       
      I like to keep in mind that the audience won't remember the challenging person, but will remember how I handled them.
  • They glance at a slide just for a second to prompt them for the next piece of information
    • jsoland
      jsoland on 27 Feb 15
       
      I have really been able to improve on this now that I'm making the focus of my slide be the image.
  • Gallo suggests that you use images with little or no text on slides to discuss ideas or concepts, which is also a great way to engage the audience. This will also, he says, "give the audience's eyes a rest every so often."
  • Grab your digital video recorder, deliver your presentation and watch yourself, he says.
  • Don’t hold back. Be confident. And let your passion for your topic come out for all to see
    • aneppl
      aneppl on 02 Mar 15
       
      I wonder if it's possible to be vulnerable at the same time? I think the audience(in my case teachers), needs to know that I empathize with them and care about them, but yet I have high expectations for our students. I am often very vulnerable and I feel most appreciate it. 
  • The first 2-3 minutes of the presentation are the most important
    • aneppl
      aneppl on 02 Mar 15
       
      This is typically where I try to include humor, tell a story, and try to set the stage for our time together. 
  • The true professional can always remain cool and in control
    • aneppl
      aneppl on 02 Mar 15
       
      So important. Recently, a comment was made as teachers were sharing out and I made a very bad mistake. I actually rolled my eyes. Now I don't know if anyone seen me, but just as soon as I did it I was very self-concious. Not good.
  • If you’re struggling to figure out what kinds of resistance you’ll face, share your ideas with others before you present and ask them to pressure-test the content
    • aneppl
      aneppl on 02 Mar 15
       
      Pretty much everything thing that I present on or co-present is as a result of discussions and decisions made by our Instructional Leadership Team. But the reality is that I hope they are being honest with me and not just agreeing to my thoughts or ideas on how to improve our instruction for students. 
    • aneppl
      aneppl on 02 Mar 15
       
      I value the input of the ILT so that hopefully what we are asking or presenting on is not seen as just the principal asking for one more thing. There are very few things that I would push forward with without the support of our leadership team. I might however continue to building the background of the leadership team in hopes that one day I feel that we are at a point to share with our entire staff. 
  • So keep the presentation to less than 20 minutes
    • aneppl
      aneppl on 02 Mar 15
       
      Very good point. If I know our time is going to be longer I always like to build in opportunities for sharing, collaboration, reading, etc. so that it doesn't feel like I was talking at them for an hour. 
    • aneppl
      aneppl on 02 Mar 15
       
      Obviously I responeded before I read further. :)
  • "When you prepare and rehearse the presentation—out loud, over many hours and many days—you'll come across as much more engaging as a speaker and effortless."
    • aneppl
      aneppl on 02 Mar 15
       
      This is definitely an area that I would need to improve in. Sometimes I get over confident, only to wake up in the middle of the night with all of these ideas that I think I can work into my presentation without practice...In other situations I have literally just completed the presentation an then it's time to present. This is something I need to contemplate, the planning phase, because if I'm not ready will I actually make the situation worse. 
  • sentati
  • They practice much more than the average presenter."
    • candace berkley
      candace berkley on 04 Mar 15
       
      Always practice wherever and whenever possible. Practice in front of other people. Anticipate reactions, questions, challenges and practice responding to them. Unexpected things will always occur, and if you are well-prepared for the presentation, you will be much better able to handle the things for which you are not prepared.
    • candace berkley
      candace berkley on 04 Mar 15
       
      Practice wherever and whenever possible. Practice in front of other people. If you are well prepared for the presentation you will be less rattled when unexpected things happen and better able to deal with them. Confidence is gained through practice.
  • However, he says most presenters will spend 99 percent of their time preparing the content and slides, and very little—if any—on understanding and controlling their body language and how they speak and sound.
    • candace berkley
      candace berkley on 04 Mar 15
       
