1. Communicating with Microsoft PowerPoint: The Basics Jane Cook EASTCONN Windham Mills, Mill #1, 3rd Floor 322 Main Street Willimantic, CT 06226 (860) 455-0707, ext. 3011 jcook@eastconn.org

2. What is Microsoft PowerPoint? PowerPoint is a complete presentation software package that allows you to incorporate words, numbers, pictures and graphs, as well as multimedia to communicate your message.

3. What can PowerPoint Do? §Open your mind. §Be willing to suspend your self-interest for the good of the group. §Look for sources of untapped energy. §Only one person talks at a time. §Maintain your good will and good humor and share them liberally. Reveal Lists For example, here’s a list of Meeting Ground Rules for you to consider:

4. What else can PowerPoint Do? Show Pictures – one at a time or all at once…

5. What else can PowerPoint Do? Open a file from another Program, like Microsoft Excel… Or launch Internet Explorer and go to a Web site…Click here for a great PowerPoint tutorial…

6. What else can PowerPoint Do? Display a Graph

7. What else can PowerPoint Do? Show a Video

8. Content Tips & Recommendations §Create a title slide that relates to the presentation content. §Avoid using a single bullet or more than five bullets per slide. §Keep charts simple. §Use clip art that relates to the content and does not distract from the message. §Provide a recommendation, summary or transition on your final slide/s.

9. Format Tips & Recommendations §Use large fonts – NO SMALLER THAN 18 POINT. §Avoid long lines of text. §Keep the background simple. Make sure the text can be seen clearly. §Maintain a consistent color scheme throughout the presentation. §Use consistent slide transitions.

10. Presenting Tips & Recommendations §Project your slide show on a large screen before you go “live” - colors will look different; adjust as needed. §Provide some form of handout so your audience can follow & take notes.

11. When creating a PowerPoint presentation, reflect on the following questions: §Who is your audience? §What kind of message do you need to send? §How might PowerPoint help deliver it?

12. Ready? Let’s get started…