A quick guide to using PowerPoint PowerPoint is essentially a platform from which various types of information is delivered. This information can be text-based or image-based. PowerPoint is quite simply a program that works like a projector in order to present materials. One of its many advantages is its capacity to be used by a teacher in setting up a new topic that might take a double lesson as well as being accessed by students from an intranet or VLE. Our expertise as teachers partly depends upon our ability to draw upon a range of sources and resources in order to prepare students for curriculum demands. PowerPoint is not a substitute for the library, the internet, reading, writing or teaching But it can be an effective way of presenting material that our experience has enabled us to identify and select to groups of students dynamically. It should not merely be seen as another example of technology that we are expected to use but rather as a dynamic platform that presents material we have designed around our own particular curriculum expertise.

THE POWERPOINT WINDOW

Inserting images for AS/A2 Art & Design Where is the image from? PowerPoint offers a number of options: CD-Rom; scanned image; digital camera; internet; floppy disk; floppy disk adaptor etc. INSERT> PICTURE> FROM CAMERA or SCANNER or….

The ‘default settings’ PowerPoint will usually open up with a default content layout This will say ‘click to add title’ and ‘click to add text’ Fine if you want add text and not so bad if you want to add images either. On the right hand side of the screen is a column called ‘Slide Layout’.

New York 2002 Differential focus, depth of field Irregular format, neither rectangular or square Diffused glow in order to soften background Central focal point Thematic concern of man and environment Warm tones

Basic Instructions (no frills) Open PowerPoint Leave (default) settings as they are Add a title (where it says ‘click to add title’) Rather than adding text, insert an image (which we will each produce today) INSERT> PICTURE> FROM FILE (i.e. network drive/ floppy disk etc) / CAMERA or SCANNER Choose FILE> FLOPPY ‘A’ Drive Congratulations! Save! Probably a good idea to create generic folders for each theme/ course etc

Adding images from a scanner INSERT> PICTURE> FROM CAMERA or SCANNER Depends on Windows (95/97/2000 or XP etc), but will probably default into scanner software Scan image. Remember to crop. More recent versions of Windows will also ‘resample’ the image which effectively means reducing its size (amount of bytes/ meg etc rather than height and width) Therefore, this makes the file more manageable when uploading on to the intranet/VLE

Crop the image.

Select an ‘output type’. By far the most straightforward to use and one which will cover most images is ‘best colour photograph’ Press OK Then press ‘Send the scan now’

You may need to adjust the size of the image, but PowerPoint now appears to recognise that images need to fit on the page! Having inserted this image on this page… INSERT> NEW SLIDE>and then whatever source image is necessary

Repeat this procedure as many times is necessary for your slide show

Your new slide needs a bit of animation! Click ‘SLIDE SHOW’> CUSTOM ANIMATION> ADD EFFECT These ‘Animations’ can be used to present the text dynamically or ….. … with a degree of subtlety Personally, the most effective are the ones that do not draw attention to themselves e.g. ‘fade’

TITLE OF PAINTING/ DRAWING

Doing PowerPoint Once you have started, it is quite simply a matter of INSERT> NEW SLIDE> IMAGE etc As long as all the resources are accessible it is simply a matter of inserting them on to NEW SLIDES It does take a while, but projected images which are bigger (and brighter) than images in a book can be seen by the whole class PowerPoint’s text/ titles also provides us with opportunities of projecting key points without having to write them on the board It aids structure It is a resource that can be added to as well as being an archive available to teachers and students