      Sometimes we forget the presenting part of the presentation. It is something very different than the preparation of slides. Yes, when I remember presenters, I remember their voice, how they moved around the space, the jokes they told, and the way they made me feel. I really don't remember the slides, I remember the info. through the person who presented it.
  • Gallo's Tip:
    • candace berkley
      candace berkley on 04 Mar 15
       
      Reminds me of the importance of the high school speech classes where all of these skills are taught.
    • candace berkley
      candace berkley on 04 Mar 15
       
      These tips remind me of the importance of high school speech class. (These are all tips that our speech teacher teachers and that we expect kids to know.)
gfrolekclark

Using Moodle: Inline display of images captured with Jing - 0 views

moodle.org/...discuss.php

shared by gfrolekclark on 28 Jun 11 - Cached
    • gfrolekclark
      gfrolekclark on 28 Jun 11
       
      Anyone ever try this? I am thinking there has to be a way to get this posted.
  • After you capture and save your image to the Web, Jing gives you a popup letting you know that it has put the (non-embeddable) URL on the clipboard. That popup also contains a link to a page on screencast.com where you can manage the image (e.g., rename, delete). That page displays a link to the embeddable URL. You can right click and copy link location from there. It's an extra step, but it's acceptable.
sjensen21

Lesson: Articles on Visual Design - 5 views

moodlesw.aeapdonline.org/...view.php

shared by sjensen21 on 09 Dec 14 - No Cached
  • A successful visual design does not take away from the content on the page or function.  Instead, it enhances it by engaging users and helping to build trust and interest in the brand.
    • Nancy Peterman
      Nancy Peterman on 09 Dec 14
       
      This statement was important to me because I want to make the page interesting but need to be selective to ensure the element enhances rather than "decorates".
    • Kathleen Goslinga
      Kathleen Goslinga on 19 Dec 14
       
      Great point Nancy! I need to keep this in mind as well that the focus needs to be on the content with the design supporting and not distracting.
  • White space is used around text and between sections to allow the page to breath
    • Nancy Peterman
      Nancy Peterman on 09 Dec 14
       
      I believe white space will be important to my Softchalk lessons to engage learners. If I have too much text, the reader may feel overwhelmed or disinterested. I need to hightlight my text by using white space as an element of design.
  • When navigating a good design, the user should be led around the screen by the designer. I call this precedence, and it's about how much visual weight different parts of your design have.
    • Nancy Peterman
      Nancy Peterman on 09 Dec 14
       
      This article reminded me to lead the reader through each of the important points of the web page. It mentioned using images to bring the reader to an important statement or paragraph. Use of shapes or arrows are obvious but also useful in directing the reader while adding interest.
  • ...30 more annotations...
  • List out the different types of tasks people might do on a site, how they will achieve them, and how easy you want to make it for them. This might mean having really common tasks on your homepage (e.g. 'start shopping', 'learn about what we do,' etc.) or it might mean ensuring something like having a search box always easily accessible.
    • Nancy Peterman
      Nancy Peterman on 09 Dec 14
       
      This statement seems pretty basic, but I think it is important to help reduce reader stress. If I provide instructions for the beginner, they may become engaged and explore longer than expected.
  • The more options a user has when using your website, the more difficult it will be to use (or won’t be used at all). So in order to provide a more enjoyable experience, we need to eliminate choices.
    • Nancy Peterman
      Nancy Peterman on 09 Dec 14
       
      This statement spoke about providing too much choice. I think it also applies to find text about the subject, so I think providing an easy to see and use filter or search box is important. I think about my lessons and if students want to review a specific part of the lesson, I want to make it easy for them to find it.
  • Instead users satisfice; they choose the first reasonable option.
    • Nancy Peterman
      Nancy Peterman on 09 Dec 14
       
      I think it is important for me to remember that my audience may scan for reasonable options or things that will help with an assignment, rather than click on each link in order that it is listed.
  • the web-page should be obvious and self-explanatory. When you’re creating a site, your job is to get rid of the question marks
    • Nancy Peterman
      Nancy Peterman on 09 Dec 14
       
      I think it is important that a web page and a lesson is obvious and self-explanatory. If a student has a question, they are may not be willing to wait for an instructor's reply. The student has now lost some of their motivation and engagement in the lesson.
  • Buttons to travel around a site should be easy to find - towards the top of the page and easy to identify. They should look like navigation buttons and be well described. The text of a button should be pretty clear as to where it's taking you. Aside from the common sense, it's also important to make navigation usable.
    • Mary Trent
      Mary Trent on 09 Dec 14
       
      I think this is important in my lesson as I want the users to be able to navigate around the pages according to where their interests lead them.
    • Kathleen Goslinga
      Kathleen Goslinga on 19 Dec 14
       
      I agree that navigation gives users a chance to move around more freely. It appears within SoftChalk you are limited to the options of top, previous and next. I'm still in the early stages with learning about the tool so still am curious if you are limited too just those three options.
  • Consistency means making everything match. Heading sizes, font choices, coloring, button styles, spacing, design elements, illustration styles, photo choices, etc. Everything should be themed to make your design coherent between pages and on the same page.
    • Mary Trent
      Mary Trent on 09 Dec 14
       
      This is a big one for me, too.  I feel that websites or lessons need to stay consistent in look and design.  It just looks more professional.  Less is more. 
  • Occam’s razor is a principle urging one to select among competing hypotheses that which makes the fewest assumptions and thereby offers the simplest explanation of the effect. To put it in the design context, Occam’s Razor states that the simplest solution is usually best.
    • Mary Trent
      Mary Trent on 09 Dec 14
       
      This is very true.  I have a few pages that have too many words and phrases that are too complex.  I am looking at simplifying these and use other resources like audio or video to include the information so it isn't visually overwhelming.
  • Users don’t read, they scan. Analyzing a web-page, users search for some fixed points or anchors which would guide them through the content of the page.
    • Mary Trent
      Mary Trent on 09 Dec 14
       
      So very true. I want to design my lesson so that a teacher can decide in a manner of seconds if the STEM Scale-up they are looking at is for them or not.
  • Users want to have control. Users want to be able to control their browser and rely on the consistent data presentation throughout the site. E.g. they don’t want new windows popping up unexpectedly and they want to be able to get back with a “Back”-button to the site they’ve been before: therefore it’s a good practice to never open links in new browser windows.
    • Mary Trent
      Mary Trent on 09 Dec 14
       
      I agree, that is why I really want the table of contents or navigation to be on every page so the users can explore wherever the want and go back if they need to.
  • Visual design must strike a balance between unity and variety to avoid a dull or overwhelming design.
    • bgeanaea11
      bgeanaea11 on 10 Dec 14
       
      This is the tricky part- finding a balance between unity and variety- I will try to find this balance as I create my lessons.
  • Web design ain't just about pretty pictures. With so much information and interaction to be effected on a Web site, it's important that you, the designer, provide for it all. That means making your Web site design usable.
    • bgeanaea11
      bgeanaea11 on 10 Dec 14
       
      This is going to be my focus as I develop lessons. If the lesson is not usable, there really is no point.
  • Without knowing ANYTHING about these circles, you were easily able to rank them. That’s visual hierarchy.
    • bgeanaea11
      bgeanaea11 on 10 Dec 14
       
      Interesting! I have never really thought of it this way- what catches my attention is more important and cretes a hierarchy!
  • Here’s what the golden ratio looks like:
    • bgeanaea11
      bgeanaea11 on 10 Dec 14
       
      Cool! I will start looking for this now!
  • Conclusion Effective web design and art are not the same. You should design for the user and by having a business objective in mind. Using these web design principles you can get to aesthetically and financially rewarding results.
    • bgeanaea11
      bgeanaea11 on 10 Dec 14
       
      I was an Art minor in college and did not have any courses in web design, so this is an interesting distinction for me and one to keep in mind!
  • 6. Strive for simplicity The “keep it simple”-principle (KIS) should be the primary goal of site design. Users are rarely on a site to enjoy the design; furthermore, in most cases they are looking for the information despite the design. Strive for simplicity instead of complexity.
    • bgeanaea11
      bgeanaea11 on 10 Dec 14
       
      Absolutely! If it is too complex I will move on!
  • 7. Don’t be afraid of the white space
    • bgeanaea11
      bgeanaea11 on 10 Dec 14
       
      Every article we read mentions this one! It must be a really important one!
  • The basic elements that combine to create visual designs
    • Kathleen Goslinga
      Kathleen Goslinga on 19 Dec 14
       
      The in-depth definations on how lines, shapes, color palette, texture, typography and form impact what / how a viewer interpret the information along with design is a key factor for consideration.
  • White space is an important part of your layout strategy.
    • Kathleen Goslinga
      Kathleen Goslinga on 19 Dec 14
       
      White space is an area that I've been learning more about with other work related projects. From what I am learning "white space" provides the learner/reader a chance to break before moving forward. It also serves as a point to reflect.
  • Dominance focuses on having one element as the focal point and others being subordinate.
    • Kathleen Goslinga
      Kathleen Goslinga on 19 Dec 14
       
      I didn't realize that the focal point of a lesson was considered to be labeled as "dominant" and all information in the area would be viewed as "subordinate". Size, shape, location, etc...clearly sends a message to the viewer.
  • Color contrast
    • Kathleen Goslinga
      Kathleen Goslinga on 19 Dec 14
       
      This is an important item to remember when it comes to drawing attention to "key" information. I will consider trying this in a few section of my lesson.
  • Empty space seemed wasteful. In fact the opposite is true.
    • Kathleen Goslinga
      Kathleen Goslinga on 19 Dec 14
       
      This is another way to reference the importance and use of "white space" to give the viewer a chance to pause or in some cases reflect upon the content just read.
  • bread crumb trails,
    • Kathleen Goslinga
      Kathleen Goslinga on 19 Dec 14
       
      This is good reminder of another way users can work their way around different areas. I didn't see this as a 'form of navigation" until reading this section.
  • Font Choices — Different types of fonts say different things about a design. Some look modern, some look retro. Make sure you are using the right tool for the job.
    • Kathleen Goslinga
      Kathleen Goslinga on 19 Dec 14
       
      I had know idea that font selection would send a different message. This is something to be aware of when designing a lesson.
  • if text has an underline, you expect it to be a link
    • Kathleen Goslinga
      Kathleen Goslinga on 19 Dec 14
       
      Great point!
  • The best images follow the rule of thirds:
    • Kathleen Goslinga
      Kathleen Goslinga on 20 Dec 14
       
      Utilizing the rule of thirds is a effective way to capture your audience and help guide them in a specific direction. This is something I will consider when selecting images for inclusion in lessons.
  • Hierarchy shows the difference in significance between items
    • sjensen21
      sjensen21 on 22 Dec 14
       
      I find that a hierarchy can be very helpful in understanding how topics are related to one another.
  • Web design can be deceptively difficult
    • sjensen21
      sjensen21 on 22 Dec 14
       
      I know it's difficult.  I have not been deceived!
  • if there is a gigantic arrow pointing at something, guess where the user will look?
    • sjensen21
      sjensen21 on 22 Dec 14
       
      Good "point."  haha  But, seriously, it's obvious, but an important idea, especially for the visual learner.
  • White Space
    • sjensen21
      sjensen21 on 22 Dec 14
       
      I never thought about White Space before I took this class, but I see where they are coming from.  Endless lines of text can be quite overwhelming.
  • Golden ratio
    • sjensen21
      sjensen21 on 22 Dec 14
       
      I believe it was originally discovered by Fibonacci.  Just a little math trivia for you:-)
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